On Thursday, I got a little taste of the criminal justice department that deals with mental health under EPMHMR. I shadowed a case worker named Melissa who basically sees clients that are on probation. We visited the houses of ex inmates’ to make sure they were abiding by their contract drafted with their probation officer and were trying to get back on track. Since the individuals on probation have some sort of mental illness, we also went to check how they were doing mentally in terms of taking medication and overall behavior. All three consumers we visited, are living in housing provided by the government. It is housing that they will receive for one year to help them get their lives together. This particular program under EPMHMR is called Project Re-Direct, which exemplifies the program’s motive to help individuals get their lives back on track regardless of their past.
The first house we visited was of this man who is in his mid forties, early fifties. He was charged for aggravated assault because he was very violent. I was a bit nervous entering his home, but he greeted both Melissa and I with a smile that I came to realize was nothing but genuine. Melissa asked him the general questions: if the medication was giving him any sort of problems, does he feel anxious, depressed, suicidal, etc. For confidentiality purposes, let’s call him Mr. Nick. Somehow, in between all these check-up questions, Nick began to tell us his family history and how he ended up in jail. It was quite interesting, I must say. And sad to be honest. His siblings had taken away everything he had ever owned and cashed him out due to various family reasons. Then they pressed false accusations on Nick as a violent man and as someone who had been abusive. Due to his mental health condition, arrest was not hard to prosecute. But regardless of his family history, here he was, working, keeping his apartment tidy, and was clean from any sort of drugs and even alcohol. Mr. Nick had just treated himself to an elegant china set for his birthday that passed just last week. He was getting his life together and we all knew it. He mentioned how he did not really know anyone in El Paso. Nick said “You guys are my only friends” (referring to Melissa and his probation officer) and for some reason included me saying, “and now you, the intern.” It was the sweetest thing ever. I felt honored. Here I was, a complete stranger in HIS house and he had basically just shared his whole life story with me and included me in his circle of friends. I left Nick’s place thinking “this man is doing good for himself” and through the eyes of Project Re-Direct, he is a success story. Good for him.
The second person we visited has a completely different story. Again, for confidentiality purposes, let’s call this individual Ms. Smith. She is a woman in her late 20s, early 30s and has had 2 of her kids taken away from her by C.P.S (Child Protective Services) due to heavy drug and alcohol use. Ms. Smith is medically diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She has a history of cutting herself, being hit by men, and a dependency on men, whether it’s for the better or worse. As a child she was raped and sexually abused. Her mom, a prostitute forced Ms. Smith into the same kind of work and that’s all Ms. Smith has ever really known. I could not help but wonder how somebody could possibly go through all that. But here she was, the woman who had and I was sitting in her house on the floor.
When we first came up to Ms. Smith’s door, Melissa introduced her to me and asked if I could sit in. She said yes, but was reluctant. She wanted to show only Melissa something and so I waited outside her apartment door. I came to find out later that Ms. Smith’s current boyfriend, a man she took into her home because he got kicked out of his, cut him uncontrollably just last night and the bed in the bedroom was full of blood. He was sent off to the psychiatric ward until he becomes stable. Once Ms. Smith showed Melissa the after math of his crisis, I entered Ms.Smith’s home. Melissa began the check-in.
And just like Melissa warned me, it was very easy to pick up on Ms. Smith’s disorder. One minute she was crying, the next she was frustrated, and finally she’ll end up feeling hopeless. All throughout the check-in Ms. Smith kept saying “I just care about him so much” referring to her boyfriend who hits her and was sent of to the psychiatric ward. It was to the point where she said very desperately that “It doesn’t matter that he hits me. I’m used to it. I just want him to stop drinking.” It doesn’t matter that he hits her. It’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with that. How can you possibly argue with someone who thinks like that? By allowing her boyfriend to live with her, Ms. Smith was violating so many rules of her probation. For one thing, she started to drink with him and drugs or alcohol are an absolute no. There’s no question about it. But since he drinks, alcohol is more readily available. I remember her saying “Well at least I don’t smoke crack anymore. I just drink a little.” She had replaced her means of intoxication and did not see anything wrong with it. She, a cutter, someone who is not mentally and even physically stable was taking care of someone who is just as unstable as her. None of it made any sense. I could tell she wanted to do good to get back on track. But she needs to let him go. She needs to take care of herself first and foremost. But who knows when she’ll make that realization.
Before Melissa and I said our good-byes, Ms. Smith got up from where she was sitting and turned over the blanket to show us spots of blood all over it from last night. I couldn’t help but stare and wonder how on earth someone could live the way she does. I guess I’ll never know, but can only hope for now that big changes will enter Ms. Smith’s life and that she begins to think about herself over any man.
The last person we visited was of a young mother. She has a 2 year old child from one guy who fled when he found out that she was pregnant and was caught. Ms. Lee (for confidentiality purposes) was similar to Ms. Smith in her blind trust in men. Ms. Lee is also an MR patient, meaning she has some level of mental retardation along with a mental disorder. She used to smuggle drugs from Juarez to El Paso under the guy’s request (her boyfriend at the time). But once she got caught, he left her, alone and pregnant. The same kind of circumstance occurred with her second baby’s daddy. Now Ms. Lee has a 2 year old and another one coming without anyone to help care raise her kids and she is on probation.
