An Afternoon on Stuart Street

Despite a minor setback in health department, I managed to turn up at New England School of Law yesterday afternoon. I was one of the four panels invited by Andrea Hall, our moderator from Department of Psychiatry, Boston Medical Center to talk about the Impact of Criminal Record on Service Eligibilty. The other three panels were a Housing Case Manager from Shattuck Shelter, a Housing Liaison form Fuller Bay Cove of Department of Mental Health and a Program Monitor from Department of Mental Retardation.

The audience were mostly counsels and attorneys from Boston Municipal Court Clinic, Boston Municipal Court Department of Mental Health and UMass Medical School Department of Psychiatry.

Each of us was given 10 minutes to talk about our experiences working with the clients and the impact of CORI on them. I tried to make the best of ten minutes by presented the challenges I face on daily basis working with dual or multiple diagnosed clients, the benefits of a structured program and the barriers to employment and housing for clients with CORI.

I pointed it out to the audience that working with clients with substance abuse history with dual diagnosis is like holding an onion, you cut it into halves and you see layer after layer. You don't simply pull any layer you like because you'll break the onion apart. Work carefully with each layer unless the onion decides to choose which layer he wants to reveal himself to you, that would be another story.

Before I ended my presentation I shared with the audience the same thing I've told the new clients: They don't get up one morning to become an addict or an alcoholic. It takes many years. And to expect them to turn around and change their behavior and their thinking within a few weeks, one or two months after they enter the program is not practical.

After our presentation, there were 20 minutes for questions. I was glad I used a metaphor working with an onion, because a few of the audiences approached me later and told me they never thought about it before.

Before I left for the talk, I slathered myself with a medicated cream. Four hours later the cream started to wear off. I excused myself and left. I didn't want to scratch myself like a monkey in there.

Only when I got home I thought about approaching The Director and to tell her that I went to the presentation on my medical leave day. I could hear her voice: "What? You crazy woman.You worked on your day off? You're suppossed to get plenty of rest."

Comments

[anasalwa]

PakIdrus,
Thank you for your kind words. You know what, during the presentation that afternoon, I was a little itchy here and there, but I was glad I could share with them how it is working with homeless people in recovery and have undiagnosed mental illness.

Salma,
Thank you. I still have those blotches and patches. The old ones were gone and the new ones appeared. The meds help though. And I wonder will I ever find out what caused it.
So,you're allergic to read meat. I wonder what am I allergic to.

[Salma Beach]

Ana : i am sorry to learn about your allergy. I am allergic to red meat (daging binatang 4 kaki). It only started in 2003. Hives would just appear on my body. It would start with severe stomach cramp and then the hives would appear. Then it would be hard to breathe. antihistamine helps, but the hives stay for days. Hope you will get better soon.

[Pak Idrus]

Ana, using a metaphor, the anion was one hell of great idea in trying to tell the story that has no ending. Indeed an achievement. Congratulation and have a nice day and enjoy.