Tips for Serving Customers with Mental Health Issues

Possible symptoms :

• Ability to pay attention
• Ability to remember and recall information
• Ability to respond to information quickly
• Ability to think critically, plan, organiz and problem-solve
• Ability to intiate speech
• Hyperactivity
• Rapid speech
• Anxiety including difficulty breathing, grabbing at chest and nervousness

Possible Accommodations/Interventions:

Assess for safety and appropriate behaviors, suggest returning on a better day if necessary. Ask probing questions to acquire the correct issue.  "I notice that you are nervous. Is there anything I can do to help? Do you feel this way often?"

Attention: keep things simple, direct, short and to the point, use enthusiasm and offer rest periods

Memory: repeat instructions, put things in writing when possible, use calendars/stickys, reminder phone calls, reminder letters, checklists, step-by-step written instructions, PDAs with reminder tones, one notebook/planner for all work.

Critical Thinking:  provide supervision, offer guiding questions, recognize strengths, offer support and encouragement

Anxiety/Behavior: speak softly and calmly, suggest a quiet room, suggest deep breathing and grounding using manipulative or something he or she can focus on.

Updated December, 2006 by Sheila Johnson