Mental Health doesn't pay squat!

So, I am a therapist. My position doesn't allow me to have counseling with families. What I do for a community agency here in South Florida is Intake Coordination. This means that I screen the referrals, offer the families services, and open the cases if they choose to participate. Our program focuses on in-home services, so I go to the families' homes and sign paperwork and complete a Psychosocial Assessment, then turn the case over to the assigned counselor. I tell my colleagues, "I get to hear everybody's dirty laundry, then hand it off to someone else to follow through." I'm nosey. I'll listen to people's garbage if they'll let me!

Some days are better than others, but what makes it rewarding are the days I meet with families who really need help, and are appreciative of our efforts. Last week, I was having trouble reaching a young mother who seemed to want services. I stopped by her house on Saturday after working to confirm our Monday appointment, and mom was distraught about her daughter being sick, she had no money to purchase medicine or Pedialyte as instructed by her doctor, and her "baby daddy" was nowhere to be found. My heart broke looking at this precious baby, whiny and sad, not feeling good, and mom with no resources to make her baby feel better. I went out and spent $12.00 on some Infant Tylenol and Pedialyte so mom could care for her baby. When I showed up at her home with the supplies, she all but cried in my arms. All I know is, if I couldn't have given my infant son simple medicine to make him feel better, I would have died inside. I had people to turn to when my son was an infant. She has no one who can help her. So our agency pays $12.00 and mom is relieved and baby is better. Thank God.

Then there are those days when my referral is about two feuding, divorcing parents who are emotionally scarring their children by putting them in the middle of their bitter, berating, insult-filled rants. But even after my most professional and "for the benefit of your children" speech, they use excuse after excuse to refuse to allow their children to receive FREE counseling from my agency. "I can't do anything without consulting my lawyer." Please!! You are your child's parent - if you want her to have counseling, YOU give the "okay," not your LAWYER. And these people think they are being good parents!

So I learn not to take it home, and get past it. I have to let it go, or my heart will break. All I can do is all I can do. I love what I do, even the hard days, because I feel like I make a difference, even if it is only for one moment, for one person, bringing relief for one temporary issue. It better mean that much to me, because working in Mental Health doesn't pay squat!

So, that was my week at work. Home is good! I have a 4 year old boy who LOVES me, a husband who pampers me, and a couple of teenage daughters who grace us with their presence when convenient - they're leading their own exciting lives - please!! - we're lucky if they stop by and say hi before going to bed. Whew! So, those are my thoughts for today. Thanks for listening, and have a great evening.

So what do you want to know?

Here I am, blogging, April 26, 2009. I have every intention of being profound, but I'm not sure what to say. So I'll just start with the basics. Here are some facts about me and my family. (1) I'm a big Star Wars fan. I saw the movie along with everyone else when it was first released, and I was about 11. Liked it a lot back then. Thirty-some-odd years later, I LOVE it and am probably one of those people you could call an avid-and-consistent-fan, but not one of those psychotics who dress up and embarrass themselves - although I do have a healthy respect for those people. (Contrary to some schools of thought, that is not a mental health disorder). Anyway, I have a couple of Star Wars stuffed animals, and am imparting knowledge regularly about Star Wars to my four year old son - young, impressionable, and so attached to Mommy that he would never think to object. Not yet anyway. I influence my son behind my husband's back, so he has minimal opportunity to object. Don't judge me - he's doing the same thing with our son, trying to get the boy addicted to racing! (2) I enjoy doing laundry, because I find it therapeutic. (3) My two daughters, ages 18 and 15, are beautiful but unfortunately I can't take any credit for that since I'm not their biological mom. I am lucky enough to have been their mom for the last six-plus years now, and I can only hope that they don't hate me for it. I mean, as most parents can confirm, in my efforts to impart wisdom, I find that I learn much more about life and and humanity from them than they learn from me. In my attempts to be the perfect parent (impossible, I know - don't judge me!), it is abundantly clear every day how terribly short I fall of that goal. I can only hope they will forgive my mistakes, sooner rather than later. (4) Someone told me once (I was about 19) that I could have been a really good dancer, because I have such high arches in my feet. I took it with a grain of salt, since I'm pretty sure he was trying to get me to have sex with him. I didn't. (5) I'm madly in love with my husband. He's a good man with a gentleness and love that is genuine and consistent. He loves me for who I am, even though I like to watch television a lot, love being comfortable in sweats, and just can't seem to grow my hair long. He accepts all my flaws and loves me anyway. He looks me in the eye when he talks to me. He tells me the truth. He's outrageously funny, crosses that "appropriate" line as often as possible but is never disrespectful. And he thinks I am beautiful, and tells me so all the time.
So this is my first entry. No earth-shattering depth, but just me talking about things that mean something to me. Thanks for tuning in.