Personally Speaking: I’ve seen the power of assisted outpatient treatment firsthand
By Vianney Lopez
I am a licensed chemical dependency counselor and I started working as part of an assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) team two years ago in El Paso, Texas. My caseload is small, which allows me to have a more personalized relationship with every client. I’ve picked up clients and taken them to job interviews, I’ve taken the bus with them to the mall so they’re able to get out of the house and I’ve simply talked to them about their day. This helps me develop trust with the client and the clients are able to talk freely with me about how they are doing and how the AOT team can support them.
In addition to gaining their trust and listening to them, I educate my clients on the importance of taking their psychotropic medications and refraining from mind-altering drugs. I was only doing individual sessions with COVID-19 protocols, but now I am also leading group sessions. It’s a great way to show my clients that they are not alone in their battle. We talk about what co-occurring disorders are, what chemical dependency is and how to use coping skills to live a recovery-oriented lifestyle.
Our AOT team truly knows and understands what working as a team really means; we offer each other help, advice and guidance. We communicate well with one another about what we are doing with each one of our clients so that we can pick up where the other left off. It makes no difference if it’s one of the caseworkers, licensed chemical dependency counselors, supervisor or judge who is speaking to a client, we are fully aware of what is going on with the client so that we can help them feel safe to speak to any of us about what they may need or want out of their AOT program.
Before working with the AOT team, I didn’t understand what people with severe mental illness went through. I thought a schizophrenia diagnosis meant a person had no chance of a “normal” life. That isn’t the case today. I’ve seen how AOT can change a person’s life.
I worked with a 30 year old woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, who, when we first met, didn’t speak, didn’t shower and didn’t do much throughout her day but sleep. Today, she is waking up early to attend her adult daycare program where she gets to play bingo, exercise and as she says, “have some good morning coffee.”
Another client I’ve had the pleasure of working with, who has schizophrenia, is now working part-time as a host in a popular and busy restaurant while attending El Paso Community College to get an associate’s degree in biology. When we first met, she refused to take her medication and didn’t believe she needed AOT services.
A third individual, who has bipolar disorder, is becoming a peer support specialist and has the best relationship with his parents, who were ready to give up on him when we first met.
AOT has educated me on mental health and the capabilities individuals have if given an opportunity without judgment. I have learned the true meaning of treating the individual and not the disease, I have learned to listen to my client’s needs and not put them in a cookie cutter program that wasn’t ever going to help them succeed. AOT truly focuses on helping individuals succeed at their pace, at their capabilities and at their goals.
I’ve seen the power of AOT, and I can’t wait to help more clients see it too.
Vianney Lopez is a licensed chemical dependency counselor in El Paso, Texas where she lives with her partner. She is the mother of two adult children and grandmother to a grandson.
