SA Tx, Clinical Treatment Practices in Substance Abuse: Prospecting Solutions Through a River of Denial -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

"In the film, 'Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome,' Mel Gibson finishes a steel cage match by taking down a killer named Blaster.  When Blaster is defeated on the dirt, Gibson rips off his helmet and reveals the notorious Blaster to be a sweet, smiling little boy.  Blaster’s keeper, Master, was using him as a tool to rule and destroy.  Maybe Master is similar to the disease of addiction, and Blaster likening our own true-self, a child hiding deep inside." prose selection by Brandon Bruce Dellario

MI Tx, Clinical Treatment Practices in Mental Health Recovery: Trauma-informed Treatment of The Sanctuary Model -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

“We’ll use humor to heal pain and suffering. Doctors and patients will work side by side as peers. There will be no titles, no bosses. People will come from all over the world to fulfill their dream of helping other people. There will be a community where joy is a way of life, where learning is the highest aim, where love is the ultimate goal.” quote taken from the words of Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams, UFO Landing artwork by Brandon Bruce Dellario

Trauma-informed Treatment: Informational Article on the film "Girl Interrupted" -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

The film, Girl Interrupted, is a poignant comment on recovery in America’s mental health system and in the family. The two primary characters are played by Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie.

Recovery from Trauma & Attachment Disorders: Informational Article on the film "Good Will Hunting" -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

In the film Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon’s character (Will) is a man who was physically and mentally abused by his foster parents as a child. This first disrupted attachment relationship primed him adversely for his future relationships.

Recovery from Trauma: Informational Article on the film "Seabiscut" -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

    “Trauma [is] a central organizing principle of human thought, feeling, belief and behavior that has been virtually ignored in our understanding of human nature. Without this understanding we cannot hope to make the sweeping changes we need to make if we are to halt a universal post-traumatic deterioration.”(Bloom, pg. 9)

Ecological Systems Theory: Informational Article on the film "The Chumscrubber" -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

    The film The Chumscrubber is a story of highly privileged teenagers and their families living in the suburbs of Los Angeles. This story is a strong example of how viewing a person within their environment holds undeniable relevance.

Development of the Self: Informational Article on the work of Sam Keen & Mark Epstein -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

Sam Keen has an interesting viewpoint on finding your own meaning and purpose in life, which is the essence of existentialism. “I started giving workshops to help people discover their own stories or 'scripts.' I later came to call this 'writing your own autobiography.'”(London, pg. 59)

Development of the Self, a Feminist Perspective: Informational Article on Sue Monk Kidd's "The Secret Life of Bees" & Jean Baker Miller's "The Development of Women's Sense of Self” -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

The article, “The Development of Women’s Sense of Self,” is a break from the traditional patriarchal theories of development of the self as an 'independent journey.'

Social Construction of Reality: Informational Article on the Susan Griffin work “Denial” -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

“Only now have I begun to recognize that there were many closely guarded family secrets that I kept, and many that were kept from me.”(Griffin, pg. 18)

Relatedness: Informational Article on Catherine Ryan Hyde's "The Man Who Found You in the Woods" -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

In the story, “The Man Who Found You in the Woods,” A man named Nathan finds a newborn baby under some leaves while duck hunting with his dog. He brings the boy to the hospital and thinks about adopting him.

Mental Health Legislation: Will Michigan's "Kevin's Law" model involuntary treatment policy for the broader US mental health system and criminal justice system? -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

Kevin's Law is a 2005 addition to the Michigan Mental Health Code. The legislation includes four bills involving involuntary Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) for individuals with a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness.

Social Welfare Legislation: Evolutions of US Social Policy from "The New Deal" & "The Great Society" (FDR, JFK & LBJ) -Brandon Dellario LMSW LASAC

Social policy journalist David G. Gil defines social policy as: “. . . guiding principles or courses of action adopted and pursued by societies and their governments, as well as various groups or units within societies . . . [additionally] The common domain of all social policies can consequently be identified as the overall quality of life in society, the circumstances of living, of individuals and groups, and the nature of all intra-societal human relations