Examples of Issues to Address and Strategies to Work with Individual
The mental status exam is performed as an effective means would identify the risk level of the client’s suicidal ideations. In this case, there are various factors that could help shed light of the state of mind that the examinee is experiencing. These include appearance, manner, approach, orientation, alertness, thought process, mood and affect. The interview will address some of these issues independently as a means of illuminating the underlying problem or cause for concern. Each of these factors provides a better understanding of the examinee’s state of mind (Stern, 2014). For instance, the appearance includes the distinctive features such as the face which may demonstrate that the individual is of an older age than his or her chronological years.
The hygiene and grooming are also significant factors to consider during the process of examination whereby unkempt hair and dirty clothing depict a distressed state of mind. The interviewer will incorporate the various observations made to align the various questions asked. It is important that the actual observations presented are recorded and not wander off to report the descriptions made by the individual (Stern, 2014). The use of standard methods dictated by the AMA Guides fifth edition will assist in the evaluation process. In this case, establishing as rapport with the examinee is an important aspect to consider. This strategic action will prompt the individual to answer questions truthfully and without holding back important information. The interviewer should also show empathy and concern for issues currently affecting the examinee (Stern, 2014). Observing non-verbal communication will provide insight to the individual’s descriptions on whether they are truthful or not.
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Social and Cultural Factors
Social and cultural factors are integral in the assessment and evaluation of the individual. Depending on the culture of the individual, the counselor should incorporate competence in the interview process. For instance, if the examinee is a first-generation Chinese man, discussion of problems is difficult (Stern, 2014). Given the culture of the individual, he may be reluctant to effectively discuss issues affecting his life. In this regard, the counselor should demonstrate cultural competence such that he or she is aware of such issues that may hinder the effective evaluation of the mental status. The use of social techniques may have significant influence to ensure the client feels comfortable and can answer questions as required.
The greeting when initially meeting the client is an important social factor to consider when engaging with the client. Thought, attitude and body language should show that the interviewer is concerned and ready to listen to descriptions and explanations provided. Jumping to premature conclusions may demonstrate a lack of sensitivity from the counselor. This action could scupper any efforts of assisting the examinee in future (Stern, 2014). The individual may perceive the behavior of the counselor as a lack of hope for their preexisting conditions. As a result, the client may opt out of future treatment plan. The counselor should also create a shame-free environment such that the client does not feel embarrassed about their situation through encouraging questions and participation in the process.
Ethical & Legal Violations
It is important that the counselor demonstrate an understanding of ethical and legal violations. The counseling profession incorporates high levels of responsibility primarily due to little oversight as they practice behind closed doors. The ACA Code of Ethics is one of the numerous resources available for guiding the behavior and practice a counselor should portray (Owens, Watabe, & Michael, 2014). The sound ethical conduct depicts the most appropriate actions that the interviewer should convey when evaluating and assessing the mental status of the client. There are five primary moral principles that should be employed during this process including autonomy, justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence and fidelity. Each of these ethical standards describes the most appropriate behavior during practice.
On the legality issue, federal and state policy makers prescribe ethical standards into code that incorporate sanctions and penalties for those who may not follow. A counselor should have in –depth knowledge of the regulations that are set up depending on their jurisdiction (Owens, Watabe, & Michael, 2014). In numerous cases, the ethics of the profession and the significant laws governing usually appear to be in conflict. However, it is the duty of the counselor to resolve this conflict responsibly to avoid becoming a victim of the great penalties associated with it. However, in the case that harm may occur to the patient, the counselor may seek to follow ethical standards rather than the laws.
Response to Others
As presented in the posting of (Classmate’s name) it is evident that mood and affect are significant factors to consider in the mental status exam. When the counselor makes efforts to portray a jovial mood and the client does not respond it indicates a distressed state of mind. This depiction shows clearly that the counselor can understand body language and responses made by the client to provide an accurate prognosis. (Classmate’s name) also indicates importance of social and cultural factors in conducting the evaluation. However, I do not believe the notion that full adherence to the ethical standards is the only beneficial factor in carrying out the mental status exam. The organization failure to adhere to the standards set by the law may create a negative outcome for both the counselor and the client in question. The counselor should find a striking balance between the two, demonstrating ability to solve the contradicting scenarios.
References
Owens, J. S., Watabe, Y., & Michael, K. D. (2013). Culturally responsive school mental health in rural communities. In Handbook of Culturally Responsive School Mental Health (pp. 31-42). Springer New York.
Stern, S. (2014). Psychometric Properties of the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination (SLUMS) for the Identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in a Veteran Sample . Retrieved from http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1128&context=psych_diss
