Over the past few weeks I have faced several issues related to how my job as a counselor is affected by legality. One particular instance comes to mind. I went on one of my first home visit. I knew from studying the case that the high school student has regularly used cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana. The visit was to officially address truancy. However, as I went into the suburban home that could resemble any home of kids I grew up with or even my own, I found a teenager weaving a web of manipulation and fear. I spoke with the mother about how she could communicate with her son. I felt removed from the entire conversation - as if I was watching it from a dream. My real self seemed to be looking at the dream self sitting on the couch telling some inane advice while screaming at the top my lungs and shaking the mother "your son does cocaine until his nose bleeds daily!! He can't deal with the pain of his dad leaving!!"
I was legally bound as a counselor to not break confidentiality. I could not say any of that. I had to watch myself sit there guided by the laws which allow teens to trust us. Laws enacted by California legislatures who in the past prioritized teens being able to get drug and alcohol, pregnancy, and mental health counseling without parental consent.
Later that week I learned how our funding is being drastically cut. The very means by which these youth can access our services is going to be made extremely difficult. The means by which this law in California can be tangible to youth is now narrowed and strangled to the point of almost not existing. But it still exists a a bare minimum because the state is legally bound to do so.
Today was law school graduation. I can't help but think of where and who I would have been if I had continued down that path. I know this is what God wants me to do. How else can I explain why my heart is so in this? Today I face the law daily in charges against youth I counsel, legal boundaries I must respect, legal loopholes legislatures may use, and today the past reminder of the lawyer I could have become. However, I must focus not on the bigger picture of the "system".
I must focus on the individual youth I have met. Honestly, it is them who have taught me so much about life; a glimpse into a lifestyle and culture I have never experienced. I am grateful for this and for their allowing me to throw my two cents in here and there. No matter how broken the system and what is "in the best interests of youth" according to the capital.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
One step at a time ???
So today I decided to wear high heels. Now this may not come as a complete shock, but the past year I have slowly resorted to wearing flats .... eek with socks! Practical has begun to outweigh fashion. If Holly saw me she might exclaim, "what's going on with you today?!" Well I began my day today sauntering into the campus of the infamous continuation jr. high school in my fabulous heels.
I strode into a campus where the staff are worried and focused on whether their jobs and their campus will even exist next year. Most of them have been "pinked" aka pink slipped, warned they probably won't be employed the next school year.
My next fashionable stilleto step was into a school yard where my anger management client was squaring off to fight another boy on the basket ball court. The school police officer ran past me in his hard black boots breaking up the fight.
I tried to keep up in my heels with the student as we were walking laps while listening to his story of near overdose on ecstasy pills and cocaine the previous day.
Looking forward to sitting at my desk and giving my designer clad feet a rest, I was stopped and asked to talk to the same angry boy from the school yard and calm him down.
I rounded up my group of students to talk about marijuana and managed to reign them in while prancing around the campus.
I took a step into the group room (more commonly known as the cafeteria) and was in awe at a group of six 13 year old boys who listened respectfully to the typical blonde in fab high heels. Renewed, I stepped lively out of the group to find a girl in crisis. I sat with her until she had to go back to her group home.
As I took my final proud steps to my little red Honda in my southern Californian high heels I now know each day is a small step toward my goals - that today I mattered on that campus and looked amazing while doing so ;).
I strode into a campus where the staff are worried and focused on whether their jobs and their campus will even exist next year. Most of them have been "pinked" aka pink slipped, warned they probably won't be employed the next school year.
My next fashionable stilleto step was into a school yard where my anger management client was squaring off to fight another boy on the basket ball court. The school police officer ran past me in his hard black boots breaking up the fight.
I tried to keep up in my heels with the student as we were walking laps while listening to his story of near overdose on ecstasy pills and cocaine the previous day.
Looking forward to sitting at my desk and giving my designer clad feet a rest, I was stopped and asked to talk to the same angry boy from the school yard and calm him down.
I rounded up my group of students to talk about marijuana and managed to reign them in while prancing around the campus.
I took a step into the group room (more commonly known as the cafeteria) and was in awe at a group of six 13 year old boys who listened respectfully to the typical blonde in fab high heels. Renewed, I stepped lively out of the group to find a girl in crisis. I sat with her until she had to go back to her group home.
As I took my final proud steps to my little red Honda in my southern Californian high heels I now know each day is a small step toward my goals - that today I mattered on that campus and looked amazing while doing so ;).
Monday, March 22, 2010
Me
I have a few goals:
1. Fix a broken education system.
2. Eliminate welfare/poverty cycle.
3. End Gang Violence among youth.
Kinda big dreams. I am a 25 year old woman who has been married 1 year and 8 months. I have a yellow lab and three cats. My husband is in veterinary school. I have been living, as my best friend told me tonight, "on a temporary basis". I am in a constant state of limbo - always counting down to when I move back to southern California. Never making an effort to make here my home. I dropped out of law school to change the world.
This blog is going to be a documentation of my attempt. The past year and some change I have worked as a drug and alcohol/anger management counselor in some pretty rough areas of Sacramento. A blonde, 25 year old white girl trying to tell these mainly Black and Hispanic high school/ junior high kids how they should say no to drugs! and why can't you just use "I" statements and not get in a fight?? Gangs are like so totally pointless!!? Hopefully through all the injustice, modern day failure of education, and abuse of the government welfare system - I can find some humor in the day to day through this blog. And ! not lose my identity as the San Diegan who spent a fabulous four years at UCSB.
1. Fix a broken education system.
2. Eliminate welfare/poverty cycle.
3. End Gang Violence among youth.
Kinda big dreams. I am a 25 year old woman who has been married 1 year and 8 months. I have a yellow lab and three cats. My husband is in veterinary school. I have been living, as my best friend told me tonight, "on a temporary basis". I am in a constant state of limbo - always counting down to when I move back to southern California. Never making an effort to make here my home. I dropped out of law school to change the world.
This blog is going to be a documentation of my attempt. The past year and some change I have worked as a drug and alcohol/anger management counselor in some pretty rough areas of Sacramento. A blonde, 25 year old white girl trying to tell these mainly Black and Hispanic high school/ junior high kids how they should say no to drugs! and why can't you just use "I" statements and not get in a fight?? Gangs are like so totally pointless!!? Hopefully through all the injustice, modern day failure of education, and abuse of the government welfare system - I can find some humor in the day to day through this blog. And ! not lose my identity as the San Diegan who spent a fabulous four years at UCSB.
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