HELP of Ojai has been working with a client that has had unstable housing for the past two months. This client has recently broken a bone and cannot be living on the street due to the where the bone is and the amount of pain it causes. Several housing opportunities in Ojai and other cities have come and gone due to uncontrollable circumstances and the client ended up back at the CAP Office yesterday.
After spending the day getting immediate needs met, including a very important doctor's appointment, we sent the client to where he would be staying for the night. The next day we thought we would be able to set the wheels in motion for this client to get into skilled nursing on Friday, but in the afternoon we started making phone calls to the different agencies and found that nothing had happened. The release form signed the previous day was the wrong one and skilled nursing couldn't get the right information from the doctor's office. The doctor's office didn't let the client or us know that another form had to be signed, so we were in the same spot as the day before and looking at at least one night of homelessness.
Frustration sets in and we do everything that is asked of us to help move forward. At the small recap we had at the office afterwards, question after question was of why. Why did doctor's office not give us the correct release form? Why did nobody contact us when they found a new release form needed to be signed? Why did they not have the client sign the release form at the doctor's appointment the day before? Why, why, why?
During all this we acted professional, but tried to convey the importance and urgency of the situation. Karen describes it as being a kind pit bull. I love this terminology because you want to be a strong advocate for your client, but you also don't want to hinder them by making people angry and not wanting to help you.
So on my way to pick up our client to bring him to the doctor's office, I stop and get him two packs of cigarettes. I know! I know! I don't endorse this, but now is not the time to talk about quitting. As I purchase the cigarettes (legal age is 18 until next month) and the guy asks for my ID. I give it to him and he looks at it and puzzles over it. He then says, "Wow, I would have never guessed!". Praise, praise! So in the middle of all the whys and being a kind pit bull, I figured out how buying cigarettes can make my day.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
No Words Can Describe Joshua Tree
I apologize for how terrible this post is. No words can describe the beauty of Joshua Tree and the overwhelming feeling this place brought me.
This past weekend my community had the opportunity to experience Joshua Tree National Park. It was incredible! The scenery during the day and at night is indescribable.
This past weekend my community had the opportunity to experience Joshua Tree National Park. It was incredible! The scenery during the day and at night is indescribable.
We drove in at night, the sky covered in stars. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road because I wanted to keep looking out and up. The road was so dark while driving, that often times I felt like I was driving into a black hole and wouldn't realize the road was dipping down. The sky was opposite of the black hole driving. The stars were numerous and bright. They lit up and cast shadows on the surrounding area, as if all the Joshua Trees we passed were alive.
Having driven into camp at night, waking up and seeing the sun, boulders, and sky took my breath away. I couldn't believe the vastness of the land. The rock mountains stretched all around and were directly behind our campsites. There were numerous trails to hike and I wish I could've spent at least a week there to do them all. We did a short hike in the morning, but it ended up taking awhile because you are able to climb the rocks/boulders/mountains.
The fellowship of the trip made it that much more enjoyable for everyone. Karen and Paula deserve the biggest shout out for organizing and putting everything together. It was nice to spend time with people from work in a more relaxed setting. It was great to talk with former AV and HELP intern Bridget, along with all the friends that she brought with her.
I am so thankful to be in a place that allows us to have new experiences that rejuvenate the soul and outlook on life.
Disappointment Has a Name, It's Heartbreak
I have been working with a client for the past few months that is an alcoholic. Most of it has been great. He is a very honest person, always lets me know where he stands, and doesn't give me a lot of bull shit or excuses for his behavior. I appreciate all of that.
When he first started coming to HELP of Ojai again, he straight up told me he had no intention of stopping drinking. He had tried all the programs and hated them, he had tried cold turkey before, he had managed to stay sober for a few months one time, but when it was said and done he wasn't going to stop drinking. We set goals dealing with other issues and talked about the consequences of him
showing up to the office drunk. Although he missed a few appointments and got stuck in other cities twice, he always reappeared and worked towards his other goals.
One day he came in and said he stopped drinking cold turkey. Although I was incredibly proud of him for his decision, it's also very dangerous for your body to go through withdraw and you should be under medical care to help manage side effects. Every time he came in the entire office congratulated him on a job well done. He was staying sober through a lot of pain, we were impressed. He was putting his ego aside and acknowledging the struggles he was going through. He was turning down alcohol at the place he was staying, making decisions to leave the house early to not be tempted. We made follow-up doctor's appointments, continued to talk about his other goals, and planned for his upcoming probation hearing.
