next »

[weasel]

I think we should have a reference thread started which contains some "Politically Correct" termonology to educate forum and site visitors to the ever- changing MH wording. To be more precise, we can let others know how to refer to people who have special needs be it mental or physical in nature and the terms for the facilities in which they reside or visit. :wink: It is difficult to keep up with the labels and names given to groups of people and nobody wants to sound like an ignorant fool. :oops:  How about some current facts too about the exisiting hospitals still in operation? How are we to refer to them in a modern fashion? Times and names change.

[Big Ed]

I dunno wack job is pretty basic and descriptive, never goes out of style, easy to pronounce, and is sometimes the most amount of information most folks want to know

[minktail]

yeah, ed, but is that considered politically correct?!? :lol:
it's an all-encompassing term one could use to describe
a person in a casual conversation & everyone would understand what you meant.
i have been known to use it referring to some of the other parents at my boy's school.... :twisted:
mink

[catydid]

it's a never ending challenge to stay on top of what the current terminology is, and it not only changes by region, but by who is being addressed, workplace culture, and who is referring to whom, and the particular model of treatment which you subscribe to...

for instance i recently went to a treaining where one of the speakers was from "the psychiatric survivor movement,"and i thought:  "hmm...maybe it just hasn't caught on yet."

there are also abbreviations which we use in in the field, which we would never use with patients...
(oops)...clients...
(oops wait)...consumers.....
but these tend to derived from that old standard...the trusty DSM-IV TR.

[weasel]

it's a never ending challenge to stay on top of what the current terminology is, and it not only changes by region, but by who is being addressed, workplace culture, and who is referring to whom, and the particular model of treatment which you subscribe to...

for instance i recently went to a treaining where one of the speakers was from "the psychiatric survivor movement,"and i thought:  "hmm...maybe it just hasn't caught on yet."

there are also abbreviations which we use in in the field, which we would never use with patients...
(oops)...clients...
(oops wait)...consumers.....
but these tend to derived from that old standard...the trusty DSM-IV TR.

I thought "consumers and clients" were the proper terms nowadays. Are they now not ok either?

It is so hard to keep current with the lingo. They are not "patients" or "residents" at all anymore- correct?

[catydid]

well in a medical setting, or places using a medical model (ie hospital psych ward)...patient would be the right term.

resident might still apply if being used at a live in facility, but chances are this would be more of an in-house usage, used between staff and such...

consumer is the most current, although client is still acceptable...