The Pros And Cons Of Service-Learning

My viewpoint of the population served at this site prior to completing my service-learning experience was that the behaviors exhibited by children with ASD, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc. were in direct relation to their mental diagnosis. My perception changed when I seen the lengthy list of medications that they were on, heard the residents’ history of progression and or regression, and also simply observing their interactions and behaviors in person. Many behaviors that they exhibit are directly related to the side effects of the medications they are currently taking, but without the medications they are often a danger to themselves and others. It is certainly about Maslow hierarchy of needs and weighting the pros and cons when treating these residents. Challenges I experienced during the service-learning were more emotional. Looking in the eyes of these children or just observing them while playing outside on the playground pulled at my heart strings. The Mother in me wanted to hug each one of them and take all that intenal pain away. Yet, at the same time their child like behaviors and throught process, even at the age of 18, brings me joy as they are a constant reminder that there is so much joy

 Provide resources and services to properly dispose of medications.
 Provide information and resources to prevent harm from lead, mercury, and carbon monoxide.
An intervention that I could implement in my future practice is assisting in the education of proper disposal of medications. I would like to participate in developing and or supporting a program that allows informational pamphlets to be sent home with school children, educational presentations within the community’s organizations, and the promotion and marketing of drop off sites.