He told me if he got probation, he would opt to go to jail for the 60 days. I 100% agreed and prayed that he would get 60 days in jail. That would have been 60 days of not sleeping on the streets or in a place that was covered in temptation. That would have been 60 days away from all his friends that did nothing to encourage his soberness. That would have been 60 days where he could have focused on himself. I never thought I would pray so much for someone to go to jail.
18 days. That's how long he lasted sober. He thought he was going to jail and had a drink with breakfast. I tried to hide my disappointment on my face and tell him how much I appreciate his honesty. My heartbreaks when I see how he is acting differently. The neuro cognitive problems that alcoholism causes are present. We have a brief chat, as I know he can't handle a lot at that moment. We continue to keep our doctor's appointments for this week. I find myself adding on prayers of not
only strength and healing for him, but ones of memory and not drinking before the appointment. I rack my brain for what I could have done better as a case manager and make notes for next time. I research all that I can about alcoholism and neuro cognitive function. I gently remind myself that I am not the choice maker, this is not about me. My disappointment and heartbreak is for me, while my positivity, tough love, and encouragement are for him.
When he first started coming to HELP of Ojai again, he straight up told me he had no intention of stopping drinking. He had tried all the programs and hated them, he had tried cold turkey before, he had managed to stay sober for a few months one time, but when it was said and done he wasn't going to stop drinking. We set goals dealing with other issues and talked about the consequences of him
showing up to the office drunk. Although he missed a few appointments and got stuck in other cities twice, he always reappeared and worked towards his other goals.
One day he came in and said he stopped drinking cold turkey. Although I was incredibly proud of him for his decision, it's also very dangerous for your body to go through withdraw and you should be under medical care to help manage side effects. Every time he came in the entire office congratulated him on a job well done. He was staying sober through a lot of pain, we were impressed. He was putting his ego aside and acknowledging the struggles he was going through. He was turning down alcohol at the place he was staying, making decisions to leave the house early to not be tempted. We made follow-up doctor's appointments, continued to talk about his other goals, and planned for his upcoming probation hearing.
He told me if he got probation, he would opt to go to jail for the 60 days. I 100% agreed and prayed that he would get 60 days in jail. That would have been 60 days of not sleeping on the streets or in a place that was covered in temptation. That would have been 60 days away from all his friends that did nothing to encourage his soberness. That would have been 60 days where he could have focused on himself. I never thought I would pray so much for someone to go to jail.
18 days. That's how long he lasted sober. He thought he was going to jail and had a drink with breakfast. I tried to hide my disappointment on my face and tell him how much I appreciate his honesty. My heartbreaks when I see how he is acting differently. The neuro cognitive problems that alcoholism causes are present. We have a brief chat, as I know he can't handle a lot at that moment. We continue to keep our doctor's appointments for this week. I find myself adding on prayers of not
only strength and healing for him, but ones of memory and not drinking before the appointment. I rack my brain for what I could have done better as a case manager and make notes for next time. I research all that I can about alcoholism and neuro cognitive function. I gently remind myself that I am not the choice maker, this is not about me. My disappointment and heartbreak is for me, while my positivity, tough love, and encouragement are for him.
Becoming Old
Everyone deals with becoming old differently. Some people do it with a smile, others are grouchy, many face types or stages of dementia, and there are a lot of awful illnesses and responsibility that comes with becoming old.
One of my favorite client's is constantly teaching me how to survive life with a sense of humor and snappy wit. He has a major health problem and knows he is dying. He does his best to keep the small amount of health he has left by exercising daily and continuing to be engaged in life.
He tells us stories about the old days of Ojai and his experience of living in the area most of his life. He shares his whole self with us and never misses an opportunity to crack a joke. He is always honest about how he is feeling; telling us he feels okay, but would like to trade in his body or that it's been a terrible morning and he's ready to be taken out by a truck. He complains about the pains of getting old, with a quick smile and tip of his hat to us. He is gracious in the help he receives and never overlooks an opportunity to talk about all the wonderful people that are in his life.
My favorite times with him are when he takes the rare opportunity to brag about himself. He is a very talented artist and has been in shows around the world. He has been featured in books, magazines and newspapers. Every once in awhile I will catch the glimmer in his eyes when he is about to show me something incredible. Sometimes it is an article about him that someone saved for him, other times it's a painting he wants to show off that he did 50 years ago or 2 months ago.
He truly is a gem and I am so thankful that I have him as a constant reminder that I can't take life seriously. After all, nobody gets out of it alive.
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