Getting off the Merry go Round

Friday, October 30, 2009 was my last day at DHS. I have been there so long I had forgotten what life might be without the security of a steady I weekly salary as well as the impact of the title and responsibility. A lot of positives have come from my experience at DHS both in the field and administrative experience. For many it makes no sense for me to leave however I beg to differ and I will explain why later in this post. First I want to say thank you to the many people who supported and promoted through the tangle ranks of this huge institution. Too many to name but they know who they are and what they meant. Some who risked their careers, and reputation believing in me and my passion for getting the job done with creativity and an eye on the outcome for the consumer.

Folks, I had to get off the merry go round. Round and round we go never getting anywhere. 2 steps forward and 3 backward. You have seen it as well, programs cut because someone does not like it or the person running it. No matter if it is successful or not. Programs with outlandishly successful outcomes removed or bastardize to the point of being ineffectual, this based on the whim of a politician or their appointee. Never mind the impact on the consumer opps that's right many still refer to them as clients which seems to mean a diminished level of respect and expectation for results. So much of what we are able to do is dependent on the unexplainable.

Hey this was easier than I thought. 26 years after I began a career in social services I finally managed the momentum to leave. Not in anger or disgust and not even frustrated as some have suggested. I am not any of those things. I am excited about the opportunity to operate outside of the box again. Out of the box and unleashed to be creative, innovative and outcome driven. Outcome driven, purpose driven, the words seem interchangeable. Almost synonyms, since each indicates a focus and commitment to success, achievement and sustainable positive change.

I am excited about the prospect of new ideas and new attitudes towards he work we do. Our greatest fear is our light not our darkness. When I first heard that phrase it rang true for me and it was as if someone was speaking directly to me and asking why was I hiding in the mist of conformity that frequently leads to mediocrity and seduces us with it's false security. It does not please God that you diminish yourself in order to make others feel secure around you. If I never saw explicit examples of that before, the last few months were awakening of just how uncomfortable people may become when one, is making manifest the glory of God, through their words, work and attitude, despite your efforts to engage and provide access. Anyway this is where I found myself and I knew in order to do Jay, Jay had to leave. Hey someone moved my cheese and I could either remain and keep looking for the cheese in the same place or I could go out and find the cheese. Well I am working to go one better and create the cheese that is to my taste and temperament. Jack was let out of the box some time ago never to return.

The definition of insanity is to continually repeat the same actions and expect a different result. The administration of human services remains stuck in a mindset that I fear will never allow for the success of their consumer. Despite their long history lacking in quantitative or qualitative outcomes, they continue to fear and resist innovation with the tenacity of a bear protecting its cubs. This is puzzling and yet understandable since they are only held accountable when a child dies. This is the only point in the process that you will hear someone speak to any level of accountability. Why you ask, because the predominant thought is that their consumer is so damaged that it is not fair to hold the professional accountable for a lack of positive measurable outcomes. Even gross misconduct is often ignored, "would it matter anyway". Mistakes are repeated because they are never measured and determined objectively to be in error and we are left with anecdotal memories instead of any real history that we may use as a indisputable foundation to build upon. SCOH is replaced with ARS and what is the difference, we will never know because SCOH was never evaluated longitudinally though we have the stories which are lacking any objective measures may be the latest pancea but if it is not evaluated for more than who it served it too will leave us without the tools and building blocks to move our discipline forward. I walked into DHS in 1983 and their was a small covey of providers who because of their leverage as the sparse cadre of resources were non responsive to the oversight DHS was responsible for executing. Guess what they agency is returning to that format and many of the smaller more responsive and tractable agencies will be squeezed out. Watch the merry go round and round.

DHS is a multi million dollar corporation managed without consumer input, satisfaction surveys, quality control, or structured and researched staff development, or focused and coordinated product development. I.e. for truancy we are considering the NY City model yet their graduation rates are as poor as they are here in Philadelphia and despite determined efforts they have not made a significant measurable impact on their school attendance rates. Probably due to some of the same issues we face here in Philly. The largest departmental budget in the city is not driven with purpose and clear measurable goals but via the flavor of the day chosen by the politician of the day. 3 years ago there was push to look at the VA model for reducing truancy until someone pointed out that they were a rural area and that I had participated in the development of their plan. Not that they did not have outcomes or that they were dealing with a completely different population with unique dynamics. Hey like Baskin and Robbins we have at least 32 flavors but I am betting B&K did some consumer studies before they went beyond the basic 5 or 6 flavors and subsequently did sales research on the added 26 or 27.

