As I write this post, I am sitting in my hotel in Washington DC, preparing to check out after a fantastic mind opening conference by the National Council of Behavioral Health. I am so grateful for the opportunity to hear great speakers and to participate in collaborative workshops that fed my hunger for ideas and … Continue reading Fear of Flying
The Extra Mile
Neveah was 5 years old. Her life was chaotic and tumultuous. Her 25 year old mother was addicted to drugs. Her 26 year old father decided he was too young for fatherhood and left when she was born. Mom waittressed at a restaurant and "did hair" on the side. They moved from apartment to apartment … Continue reading The Extra Mile
Martha Got a Bad Rap!
Setting up for a large event, there was still some last minute preparation needed before the participants arrived. As I looked over the room, I noticed two staff members. They held the same rank and had the same years of experience. And both were excellent leaders. But at that moment, there existed a very different … Continue reading Martha Got a Bad Rap!
The Less Traveled Road
When you were a child, did you dream of becoming a social worker? Ok, stop laughing. Most of us did not. Yet, here we are, protecting children, helping families and often to the very detriment of our own lives. We chose a path that was fraught with rocks, brambles and all manner of things that … Continue reading The Less Traveled Road
Rose Colored Glasses
Looking at the world through Rose Colored Glasses intimates that you only see the positive in a situation, ignoring the negative aspects. But what if you only see the negative? Clinically, to the extreme we might diagnose Dysthemic disorder or the old Melancholia. But there are people who are NOT clinically depressed but are just … Continue reading Rose Colored Glasses
Plant Where They Will Bloom
It is well know around my circles that I have a brown thumb. Not only can I not sustain the life of complex flowers and plants, but I can even kill those "hard to kill" varieties. I read the literature and buy the products to no avail. The outcome is the same. But I keep … Continue reading Plant Where They Will Bloom
When You Are Just So Tired
Tristan was a Special Education teacher in rural Mississippi. He got into the field with a passion for working with special needs children, helping them to reach their full potential. He loved teaching these children, loving each one for their individuality and their unique challenge. However, dealing daily with the politics in education drained him. … Continue reading When You Are Just So Tired
Silver and Gold have I None
What do Social Workers make? There is, in circulation, an article about all the good things social workers do for others : protect children and vulnerable adults; provide means for an impoverished family to have food and basic necessities; comfort the grieving; find treatment for the hurting and on and on and on. The article … Continue reading Silver and Gold have I None
But what can I do?
Most social workers know the analogy of the old man and the starfish. As the story goes: a young woman, jogging along the sea shore, stopped when she came across a strange scene. The beach, she observed, was covered with starfish, having been thrust upon the sand by violent waves. Unable to live outside of … Continue reading But what can I do?
The Least of These
Late one day, at the end of the week, I stood looking out at the city of Birminham through the windows of my 11th floor office. The view was amazing as darkness descended and thousands of lights gave the appearance of a magical world filled with excitement and promise. For someone. Not me. I, however, … Continue reading The Least of These
Water for Camels 