6/16/19 8:00 PM-6:00 AM, 10 hours; 6/18/19 8:00 PM-6:00 AM, 10 hours; 6/19/19 8:00 PM-6:00 AM,

10 hours; 6/20/19 8:00 PM-6:00 AM, 10 hours

Hours worked this week – 40

Total hours – 230/456

6/16/19

There are a lot of homeless people that wind up in the ER. Although they definitely have many

physical and psychological issues, what primarily brings them in a need for the basic necessities – a

clean, safe place to sleep. Whether they ultimately get placed in a room or stay in the waiting room in a

chair, it is better than being on the street or a homeless shelter (I guess). Most of the physical complaints

sounded minor – just enough to get them in the door. Many were difficult to discharge because of the

vague complaints, but wanted trays of food, blankets, new socks, etc. I can see how dealing with the

“regulars” can be challenging when the ER is busy. There is no homeless shelter for men in the

Stockbridge area, and the closest one is in Atlanta. That homeless shelter tends to be very dangerous

causing many homeless men to be in and out of hospitals for the reasons above.

6/18/19

There was an in-take coordinator that came to evaluate one of the people that required an in-

patient psych admission. The type of psychological concerns are devastating, especially in the young

people. We had one girl who was in the midst of a psychotic break – at age 9. Although I did not

participate in the actual interview, I was able to speak with the coordinator later regarding what her role

and responsibilities were and what type of training was involved. Communication is definitely a valuable

tool as is the power in the open ended questions. I would not even know how to start the conversations.

6/19/20
 Tolerance… dealing with various personalities, ages, genders, the amount of stress the individual

is under and what prejudices exist all impact the interviews to determine what is necessary. The decision

making is fast and the information is not always readily determined. People on both sides of the

interactions need to be more polite and tolerant. There should not be a sense of entitlement, but there

is.

6/20/19

There are a number of people who come in while high on either drugs or alcohol who are

looking to “get clean”. When asked, they say that the last time that they shot up or used was just prior to

coming in. These individuals are held in rooms that are easily visible to prevent them from harming

themselves. If they are a suicide or homicide risk, they are classified as 1013 and can be held against

their will – usually until a place in an in-patient addiction program is available. Some of these people are

in the ER for multiple days until a spot opens up. Many actually begin to physically withdraw and need to

be admitted to the hospital prior to rehab. It is a surprising long, complex procedure.