New Civilization News: Our Primary Concern is our Client ....    
 Our Primary Concern is our Client ....8 comments
picture16 Jan 2008 @ 14:31, by Gerald Vest

Social capital means more than a buzz word, more than invoking the mantra: It takes a village to raise a child. It means being willing to ask: what does it take to build, to restore, to sustain that village? It means building an infrastructure of trust and reciprocity and engagement, often in situations where distrust and alientation hold sway.(No More Throw-Away People - Edgar S. Cahn)

I am starting a group to organize and improve our mental health system in America and use the many scattered resources--organizations, professionals, patients/clients and others to help with the design and plan. This may sound like a very bold plan, but it is important for us to identify, organize and improve health systems when they are flawed, corrupt, and cause harm.

I have been invited to work with our New Mexico professional organization(NASW-NM) to examine the impact of the DSM, Insurance Industry, Big Pharmas, psychiatry/psychology on our licensing requirements in my profession of social work. I have observed that the licensing boards that are appointed by the Governor determine the requirements for professional practice and for supervision, often without discussing them with the schools of social work and professional organizations. Consequently, these boards invariably determine the curriculum priorities that must be taught in order for the students to pass their exam requirments, perhaps without realizing the impact of their decisions.

We have found that students who are taught psychiatric-psychological practices such as the DSM classification system (a flawed, unethical and unscientific program that classifies, codes and labels patients)as described in this log and several of my previous discussions, will pass the test. When special courses on the DSM are not included in the curriculum the student rate of failure is very high. However, why should our profession abdicate our valuable resources--ethics, values, skills, knowledge and best practice methods and replace them with questionable, unethical and irresponsible practices?

Perhaps the answer to this question is that money, power and control rules. I believe that once our public clearly see these corrupt relationships that exist with the mental health-insurance industries, the Big Pharmas, psychiatry and all of the related professional organizations that we can get the suppport to improve the quality of services and ethical health practices for our consumers. It is very unfortunate that these organizations and professionals have forgotten or ignored our primary premise and principles we agreed to when choosing social work as a profession--the dignity and respect we hold for our clients, our primary concern for our client, community and society and, to 'cause no harm!'

I am looking for persons interested in joining this group, provide case examples, secure colleagues and others with integrity, recruit others interested in helping to build a new or integrative health plan, and offer creative ideas that we can put into action plans at the local, state, national and global levels.

All helping comments are invited for sure.

Note:

Later this week I will start my new career as a clinical social worker with the US Army, Ft. Bliss, Texas. I am hopeful that I can work with the reintegration program (Warrior Program) for soldiers and their families using 'integrative health practices' that I have discussed in my logs. Thanks to all of you who have supported and joined with us as NCN members and our Global Touch Project.

The picture of Crying Princess was drawn by Ariana, my 10 yr. old granddaughter. I can tell you that I can shed many many tears over the serious wounds and experiences of our Warriors. I'm sorry that most politicians will never know the complete story about the pain and suffering that they have caused our soldiers, their families and our communities. Please thank every soldier you see in the community for their devoted and dedicated professional service to our Country.

I love this short video that Ariana made -- Karate Adventures. She has also introduced several videos discussing Mindfulness and Not being Accidental
[link]

Jerry



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8 comments

16 Jan 2008 @ 16:57 by mortimer : some military training... (ahg!)
Memorial Day weekend… I spent a day of sharing with a group of soldiers. I did not get many words in; instead they took turn telling their story. I sat and listened and watched and the (military) conditioning surfaced. Each one of these men brought me the same final message, they would say; "I owe my life to the military because they made me the man I am today"… those exact words.

At the end of the discussions, I thanked these men for their service in the military and for sharing their stories. And I agreed (confirmed) that they are not the same teen age punks that they used to be. The military has made great men out you soldiers but my last question is…. ‘’what will you do tomorrow, what will you become tomorrow. Is there any chance you might wake up tomorrow and decide to be a better man than you are today?’’

This group of soldiers approached me while on holiday leave; I was on the beach playing bamboo flute.  

4 Apr 2008 @ 14:04 by mortimer : emotional art
I related with their pride, pinnacle achievement – static character. Self healing, it’s about relatedness and affinity, hence not belittling … hum … Perhaps “belittle them” is a Redline District?  

5 Apr 2008 @ 04:06 by a-d : Here , my friends,
I will give you some links to my friend Lennart in Stockholm,Sweden, who started doing Djembe Drumming ( first , originally, to go along with his Meditation Sessions, but then took a life of its own, so to speak, and from there on it has never stopped!)It has become a big Healing --and entertainment thing in Sweden, thanks to Lennart, with whom I'm still in touch after all these years...

