[Marsha]
> > I think I'm a philosophical anarchist with a big
> emphasis on the
> > individual. At least I am leaning in that
> direction (at the moment,
> > anyway). I don't trust "social values" or public
> authority. But I
> > do believe strongly in education.
[Platt]
> I trust social values if used properly to control
> biological quality. But,
> I agree that today's public authority by and large
> hasn't a clue about the
> battle going on between social and biological
> values, and therefore can't
> always be trusted to do the right thing. On the need
> for education and discipline,
> I think we agree.
What are social values?
Here's a starting point that works well where I
work - safety. Once safety is established then
therapy nurtures the process. Safety is established
with - "NO", "Ask nicely", "Don't demand", "Say
please." Discipline has a Pavlo's (spelling?) law
approach where I work. If they don't follow the
routine with the rest of unit or swear, are physically
aggressive, steal, etc... then they are removed from
the routine. That means, no recreation room, no gym,
no free time, etc... They are confined to their
bedrooms or Time Out Areas. It is a if you do this
incorrectly and disrupt the unit, then your not part
of the unit. Then we have therapists that try to get
them to talk about their problems, and staff on the
units do the same. So, it is a discipline/therapy
dichotomy, but this is not exclusive
discipline/therapy. They work together. Its' never
one or the other. But without safety and the
necessities met (food, shelter, clothing), then the
therapy part will not take hold. Then the problem
after they leave. They may discuss problems with
dialogue more and more without reverting to yelling
and screaming about dinner (to cover up what's really
bothering them, such as a bad phone call earlier,
etc...), but then these residents go home. I'm
hearing about what's going on with some of the
residents that left this summer. One began
prostituting and smoking crack. She was doing very
terrible when she showed up where I work. Wanted to
fight to get her point across. She eventually figured
it out, that we would help her and talk with her
without hurting her. Then she left, and fell right
back into the same old mess. Without safety, then all
else will not happen. I think if we start with how do
we make people safe? Then go from there, it would be
easier to see where these troubled youth are in their
lives and how we might help them.
So: How do we make people feel safe?
Safety needs to be defined. I don't think safety
encompasses biological life or death situations only.
I don't safety is exclusively defined as such.
woods,
SA
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