The Virtual Reality
This inspires me and I just lit up when I saw it on K.T.s Face Book page. Adorable. I kept trying to describe what the "real" station would look like. I wanted the color and the warmth to be there. In my tenure of social work I believe miracles happen for the asking and the perfect results show up for families. Often times the agencies get in the way with "band aid" fixes.
We have discovered that take a family who is struggling and move them to a friendly and safe environment and they might have a chance. If I could elaborate on a fictional family I would say this. Move them to a new community and provide the skills and tools they need to create a better life. California social workers found that housing was the first piece to put in place with families suffering with chronic problems. It does make sense. Abraham Maslow gave us the basics for human well being. That would be safety and a sense of belongingness. Many families have never experienced security. The very wealthy families pass along the security to future generations and the reverse is true with poverty.
We all need to step in and provide the basics for at least one year. It might take longer than one year, and I don't like cookie cutter approaches to fixing people and their lives, but one year will net some progress, I feel. If we strip some money from our defense budget and put it into affordable housing and transitional housing this could be a whole new reality.
From the step one model of help, people can start to realize other dreams and build a real life. The California model took families on skid row and placed them in modest but functional housing units. Once there job placement and education was the next goal and these families received food stamps. Many people don't know how to shop or cook anymore. There was a need for life skills and other step one interventions.
In the past, social workers have tried to bring food boxes to families and then find them appropriate jobs. Often times this does not prove effective because the real root of the problem has not been identified. That is why it might take a year to clear out old patterns and instill new ideas. Most of these people are not lazy they just don't know how to climb out of their circumstances.
Angel Station is my dream, I want to hire 12 social workers who can hook people up and encourage a better life strategy. These are going to be life changing and game changing social workers. Patch Adams had a free medical clinic in Virginia. I hope to be agency free with my clinic if that is possible.
Look how homey and colorful this station is. When there is hope we can see the bridge and the path.
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