Here [ http://www.lennarthallstrom.com/mp3/ ] you can hear his Music/Songs (and find the lyrics to each as well, by clicking on the song title)and listen by clicking on the word "play" This link gives you pic of Lennart and his Djembe [ Center http://www.djembe.se/ ] and here, finally his Djembe thing in English:
[ http://www.djembe.org/ ]
Lennart meant to me what you Jerry have meant for so many Soldiers (and your Elderly Clients as well) If it wasn't for Lennart , I don't think I would have made it out from that horrible horrible state of panic and anxiety attacks that even still after months of hospital stay were over whelming me every so often.
(Thinking of what the Soldiers must go through. I --of course--instantly related to my own experiences of panic and anxiety; bad enough to choose to not continue living.... I can for my life --most likely-- not even fathom a fraction of the hell the Soldiers must go through!
Jerry, did you see the documentary about the Movement: No More Throw Away People
Quite wonderful! ( I saw it a few, maybe five, years ago. I'll do some research on that, right now ). What I experienced for the first time in my life, I think, with that documentary where people took "Matters" in their own hands instead of --once again-- handing "Everything" over to the "Authorities".Indeed; they said "NO" to them!... And that is what we all need to start/continue doing! It is --after all-- OUR life/lives that's in the Balance; our right to our own pursuit of Freedom , Peace and Happiness in Harmony with all Life!
THANKS, Jerry. Great -as always! I wish you the Best of Luck with your (new) Mission! /A-d

Mmmm...OK.... The Documentary I have in mind is what Time dollars managed to transform in Harlem -especially the impact on its Children/Teens. I haven't found any mentioning about it yet on the Metacrawler. If I remember correct it was PBS, who showed the doc. originally.  

5 Apr 2008 @ 14:51 by jerryvest : Thanks Astrid...your encouragement
and message is really great. I posted the songs by Lennart on my forum so that it can have a wider response and I am going to also pass the lyrics on to our soldiers. Beyond shedding many tears, I am learning more about our soldier's courage, strength, resilience and war PTSD every day. I hope that the soldiers will be able to tell their stories to the public so that the war mongers will see the uselessness and the harm caused by politicians and corporations and others who benefit or use the military for their own purpose and ignorance.

As always, Astrid, I appreciate that you are always here to lend you support and wisdom.

Much love,

Jerry  

5 Apr 2008 @ 14:55 by jerryvest : I'm sorry for my over-reaching
or reactive comment, Mortimer. I appreciate that you share your comments here and hope you will continue to participate here. Best wishes, Jerry

PS I am experiencing more stress than I had prepared myself to manage, so will work on myself and practice what I teach.  

6 Apr 2008 @ 00:05 by a-d : Great Idea!
".... to tell their stories to the public so that the war mongers will see the uselessness and the harm caused by politicians and corporations and others who benefit or use the military for their own purpose and ignorance...."

The more we expose the madness the less it can be hidden by the crooks!...and THAT , I think, is an absolutely splendid thing! (That is indeed what I try to do every
time opportunity is given for it! )

I do not scrape my foot in the ground in some kind of "Be Polite" or "Be PC" submission any longer! When I run into a crook and His (usually!...) mad actions behaviour I point it out and I let them know I do not respect them nor their Agendas at all!
If Something presented is NOT Kind, caring , loving and Life-allowing for/to ALL, then I do NOT need to subjugate myself to that Agenda. I don't care any longer, "Who" the person who's putting the S---- is; a Crook is a crook in my book!
The less we buy into the shit, the less power it is given and the more it loses its punch! To walk away, so to speak, from the Cry-Wolf-Boy is the ONLY thing that will make him say : Ohhhs---t! and collect his (own) original --God given-- demenour -and dropping the phony VIP image... 'cause NO AUDIENCE!... and certainly no audience taking his feigned innocence and complaints seriously any longer!!

Over all: EXPOSURE to ALL LIES is the BEST way we can undermine the Criminal's Activities. It really is true: "By their Fruits (Actions/behaviour ) will you know them". Like the example I've been using for the longest time: "what makes a thief a thief?... THAT he STEALS (from 'you')!!! Does it then matter from /in which family he was born(into) what piece of Global Real Estate etc etc? Of course NONE of that makes him a thief!.... ONLY that he STEALS makes him a thief!
This is the FACT that we ALL need to understand and put into motion. Glad to have you sailing in "my" Ship! : ) /A-d


Ahhh...I just ran into a somesort of "Punch Line to this Thing we are working on: EXPOSING th S---- and NOT giving it any respect, nor credence any longer. Jim Kirwan is on the same page!...
[ http://www.rense.com/general81/fail.htm ]  

6 Apr 2008 @ 14:09 by jerryvest : The NY Times has an interesting
article related to the injury, stress, anxiety and depression of the soldiers serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even though this is certainly not new information, our news media should give daily updates. And, when will these big media organizations begin interviewing the soldiers and their families who are being asked to serve multiple tours in this region? It is true that the soldiers who are injured are not allowed to give first hand reports, but there must be ways to secure confidentiality and privacy.

{link:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/washington/06military.html}  

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Other entries in
31 May 2010 @ 22:18: Our StressOut Mission and Activities
27 May 2008 @ 13:31: Another Critical Look at the DSM
4 May 2008 @ 02:25: Prototype Health Program for Wounded Warriors
21 Jan 2008 @ 20:58: What A Day Brings
4 Jan 2008 @ 15:17: Study Finds, Drugs Offer No Benefit in Curbing Aggression
25 Nov 2007 @ 20:05: A Story about a Drug Representative of the Big Pharmas
14 Oct 2007 @ 14:27: Use of Touch & Integrative Methods
20 Jun 2007 @ 13:17: Alternatives for Mental Health Workers and their Clients
5 Jun 2007 @ 10:03: The US: One Big Drug Store
3 Jun 2007 @ 21:56: Serious Questions go Unanswered in Mental Health Movement


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