2004-12-01
CULTURAL AWARENESS || MENTAL HEALTH
Jane Elliott was a part of a new training program for staff where I work | The video documentary Blue Eyes was shown to participants as the second part of today's training workshop | 
The first part was an hour and a half where employees, briefly, assumed the role of patients on an overcrowded, understaffed ward, starting their day with agency police collecting their shoelaces, belts, watches and personal property |
The latter part of the day included a panel of former patients who spoke to what they found disturbing with here as inmates, things that worked for them, and placing a focus on recovery as a component of resuming their lives outside the walls |
As far as I can tell, the training is unprecedented in the realm of maximum security forensic facilities | So it's ground-breaking stuff |
In the wrap-up at the end of the day I was pleasantly surprised that folks in the training would like to see more of this take place where I work | The training represents a pivot point | From here we go on to become something new; more humane, caring and dedicated to providing help, not in continuing in the key-keeper prison model | I know there are those who would disagree with this approach but ...let's face it | Even when individuals have committed egregious wrongs resulting in their coming to the facility, our purpose is multifacted | Public safety concerns must be met, sure | But sometimes the perception of what is safety is far removed from the reality of what makes things safe | And making people safe is our charge, no matter the road this takes us donw, even if it isn't punitive |
Treating peole decently is at the top of the list |
Jane Elliott was a part of a new training program for staff where I work | The video documentary Blue Eyes was shown to participants as the second part of today's training workshop | The first part was an hour and a half where employees, briefly, assumed the role of patients on an overcrowded, understaffed ward, starting their day with agency police collecting their shoelaces, belts, watches and personal property |
The latter part of the day included a panel of former patients who spoke to what they found disturbing with here as inmates, things that worked for them, and placing a focus on recovery as a component of resuming their lives outside the walls |
As far as I can tell, the training is unprecedented in the realm of maximum security forensic facilities | So it's ground-breaking stuff |
In the wrap-up at the end of the day I was pleasantly surprised that folks in the training would like to see more of this take place where I work | The training represents a pivot point | From here we go on to become something new; more humane, caring and dedicated to providing help, not in continuing in the key-keeper prison model | I know there are those who would disagree with this approach but ...let's face it | Even when individuals have committed egregious wrongs resulting in their coming to the facility, our purpose is multifacted | Public safety concerns must be met, sure | But sometimes the perception of what is safety is far removed from the reality of what makes things safe | And making people safe is our charge, no matter the road this takes us donw, even if it isn't punitive |
Treating peole decently is at the top of the list |
OTHER NOTES: Not everybody agrees with this phenomena | Some, including the disingenious information spin folks at V-Dare think multicultural awareness is not legitimate | The site's big brained,but tiny soulled founders spend much of their time writing screeds that sound and look thoughful, but are really no more than re-hashes of age old prejudices | I don't endorse them, mind you | Their link here is to let you know that oppsing viewpoints exist | I won't vouch for whether or not they are "responsible." |
¶ 21:48
