Learning to Crawl

I'm an old-timer in the field of human services. I was warned when I started out that I would forever be caught between the needs of the people I was supposed to help and the policies that would be expected to work under. In part I suppose I want this blog to air some of this frustration, but maybe also examine for myself whether this frustration of mine is validated.

I hope to bring some real examples to the table turn them over look where things go wrong. Maybe this is a plea for help. Much of the work we do is well-funded in the sense that billions of dollars go towards it, and yet it never is enough. Much of the work we do is never seen never thought of. People argue over caring for children and caring for their education, sometimes people even have feelings about the mentally ill. Yet the developmentally disabled sneak by never seen yet spending billions.

This week a middle aged man we support has been under much pressure (surely self-inflicted) to go and live with his family. Because he wants this so badly his family often tells him this will happen only for him this has to happen today. Surely he is tired of waiting. Things that can happen in a few days can drag on forever in the land of human services.

So as the people wanting to do right by him whom he trusts, mostly, how do we achieve this for him assuming his family is on board? Can a man in services move with his family? Sure if his guardian is on board. Can a man move with his family and continue to receive services which he probably will need? If so to what extent? Can he get a day program? Can he get staff to support all the activities he loves? If he lives with his brother and gets services does the apartment have to state licensed? Will the money that supports this man go with him? Will the agency be penalized for his leaving by lossing that funding. The rules aren't clear. Isn't there a state case manager to answer these questions?



Now I will tell you they are some smart people in this field who would know the answers to these questions, and they will say what you have to do is this or that or that or this and it might work it out, but it never gets any clearer.

A lot of people in our field will blame the state the division of developmental disabilities I'm not one of them. I think state government is filled with people who mean well and they're just unsure what to do as well. Caught between administrations and the scandals that happen when people get hurt it's hard to keep things clear. New bosses come and go. The budget is always short. Interest groups and parents are pushing not a job for me.

Still here's what it comes down to. This man wants what his heart wants. The staff who support him will have to deal with his ups and downs and it becomes personal for them. His heart aches will become theirs. And I'm either too incompetent or too scared or too something to get the job done that needs doing.