Currently we are returning to the future, bringing back the past and calling it our future. Well I can not and will not take that ride with you. I thought we could produce measureable significant change from within the bureaucracy and we did but we can not sustain it as we are often vulnerable to the instability of the political process the infinite wisdom of the overeducated and the ham handed generosity of the money changers. Can do it and won't do it that way anymore. Not leaving the field of battle as this is my passion and my vocation, however I will not continue the insanity that now exist. Gonna change the world, and I am going to need some help. Are you out there.

Remember Our Heros and Heroines

I want to begin by stating that I am a fan of committed parenting. It is what I became accustomed to growing up in W. Phila in a semi rough neighborhood with a diverse income structure, taste, style, habits, and fashion. Families were different and they went about their business in a variety of ways, they had their own look taste in cars, some were professionals and some were laborers and God bless those that had, “good government jobs. Security was the goal of most for their children spouses and extended family, blood and non blood. However with all of the diversity there were standards that each family was expected to meet particularly as it concerned social behavior and decorum, education, respect for the experienced and for life. We were expected to behave in a certain way and when we did not there was consensus among the web of adults. There was an ever present web of protection and direction that guide us through the maze of opportunity and challenges we faced daily. Parent/adults were present, on the porch, in the playground, on the stoop, he school yard. They seemed to be everywhere and the message was consistent even among the so called characters that inhabited every community. On the porch before the street lights came on, no cursing or swearing, respect others property, go to school, don’t bring anything home you could not account for how you acquired it, respect your elders no matter what. I am not saying no one broke the rules we all did at some point but the idea was you had to pay a penalty for that and the consequences where immediate with definitive impact on your decision making at the next opportunity to cross the line.
Our community had standards and parents had a communication network that was very effective despite the lack of technology. No cell phones, e-mail, instant messaging, video cameras and with pay phones, word of mouth, and carrier pigeon they were attentive, aware and applied their standards consistently no matter of your status in the community you were expected to meet a standard. These qualities are no longer present in our communities and we suffer because of it. Let’s be clear the majority of parents maintain standards for the selves and their family but they collective collaborative consensus of the community is no longer present. So we are left with those families who have had the opportunity to strengthen themselves passing on and being able to guide their children through the morass of challenges and negative opportunity with minor disruption but ultimately able to achieve their goal. However the outcome for the flawed parent/family is much different and it is directly related to the lack of relationship within the community. The strong grow stronger and move on abandoning the less capable left to struggle alone without the reliable, stable, role model, mentor and friend that lived next door.

Next: 2 examples (Logan/Olney, Parenting classes then and now)

Test

My Purpose

Good Morning folks, I have spent most of the morning trying to set up this blog site. I felt compelled to do so despite the technological challenges i face. Tried to post picture but can not seem to get it correct so I will try again later.

I am establishing this blog for those who continue to seek their higher purpose in life and those who have but desire support and encouragement as they move forward. I want to encourage all who are interested to register and join me in posting thier thoughts, ideas, dreams and experiences. It is my wish to share this site with those who wish to engage in intelligent discussion ans discourse. I hope that I will not have to censor anyone's comments however those that are found to be discrimminatory, racist, demeaning of others will not be posted and I encourage you to find a site that finds that type of material acceptable this one does not.

I began this discussion on Facebbok but felt it may not be entirely appropriate for the social networking and may not be appreciated or taken seriously. I will pick it up here and continue in the futire to post the more length post here and annotated version on Facebook.

My last post on FB concerned living life by a standard and sticking to it no matter the consequences. However, experiences has taught me that living this way is not easy and must have some supporting foundation in faith and higher purpose. As stated on FC my fundamental standard for my professional and personal life is, "To always do what is in the best interest of children and families no matter the personal cost." My professional occupation is Child Welfare and this standards has served me and the constiuents I serve well. Decisions although not easy were clarified once it was filtered via this performance standard and provided my with some certainty and confidence when making regarding the provision of service to the community. It also guides my personal interactions with friends, family and colleagues and is a consistent barometer, guaging the consistency, equity and impact of my actions, words and thoughts.

However each standard must be supported by an underlying belief system from which it and other standards are to evolve. I offer that the society of humans' purpose is to evolve spirtually from generation to generation and in order to do so we must improve the quality of life for families and their children. To do so is to provide the safe space where each of us may find the time, space, skills and resources to increase our spiritual capacity.