Cheryl’s Big Brother House
Months ago, I got this combination of clients, all living in one house.
Client #1: diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, secondary to paranoia. She was extremely confused when she moved into the house. “Can I go home? Can I go home? Oh this is home. Can I go home?”. Every five minutes. She was exactly like Dora from Finding Nemo. Then she bolts out into the street, which in this case, I have to chase her down before cops get her (or me).
Client #2: also diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, this time he is blind. Shakes like sh*t when he hears my footsteps. He figured, since he cant see, it was okay to poop and pee in his room. Which of course I have to clean.
Client #3: undifferentiated schizophrenia with dementia. Harmless, but drives me nuts. He walks balk and forth the hallway, day and night. Doesn’t help ease Client #2’s paranoia either.
The list goes on and on. My team successfully found strategies that work, so we are very proud of ourselves serving this population.
Except my Client # 10 is driving me to my last bit of patience that I never knew existed. I should have denied this case from the getgo.
He is diagnosed with manic depressive, impulse explosive disorder and organic personality disorder.
All in one.
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
For all the two-week stay with me and a lot of hit-and-miss programs, I finally developed a behavior plan that works.
De-escalation of problem behaviors. Frustration tolerance program. Redirection. Social skills program. Scripting social exchanges. Token economy reinforcement program.
Then I added a little Carl Rogers’ unconditional positive regard, along with empathy and genuineness. The Good Will Hunting therapy.
Now the problem is, this 6’1”, 250lb former football player and been in jail 3x for petty theft, now TRUSTS me! The arrangement was temporary, as I was pretty sure I signed a contract that clearly stated “14-day Emergency Placement”.
He is supposed to be transferred into Napa State– yes, the locked facility, where Kazinski went? You know, the Unabomber? Now he doesn’t want to go. He wants to stay as a housemate.
So my care home is stuck with him.
Celso is laughing his head off.
I should have been an accountant.
P.S. I still accept resume if anyone is interested in working with me.
With Wayne Fisher, PhD (Former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis) and Cathleen Piazza, PhD (Current Editor in Chief of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis).
