TURNING A CORNER

 

 I work with individuals with intellectual disabilities, (mentally retarded) at a State facility.  For seventeens years I have been in a direct care position assisting them with daily care needs: bathing, changes, dressing, ambulation or transfers from one seated surface to their wheelchair.  Tying shoes, buttoning shirts, putting on a clothing protector for meal time, preparing the meals, various textures of food and thicken drinks, doing dishes, laundry, going on excursions.  My duties and tasks have run the gambit.  As a direct care staff I was the backbone workhorse of the State School/ Living Center.  I love working with the "Individuals" (Residents, Clients, "persons served"); finding them just various fascinating aspects of the rest of the normal population.

   Seems my summer job became a career.  I'm making a lateral move into another department, Rehabilitation Tech II.  Though I will still be working in the very same facility, and on the same building (22A) the "job" will be vastly different for the first time in 17 years.  Life Skills is a "Workshop" area that strives on the most basic of levels to 'teach' through the diligence of repetition mundane activities upon which to build complex tasks.  I will be a Supervisor guiding the Direct Care Staff to carry out their daily programming tasks.  To be sure; the abilities of our profoundly impaired individuals is quiet limited.  The daunting task is "the diligence of repetition" when observable results are not seen.
   Staffing issues alone are a major hurdle to manage and re-direct but encouraging, assisting by example and being a leader is a challenge I've set before myself.  I went 17 years as a Direct Care staff, I know the secret excuse and tricks of evasion and I've worked and been and OJT trainer for nine years.  Being a Supervisors will certainly bring its on challenges, but I certainly wont forget where I came from either. The most important take away lesson I've learned in seventeen years: THE RESIDENT is always right, it's their HOME  and we... we are their Servants!!!  It is a very stressful place to work.  I hope my small contribution will "Make A Difference In People's Lives"

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‘Happy, homelike atmosphere’
A visit to the Denton State School, the largest in Texas, reveals a sprawling campus spread across well-kept lawns. Superintendent Randy Spence described the place as a “happy, homelike atmosphere.”

“The vast majority of our employees love the people they work with,” said Cecilia Fedorov, another spokeswoman for the Department of Aging and Disability Services. “They think of them as extended family.”

HUMBLED SNOW bear

I'm tired. Got my 7 days of 16 hour limit; but they keep raising the "limit" day by day. Be nice if they treat staff a little better. Retention is better than Orientation. $9,000.oo a month is spent on just 1 employee being hired and trained and yet within three to five months the class of 120 people is already gone. What's wrong with The STATE SCHOOL? Leadership, not treating staff with respect, double-standards being exemplified, lack of communication. I hear "we don't get paid enough" - I disagree with that; I believe the desire to matter and eagerness to sever and make a difference in people's lives is being crushed by a bureaucratic system of uncaring pawns.

What I just said I openly and vocally declare at work also, and all my fellow co-workers and former peers hear this kind of talk all the time. What can be done? I make a difference. In my small circle of influence even in my lone, satellite person. A staff came up to me tonight. Asked for info of what to do with some documentation; after looking over the paperwork I encouragingly pointed out a few details. Just as the staff turned to go, turned back to me and said, "Mr. Snow thank you for going out of your way to help me. You treat us with respect and easily share your experience and wisdom, and I just wanted to say I really do appreciate you."

*sigh* i tried my best to get a thank you and you're welcome out... with out showing my tearing eyes.

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Well Wishes! Happy Retirement.

A co-worker (at The Denton State Supportive Living Center), Brenda Turk is retiring after 20 years of service as a Direct Care "Professional" (DSP).  In reference to her, no I do not use the word professional lightly. For she was in fact the quintessential example and standard of what we in that staff position should strive to be. Above reproach on the job and in her personal life. Frustrated and fed up a lot with all the beaucratic systematic and constant changes, Brenda remained smiles and encouragingly upbeat.  She leaves now so as to continue being the sole Caregiver of her severly ill husband.  You could always "catch" Brenda in the act of 'doing her job'. Sweet and kind but never negative of staff that were less than the standard but always wondering how to lift them up and encourage others to be even better than herself. Having once been a HTL (Home Team Leader) she stepped down from it years ago to resume the backbone position as a way of exemplifying better what even that role should be. Personally, I was humbled to know Brenda and she will be sorely missed, with her shoes never quiet being filled.

The Campus Superintendent, The Head BC (that originally hired Brenda) and one of the Master Trainers on Campus, as well as some departmental heads and coworkers signed this. Realizing the State will provide fancier documents of Service Time and blah blahs, it was my intention to provide, my co-worker a "document" from the heart and meaningful token of appreciation; knowing Brenda the way I do I am certain tears and thanks are forth coming. Miss you and wish you all the best Mrs. Turk!!!

AS A BIT OF HUMOR for Brenda (and employees): I drew a "Gait Belt" {about the Star}, A "built up handle spoon" {above the name Brenda}, and a "Cut out Nose cup" {above the Surname Turk}; as these are The Tools of our Trade in assisting Individuals with physical disabilities.

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15 YEARs Working for The State of Texas

   I have passed my 15 year mark of working for the State.  From Mental Health and Mental Retardation to The Department of Aging and Disability. From The Corpus Christi State School to the Denton State Supported Living Center; at both facilities I have been a direct care staff working alongside many many other great people.  We strive to care for the Mentally Disabled of our society, the Forgotten Citizen.  It is a very challenging field; yet, necessary and dutiful and rewarding experience.  For many of the individuals included among this population, we the Care-giving Staff are the only "Family" a lot of these folks will ever have in their lives. For several (or the few) of them whose families are around, we are still taken in becoming their loved one.  You can not help but get close to these individuals, residents, clients, people served - 'humans' that we work with.  After a while you begin to view them as members of your own family as well.

   Over the past 15 years of working with the mentally challenged I have seen several individuals pass away. From each I have taken an experience and a lesson to add to my own understanding of life.  Life is precious, no matter the form in which it takes. A society that cares for the weakest among its people gains more than it can receive. Story after story after story.  Countless experiences.

  The one thing I've learned? We are all the same. Spirits encased in flesh. We all have needs and the greatest of which it to have a relationship with others.  I am glad, blessed and honored to have had the privileged to work with such a population of individuals. For we are all only a 'hair's breadth' away from being just like these frail minded and physically limited people.  We take so much for granted: our ability to think, speech, mobility, housing, independence and freedoms that grow from there. I realize we can not sit about and minutely count our "blessings" but we can appreciate and care for those in our own circle of influence. From helping a lost stranger read a map, change a tire, open the door, hold the elevator, call out stranger danger to kids at the park; just simply taking an extra step beyond 'yourself' is giving back... Wouldn't you want others to extend a hand to you in a crisis?

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