Who am I?

Since I made my political rant yesterday, I thought I would make a lighter post today and tell you a little about myself.

I'm a social service counselor. That's a loop-hole title that means I do the work of a social worker without actually having a degree in social work. The program I work for is Permanent Supportive Housing. We work with people who are disabled and at risk of homelessness, providing them a section 8 type voucher and a support counselor who sees them weekly or monthly depending on the severity of their disability. PSH is a pilot program that's currently only available in Louisiana, but other states are starting to take notice and ask questions.

There are two differences between our program and anything else available in the social service field. The first is that we take all disabilities: physical, mental, developmental, or substance abuse. The theory is that they're often co-occurring. For example, let's say someone is in an accident and becomes physically disabled. They're unable to do the things they used to, so they fall into a deep depression. Depression can often trigger more serious mental illnesses, such as psychosis. In an effort to pick themselves up, they self-medicate with drugs or alcohol and become an addict. Soon they've destroyed their lives and may have even spent a night or two sleeping under an overpass.

The second difference is that we're designed to be a non-judgmental program. A client could tell me that they can’t meet with me today because they have a meeting with their crack dealer and all I can say is, “Ok. When do you want to reschedule?” The only exception to this is child abuse. We are mandatory reporters; which means that if we see anything that even makes us suspect a child is being abused, we have to report it. Failure to do so could mean that we’re legally liable for what we should have seen happening. For all other matters, we’re trained in harm reduction theory. If a client says, “I know I’m an alcoholic, but I like drinking. I won’t stop. You can’t make me,” then our response is ok, so what are you willing to do to make yourself a little safer? Let’s get you hooked up with a food pantry so that you at least don’t drink without eating. And let’s get you medical care so that you’re not combining your drinking with undiagnosed high blood pressure. Then, maybe we can talk about ways to cut down to a six pack a day instead of a case…. Don’t get me wrong. We don’t ever condone drugs and alcohol, but our approach has been successful in at least cutting down the risk to themselves or others. And by being non-judgmental, the clients are willing to be honest with us. The example that most made me stutter is when I was talking to a client with a violent criminal history. I asked him if he owned a gun. He said, “yes, but I don’t keep it in the house because of the kids.” I said, “That’s great! Where do you usually keep it?” He responded, “Well right now it’s hidden at that playground at the end of the block.” After I stopped choking on my own shock, I had him go get it immediately. A few months later, I was able to convince him that since he doesn’t like having it in the house, therefore wouldn’t have it in the case of a break-in, why not trade it in to the guns for gas program and get a gas card instead. If the client hadn’t trusted me, that gun might still be under a bush just a few yards from the swing set.

I love my job. There are times that I almost feel guilty because I’m being paid to hang out with some very nice people and help them when I’m able. The majority of our clients are mentally disabled since that’s the group that most often needs supportive services. Today’s advancements in psychiatric medicines are amazing, but someone with a severe mental health problem still needs behavioral therapy to lead a productive life. Unfortunately, our clients are on Medicaid or Medicare if they’re lucky, some without insurance at all. That means they have to go to the state-run behavioral health center where they’re only able to see a doctor for 5 minutes every three months due to the huge amount of clients compared to the small amount of doctors the state can afford to pay. Technically, I’m not allowed to offer therapy since I’m not a licensed social worker. But what I am able to do is listen. In a lot of cases, just having someone to talk to who says “You’re doing a great job” or “I’m really proud of the progress you’ve made” is all they need to stay motivated. I’m also able to share my own experience with them. I’m diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder. I take two anti-depressants a day and have to keep Xanax on me at all times to combat a panic attack that may leave me unable to breathe. When clients see that I’m dealing with a similar condition, but have overcome it to the point of being healthy, happy, and successful, it gives them hope that they can do the same.

Well, speaking of my job, I guess I better go do it. I have a staff meeting in about 10 minutes. This afternoon I have two appointments. One is a new client who admitted to me on the phone that she’s out of food she can eat because the box I got from the food pantry last Thursday had a lot of cans and she doesn’t own a can opener. Luckily I convinced a local church to donate us Wal-Mart gift cards for small purchases like this that can make a big difference in someone’s life.

Oh, and on a note more related to this actual blog, my e-cig has been shipped. If the post office is in a really good mood, I could have it as early as tomorrow.  Yay!!!