From Need to Policy: Community Supported Development and Implementation of the South Carolina Vulnerable Adult Guardian Ad Litem (SC VAGAL) Program.

Adult guardian ad litem programs are a necessary public service to protect adults from abuse and neglect. This article describes the development and implementation of an adult guardian ad litem program. We discuss the program's impetus, pilot testing, evaluation, and implementation of the program. Our experience highlights the vital role of diverse inter-sectoral stakeholders. Furthermore, the development process highlights the need for flexibility in program development, tension negotiation among stakeholders, and engagement of aging stakeholders in nontraditional arenas.

Childhood trauma and METH abuse among men who have sex with men: Implications for intervention.

Methamphetamine (METH) has become one of the most widely abused drugs in South Florida, particularly among MSM who may or may not be HIV seropositive. High rates of childhood trauma have been reported among HIV-infected MSM (Chartier et al., 2010), but, the association of childhood trauma, and mood disorders with methamphetamine use in HIV-infected men, has not been comprehensively explored. A better understanding of the association between these factors could improve existing substance abuse treatment intervention strategies and medical treatment programs (e.g., medication adherence; Carrico, 2010) to enhance positive health outcomes for male meth abusers living with the psychological consequences of childhood abuse. This study, as part of a larger study, examined the occurrence of childhood trauma and depression in a group of HIV seropositive METH abusing MSM. Significantly higher levels of depression symptom severity were found among METH users relative to non-METH users (p < .001). Irrespective of HIV status, METH users also reported higher frequencies of emotional, physical and sexual child abuse relative to non-METH users (p < .001). Among meth users, depression was predicted by childhood emotional neglect. These results suggest that childhood maltreatment may be implicated in the development of emotional distress (e.g., depression) and higher prevalence of methamphetamine/drug abuse in this population. These findings have important implications for substance abuse interventions, specifically targeting METH addiction among MSM. Addressing childhood trauma and depression may play a key role in enhancing the effectiveness of interventions for methamphetamine addiction.

Psychiatric and psychosocial challenges in patients undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplants.

Haematological malignancies are often treated with haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT). The disease and its treatment are challenging and life threatening, as they not only affect the recipients, but also their families. This review highlights the available data on the psychological, psychiatric and social impact of these illnesses and their treatment on recipients and families. There are robust data that correlate HSCT with emotional distress, as emotional and physical functioning significantly affect quality of life. Psychiatric co-morbidity including anxiety, depression, adjustment and post-traumatic stress disorder, delirium and cognitive deficits have been reported at different stages in the transplant process. This review will highlight the psychosocial and clinical research findings relevant to HSCT patients and will summarize recommendations for future psychosocial research in this population.

Person-centered planning training for consumer-directed care for the elderly and disabled.

Based on the need for a training program for person-centered planning SC Choice, a Real Choice/Independent Living Grant, included the development of training materials and a training program for the implementation of the transformation from agency case manager to care advisor. The development of this training included receiving the person-centered planning training currently used by the developmentally disabled agencies, as well as interviews and focus groups with interested staff and participants. A training program for the Elderly/Disabled Waiver population using adult learning techniques is described in detail Included in this training are the philosophy, the activities, and the necessary steps to complete person-centered planning for the transition of a case manager to a care advisor in a consumer-directed program for the elderly.