A Trying Day...

As I have mentioned before, I run a crisis intervention/support room for a special education school. The school houses 42 children ages 5-15. They are nearly all classified emotionally disturbed (ED). Some are multiply disabled and dually diagnosed kids (not in the classical sense of substance abuse and a mood disorder) with issues of mild to moderate mental retardation coupled with significant emotional disturbance.

Our school is specifically designed to challenge and change disruptive behavior and assist children who experience significant emotional breakdown in many innovative and standard ways. One thing that comes up ALL the time is the problem of discipline versus support.

I'll tell you right now, no one has more experience with this dilemma that I do. I'm not boasting and I'm not super proud of this. I'm just telling you that as a clinical social worker and crisis counselor, I receive over 1800 referrals each 10 month school year. These range from minor emotional/attitude/behavioral episodes to major explosive events.

There are many models of crisis intervention out there to help people prepare themselves for such intense events. And I do recommend that interested and involved professional take part in formal training for crisis intervention. At the same time, over years of practice I have found that it's not the training that leads to successful intervention. True, the ideas help significantly, IF USED PROPERLY. Most often, if boils down to a couple of basic, genuine, counseling skills. Maybe even just HUMAN skills.

1. Empathy
2. Attentive Listening Skills
3. Awareness of the people and environment (antecedents?)
4. The ability to shape and form a conversation, with or without! words!

Anyway, today was tough. Challenged by a "dually diagnosed" student who is borderline psychotic, mildly mentally retarded (yet very clever in a manipulative way). On top of this we had a 9 year old who developmentally is at a toddler level and having a behaviorally disruptive day. He was seen in crisis over 5 times and may have broken our $700 video camera, along with some personal items! All this over a math sheet asking him to add 7+2.

The students we see, like many others, are really really hard to write about. There are so many qualities that can't be described correctly. I suppose that if you were a professional writer and followed the work that we do you could somehow adequately describe the experience. Maybe.

Today was hard, last week was hard, last month was harder. I am on the lookout for hope, change, and action in the lives of the most difficult kids we serve.