Reference no: EM133525984

Question: You are working in a Centre that provides recreational and social support to people who face mental health issues.

Gemma is a thirty five year old Indigenous person who has been attending your centre and groups occasionally over the last few weeks. Gemma has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and she claims to have been taking her medication and been reasonably well over the last few months.

Gemma currently lives with her sister and her sister's two small children, an arrangement that has existed for only two months, after Gemma had to give up her flat due to not being able to manage rent and living independently. Gemma's sister has contacted the centre and asked for you to work with Gemma around her mental health. She reported that Gemma is behaving erratically with dramatic moods, up and down, and is hard to communicate with. She is worried that Gemma is not taking her medication even though she says she is and that she has a drinking problem. She tells you Gemma was living with their mother up until 2 years ago when their mother died due to complications with alcohol dependency. They had no other family able to support Gemma so she came to live with her.

In your observations of Gemma, you have noticed that she seems timid and reluctant to engage in conversations with other attendees who have described Gemma as "confusing" and "hard to follow". She has poor hygiene and often wears the same clothes with stains and marks on them.

Question

How might you ensure the dignity, choices and confidentiality during the engagement process? (Including collaboration and recovery oriented practices)