Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Gaps In Services For Geriatric Patients With Mental Health Needs, Angela Nelson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Older adults in southwest Minnesota have limited options regarding mental health services. Sanford Tracy Medical Center and Sanford Westbrook Medical Center sought to identify the needs of this population so they can better serve their patients. The following research questions were asked: Do local service providers feel gaps in services exist for older adults experiencing mental health needs in the rural southwestern Minnesota communities of Tracy and Westbrook and the surrounding areas? Do area service providers feel that geriatric patients would benefit from a mental health intervention implemented within the primary healthcare setting? A survey of area geriatric service providers …

Investigating Compassion Fatigue And Burnout Rates Among Mental Health Professionals At Sioux Trails Mental Health Center, Lora Schoewe

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to explore the existence of compassion fatigue and burnout among mental health professionals at Sioux Trails Mental Health Center, which is a community based mental health center in located in various rural communities in Southern Minnesota. The research also sought to identify what the professional and agency can do to reduce burnout rates.

Research Questions: Does compassion fatigue and burnout exist among the mental health professionals at Sioux Trails Mental Health Center? What professional and personal resources do the mental health professionals use to reduce the risk of compassion fatigue an burnout?

A "Pawsitive" Influence Of Animals In Long-Term Care Facilities: Animal-Assisted Therapy At St. Peter Regional Treatment Center, Hannah L. Winkler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The St. Peter Regional Treatment Center (SPRTC) provides secure, residential, multi-disciplinary treatment services, including psychosocial rehabilitation and skill enhancement, to individuals civilly committed as Mental Ill and Dangerous by the State of Minnesota. Since the treatment process is so comprehensive at SPRTC, patients may spend several years receiving in-patient treatment.

Since SPRTC does not currently have an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program, the purpose of this project was to research existing AAT programs being implemented with similar patient populations as a way to inform SPRTC staff of possible programs they could implement on their campus. The overall goal of this project …