Regardless of Ms. Lee’s situation, there is hope. There’s always hope, but a brighter future can be seen. She is receiving help from her mother with her kids and she wasn’t running to guys like in the old days. As a matter a fact her second baby daddy has been trying to get in contact with her and she’s been declining him because “I hear he’s always partying and I don’t like that.” She could not have sounded like a better mother. Her babies had taken priority over any man and that was especially good to hear after leaving Ms. Smith’s place.
As I ended my day, it’s so crazy that so much of these situations are unknown to the public. It’s bad enough that mental health does not receive as much funding and man power as is needed to serve the people of this country, but education about mental health is also lacking. We need to educate the public about mental health, what it is, how it affects us, and what we can do to help the cause. But until we do that, then it will always be overlooked and will affect thousands of people for the worse because they will not receive the proper treatment they rightfully deserve.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Day 41: Leadership El Paso- Politics and Justice
On Friday, I attended the monthly Leadership El Paso meeting with my supervisor, Rene since he is one of the volunteers that puts these meetings together. Various agencies nominate individuals to participate in this competitive year long program. The idea behind this program is to gather leaders of El Paso to learn about the many issues going on in the area so that through awareness, actions can be taken. Every month, there is a different topic that is discussed. For the month of July, the issue was Politics and Justice. I was not too enthused when I first heard that since politics really is not my thing, but I was more than content with the presenters and the places we visited regarding the topic at hand.
The day began bright and early, at 7:30 am. There was breakfast, a welcoming, and an overview of the day, which would end at 5:00 pm. The first speaker was a man named David A. Austin who is a founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Rio Grande Institute, an economic development and environmental organization. I honestly can not remember exactly what he talked about, so I will move onto the next speaker, Patrick V. Reinhart who has been working in the area of policy development for more than 14 years. I consider him a politician since he has served on the staff of two Texas elected officials. The only difference in him was that I actually enjoyed listening to him talk because he just seemed like an honest man who is genuinely concerned about the advocacy for the city of El Paso. He mentioned one point which really hit home for me. He stated that if “You don’t know the answer to a question a community member is asking, then say: I don’t know, but I will get back to you” because nobody wants to be lied to. And that’s not how you build trust within the neighborhood. It’s a simple concept to say “I don’t know,” but I feel like people, not only politicians are reluctant to use those words as if it’ll make them look inferior. He also mentioned a key tactic that a lot of lobbyists do not use: keeping in touch with people. Once an issue has been resolved or once a legislative law has been passed, lobbyists tend to loose that connection with community members and that is fatal for them because they make it that much harder to regain their vote. Patrick Reinhart just simplified politics for me and that is why he had my undivided attention. I didn’t even do my usual day dreaming.
The next speaker was a woman named Jane K. Shang, the Deputy City Manager of the City’s Mobility Portfolio, which includes: international bridges, mass transit/sun metro, aviation, and street. Her presentation was very well organized with listed budgets, percentages, and numbers for the fiscal year. One of her main points was to promote the use of transportation. As someone who does not need persuasion in relying on public transportation since that’s all I’ve really known in NYC, I thought that extending the bus hours would be a great benefit. The buses in El Paso run from 6:00 am to 8:30 pm, which I consider to be fairly early. I wanted to vocalize my opinion, but a retired police officer was very passionate about Jane’s point in cutting funding from the safety department, that my point seemed too minor to mention. The officer’s argument was that safety is priority. “If you don’t have safety, you don’t have a city.” I agree with his statement without a doubt, but 60% of the city’s funding goes into safety. Even the security guards working in the bus terminals have guns. I see the police everywhere I walk, at least 3 times as much than in NYC. I just think that if some of their budget went into other departments such as education and healthcare, the community as a whole would have better chances of prospering.
The next speaker was a professor at UTEP, Dr. Richard D. Pineda. He made several interesting points about his topic, Border Communications. The one that stood out to me was the idea of symbolism tied with politics. He mentioned how El Paso has always voted democratic. However, there was one year in which the city voted republican out of nowhere. Dr. Pineda asked his grandmother, a typical El Pasoa who is also dedicated democratic voter why she changed her stance. She replied by saying that “because I can understand him.”Dr. Pineda conducted research and realized that it was the year the republican party began to incorporate Spanish into their campaign, even if it was in tiny portions. His main point was that communication, language, and symbolism is key for politics. And it made a lot of sense. Even if the ideals do not correspond with the voter, if the voter can comprehend what the politician is saying, there is a certain level of comfort and even reassurance.
The last set of speakers were Special Agent in Charge David Cuthbertson and Field Intelligence Manage Ray Cervantes who talked about the current “drug war” occurring in Mexico. They made sure to point out that there is no sort of overspill in violence into the states, especially not El Paso (since it is after all the second safest city in the U.S).
