Heather Pierce
2-1-1 Call Center Coordinator
United Way of the Plains
Wichita, KS
Continued from previous post...
“A Humorous Introduction to Disability Culture” was my favorite workshop this year. Pat Puckett with the Statewide Independent living Council in Decatur, Georgia and Roger Howard with LINC Center for Independent Living in Boise, Idaho did a bang up job of giving a brief historical perspective on disability. From their presentation we learned, disabilities of all kinds have been a part of humankind since the dawn of time. While some societies welcomed and accepted theirs citizens with disabilities, many did not. Until the early 1800’s most people with disabilities lived with their families in the community but some were left to a life of begging on the streets (cap-in-hand = handicapped). Some cities established ugly laws such as this example from the Chicago Municipal Code: “No person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed so as to be an unsightly or disgusting object or improper person shall be allowed on the public ways or other public places in this city, nor shall expose himself to public view, under a penalty of not less than one dollar nor more than fifty dollars for each offense”. Because of such widely-held attitudes, but also out of a sincere desire for more humane treatment, institutions were established as early as 1817. But over time, institutions had proliferated, and many degenerated into human warehouses at best. By the 1970’s the movement towards deinstitutionalization began, and institutions began to close. Services and supports became available outside of institutional settings. With the advent of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), people with even the most significant disabilities were able to live active, independent lives in the community. To end the presentation both Pat and Roger shared examples of humor in disability culture from bumper stickers to T-shirts, books and cartoons, to personal stories from their own lives. One wonderful example is a stand-up routine by Michael Beers that you can watch on YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG2QFEARbeg. Check it out if you need a laugh!
Next I attended a workshop by Pabitra Rizal and Diana Bui
both with the Center of Pan Asian Community Services in Atlanta, GA titled “Newly Arrived Refugees: Cultural and
Linguistically Competent Services”. First they quizzed us with some tough
questions like: Do you know how many refugees resettled in the U.S. in 2012?
(58,238) What documents can be used as proof of the refugee status? (I-94) Do
you think most elderly refugees are educated in their native language? (No, not
usually) A refugee is a person who is outside his or her country of origin
because they have suffered (or fear) persecution on account of race, religion,
nationality, political opinion, or because they are a member of a persecuted
“social group” or because they are fleeing a war. The resettlement process
starts with submitted an application to the office of UNHCR. The UNHCR takes on
average 3 months to review the application and conducts several rounds of
interviews to determine there is no criminal history, no political
affiliations, and no combat trainings. The Office of International Migration
conducts a health screening and brief orientation. During this time there is
typically delay after delay and the family has no information on which country
will accept them. Once approval has been granted they receive their flight
information and are moved to a different shelter where they receive additional
health screenings. Once they arrive in the country they are faced with many
barriers: language, education, transportation, chronic health conditions, clash
of cultures, etc. Best practices for serving the refugee communities in your
area include building trust, taking the time to understand their culture,
offering step-by-step assistance, access to translation and interpretation,
clear and understandable communication, and most importantly patience.
Demian Laudisio and Alexandra Rose Schneider with the
Switchboard of Miami gave a high energy presentation “From Burnout to Self-Care: Inspiring Staff Wellness”. How many of
us go through the work week like this?:
First we need to recognize if
we are dealing with stress or burnout. Stress is typically characterized by
over-engagement where burnout by disengagement. When you are stressed your
emotions are over-reactive but when you are burntout they are blunted. Stress
produces urgency and hyperactivity but burnout produces helplessness and
hopelessness. So if caring about your work or home life seems like a total
waste of energy and you feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is
appreciated and the majority of your day is spent on tasks you find either dull
or overwhelming you might be burntout. The “Three R” Approch will help you deal
with burnout.
Recognize – watch for the warning signs of burnout
Reverse – undo the damage by managing stress and
seeking support
Resilience – build your resilience to stress by taking
care of your physical and emotional health
Developing a self-care plan
might be a good strategy or if you are a manger creating a staff self-care plan
to help your staff help themselves. Demian and Alexandra provided time for
agencies to share what their wellness programs looked like. Examples ranged
from yoga classes and cloud lighting to agency picnics and visits from dogs.
So, what do your wellness program look like? Do you have a self-care plan?
