# Mental Health And Adolescents (my blog entry for today)



## ReformedWretch (Apr 5, 2005)

After "œshadowing" at a mental health institution, my wife and I were a bit "œput off". The kids seemed pretty "œmessed up" with little to no help of ever really improving. They didn´t scare me, but I found myself wondering what kind of difference I could make at such a place. Here doors to bedrooms lock from the outside, a hallway with an adjoining rec room is the "œspace" you have to work in, and the children in which to live. It was very little like I have been used to.

However, after some prayer and consideration, my wife and I realized that we might just be able to make a bigger difference than we ever have. These kids, while slow, seem appreciative of any kind of attention and honestly, as staff, you know what you´ve got. Your expectations can only be so high. Each day is a new experience and small steps made by the clients equals a good day. You don´t have to wonder who is real, and who is not, because with these kids, what you see is what you get. Structure is an absolute must as these kids need walked through the simplest of tasks.

Fact of the matter is I have worked with many in the residential childcare industry who would do wonderful at a place like this! Here kids need constant redirection, reminders, handholding, and bottom lining. It´s a shame that staff that would excel working with the mentally handicapped are working with kids who are not challenged in this way but are treated as if they are. I so wish that I could round up all of the staff I used to work with and force them to work here where I am training now. I honestly believe they are cut out for this and would do a wonderful job. Instead they will continue to belittle the children they do work with, lead them around by the nose, and act as if the kids in their charge are completely incapable of learning, and without said staff, would possibly die.

My wife and I will be doing our job the way that those we hated to work with in residential childcare do it because the kids we now work with desperately need that, and most likely always will. I have no problem working this way because it´s what these kids need. What a shame though, that our former children are being treated this way when they are not mentally handicapped.

We will enjoy helping these children. We know what were getting and will simply not have high expectations. We will teach, walk through, guide, and lead every single day every hour of our shift. At the end of each day, after the kids are in bed, we will come home and return the next day after school. We will have two days off a week including every other weekend. We will feel sorry for the children we work with because they have little chance of ever improving very much as they are just not mentally capable. We will feel even more sorry however for our former kids who have all the chance in the world but are treated by most as if they don´t.


----------



## lwadkins (Apr 5, 2005)

God bless you and your wife Adam for your willingness to share God's love with those who need it desperatly!


----------



## ReformedWretch (Apr 5, 2005)

Thanks Lon, but this brings up a question. Where does mental ability come into salvation and accepting Christ?


----------



## ReformedWretch (Apr 6, 2005)

Today's entry;

They´re not stupid!
This is a lesson many residential childcare workers need to learn. Too often I have seen children treated as if they are completely and utterly stupid, and without the assistance of the staff would be bumping into walls, incapable of making the smallest of decisions.

These staff members are a dime a dozen and clearly believe that world revolves around them. These people will do anything to protect their "œstyle" including such things but not limited to, attacking coworkers through gossip or false accusations in an attempt to undermine opinions opposite of their own and falsely prop their ideas and ideals up. They normally are unwilling, or possibly even incapable of working within a different style or approach so they feel like a rat in a cage forced to make their style the dominant or most accepted style in order to be under little to no scrutiny. These people will always paint the children in the most negative light because it is manipulative, evil children who need them and those like them the most. Good, cooperative children who occasionally make a mistake or poor decision do not need authoritative, in your face, threatening staff members. So, these staff members do and say whatever they must to paint all negative situations in the poorest way possible.

Let´s look at an example.

http://christcenteredkids.blogspot.com/


----------



## turmeric (Apr 6, 2005)

Some mentally-handicapped people are elect - I have met some of them. It is amazing how the spirit remains intact no matter what the brain is doing or not.


----------



## ReformedWretch (Apr 6, 2005)

Really? That's intresting!


----------

