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After all, I work hard, I pay my taxes and I'm honest Joe citizen. Why did that no good thief have to pick my home?
The burglar picked your home because your home looked the most attractive to him, not your neighbor's home, not the home of the guy down the street but your home.
Come on, let's take a look at your home through the eyes of a housebreaker maybe then you will see why the burglar found it so attractive.
Looking at the front of your house what's the first thing that we notice? All those bushes and trees, those bushes should be either removed or trimmed right down. As they are they provide too much shadow and cover, burglars don't like to be seen. And that tree right by your window that needs to go, a housebreaker could work on your window without much chance of being spotted by your neighbors or passers by.
And talking of your windows, you shouldn't be depending on those flimsy latches. Fit key operated window locks and remember to remove the key when you lock them which you should each time that you go out.
The more visible a window lock is the better protection it gives you. With good window locks a thief will have to smash the glass, and make noise doing so, to enter through your window.
What else can we see? You have a flat roof garage attached to your house. And look, an open window just above it, now that's an open invitation to a passing opportunist burglar.
You can deter thieves from climbing on to your flat roof garage with a coating of anti-climb paint around the top edge and the edge of the roof.
Let's take a walk around the side of your house. Hmm, a little gloomy here, do you really need such a high fence between you and your neighbor? A lower fence would help your neighbor keep an eye on your home and help you keep an eye on your neighbor's home. Motion sensitive lighting would be a good idea here too.
What's this? Your triple extension ladder left out here for the burglar to use! You were going to fix up your guttering but didn't get around to it yet so you left your ladder lying around. Talk about making the burglar's job easy, and you were asking why the burglar picked you! That ladder should be locked away in your garage or shed.
And talking of your shed let's take a look at it. Unlocked! You've a good quality padlock and a correctly fitted hasp, but you have left it unlocked. Why would a burglar be interested in your shed? Think of all that you keep in there. All those tools and all that equipment, a thief could snag himself a handy little paycheck by selling your stuff on, think what it would cost you to replace it all. Not only that but why give a burglar easy access to a selection of tools he could use to bust into your home? Keep your shed locked!
Let's take a good look at the door through to your kitchen. This door is not going to provide much of a problem to a burglar, all your exterior doors should be of solid core construction and have a high quality deadbolt lock installed. Deadbolt locks can withstand the attentions of a housebreaker that regular spring latch locks can't.
Okay, we haven't even talked about a home security alarm system or surveillance cameras and you are already beginning to see why the burglar picked your home.
As a homeowner you should do all that you can to make the burglar's task too risky, compared to alternative targets. Burglars don't like spending time breaking in, they don't like making noise and they don't like to be seen.
Are you a member of Neighborhood watch? No, I didn't think you are. Join it, there is no better home security than neighbor looking after neighbor. If there is no watch in your neighborhood - start one, your local police station will give you all the help you need.
It's a simple thing, make your home as unattractive as possible to a burglar and he will look for an easier target to pick on.
Research and clinical practice has demonstrated that co-occurring disorders (addictions and mental health issues occurring together) are the rule, not the exception. This leaves many people who were trained as psychologists, mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists at a great disadvantage, both clinically and professionally. They are at a clinical disadvantage, because addictions counseling requires a very different counseling approach than most counselors use. Professionally they are at a disadvantage because many insurance companies, agencies and Medicaid are starting to require certification in addictions counseling to work with clients who have addictions.
So, what are the options? Most of us do not want to go back to school to get yet another degree. The good news is that getting your precertification training for addictions counseling is easy. You can take online courses such as those offered at http://www.allceus.com or http://www.last-homestudy.com, go to conferences or take college courses. In most states, any addictions certification is sufficient. The National Association for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) both offer national addictions certifications. Your other option is to get certified in your home state. Many states now have boards that offer certification as an addictions professional. The down side to state certifications is that they do not transfer if you move out of state.
But I am doing addictions counseling now and am not certified. Why should I jump through all of those hoops? Well, there are several reasons: Ethics, effectiveness, earning potential. All professional codes of ethics state that you must be appropriately trained to provide services to your target population. Therefore, if you are licensed or certified in mental health or psychology, you are expected to gain the extra education necessary to effectively serve your population. As I stated earlier, addictions counseling is far different than traditional Rogerian “talk therapy.” To be effective as an addictions counselor, you must understand the addiction, how it has become the person's best fiend, why they do not want to give it up and cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused strategies to help them make the change. Finally, earning potential. Addictions certifications open up a whole new set of employment opportunities. Additionally, many agencies will pay more for someone with an addictions certification, versus someone with only a mental health counseling license or no license at all.
In this age of addictive behavior: alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, gambling, the internet and sex, it is vitally important that clinicians can identify and treat addictive behaviors. In persons with co-occurring disorders, it is even more important, because alcohol or drug abuse and eating disorders all impact the dosage and effectiveness of psychotropic medications. Visit NAADAC at: http://naadac.org/documents/index.php?CategoryID=3 for more information.