After lunch, it was field trip time! We loaded up to visit a jail in El Paso since the topic of this month is Politics and Justice. I can officially say, I Dimple Patel, a 20 year old have been to prison. I was very excited. We visited the cells, the kitchen, and the clinic within the jail. The officers that led the tour mentioned how the kitchen is the most dangerous place because of the knives that are present. It didn’t really hit me how structured the lives of the inmates really are. They receive three hours of sunshine per week. They shower, eat, and watch television when they are given permission to and as one of the officers mentioned, “you basically take away any sense of control they have.” For some reason, I never thought about it like that, but it’s true. We passed by the laundry room and the basketball court and soon the tour was over. After understanding the fact that different inmates wear different colored uniforms, depending on the severity of the crime they committed, I felt like I had enough basic knowledge to enlighten those who have never visited prison about the fundamentals.
Our next and last stop was to a place called the Center Against Family Violence, which “provides confidential assistance, educational programs and most importantly, hope to families in need.” We toured the shelter home, walking past kids running after one another and mothers holding onto their youngest ones. We saw the closed in playground and the educational center for kids. The main part of our visit was a play performed by a couple, John and Linda King. They reenacted the life of their daughter, who died due to domestic violence. Their story was real. Their story is real. And they were telling it to anyone who wanted to listen since the message needs to be spread. Their play, “Control. Assault, Delete” made three points:
1. Point out common mistakes made by parents and friends in their attempts to help the victim escape abuse.
2. Bring to light common tactics used by abusers to trap victims into a rigidly controlled relationship.
3. Point out to abuses the pain and misery they bring to the lives of others through their actions (Control. Assault, Delete).
The play was intense, especially knowing that these parents had lost a daughter through domestic violence and continuously relive that moment by raising awareness to others. But I guess that’s what it all boils down to. You help people by any which way you can because it’s the right thing to do. For this elderly couple, telling the story of their innocent daughter helps them spread awareness and raise caution against such violent crimes. It makes you wonder, what do I want to raise awareness about and work towards? What bothers me about the way things are? And what can I do to CHANGE those things?
The day began bright and early, at 7:30 am. There was breakfast, a welcoming, and an overview of the day, which would end at 5:00 pm. The first speaker was a man named David A. Austin who is a founder and member of the Board of Directors of the Rio Grande Institute, an economic development and environmental organization. I honestly can not remember exactly what he talked about, so I will move onto the next speaker, Patrick V. Reinhart who has been working in the area of policy development for more than 14 years. I consider him a politician since he has served on the staff of two Texas elected officials. The only difference in him was that I actually enjoyed listening to him talk because he just seemed like an honest man who is genuinely concerned about the advocacy for the city of El Paso. He mentioned one point which really hit home for me. He stated that if “You don’t know the answer to a question a community member is asking, then say: I don’t know, but I will get back to you” because nobody wants to be lied to. And that’s not how you build trust within the neighborhood. It’s a simple concept to say “I don’t know,” but I feel like people, not only politicians are reluctant to use those words as if it’ll make them look inferior. He also mentioned a key tactic that a lot of lobbyists do not use: keeping in touch with people. Once an issue has been resolved or once a legislative law has been passed, lobbyists tend to loose that connection with community members and that is fatal for them because they make it that much harder to regain their vote. Patrick Reinhart just simplified politics for me and that is why he had my undivided attention. I didn’t even do my usual day dreaming.
The next speaker was a woman named Jane K. Shang, the Deputy City Manager of the City’s Mobility Portfolio, which includes: international bridges, mass transit/sun metro, aviation, and street. Her presentation was very well organized with listed budgets, percentages, and numbers for the fiscal year. One of her main points was to promote the use of transportation. As someone who does not need persuasion in relying on public transportation since that’s all I’ve really known in NYC, I thought that extending the bus hours would be a great benefit. The buses in El Paso run from 6:00 am to 8:30 pm, which I consider to be fairly early. I wanted to vocalize my opinion, but a retired police officer was very passionate about Jane’s point in cutting funding from the safety department, that my point seemed too minor to mention. The officer’s argument was that safety is priority. “If you don’t have safety, you don’t have a city.” I agree with his statement without a doubt, but 60% of the city’s funding goes into safety. Even the security guards working in the bus terminals have guns. I see the police everywhere I walk, at least 3 times as much than in NYC. I just think that if some of their budget went into other departments such as education and healthcare, the community as a whole would have better chances of prospering.
The next speaker was a professor at UTEP, Dr. Richard D. Pineda. He made several interesting points about his topic, Border Communications. The one that stood out to me was the idea of symbolism tied with politics. He mentioned how El Paso has always voted democratic. However, there was one year in which the city voted republican out of nowhere. Dr. Pineda asked his grandmother, a typical El Pasoa who is also dedicated democratic voter why she changed her stance. She replied by saying that “because I can understand him.”Dr. Pineda conducted research and realized that it was the year the republican party began to incorporate Spanish into their campaign, even if it was in tiny portions. His main point was that communication, language, and symbolism is key for politics. And it made a lot of sense. Even if the ideals do not correspond with the voter, if the voter can comprehend what the politician is saying, there is a certain level of comfort and even reassurance.
The last set of speakers were Special Agent in Charge David Cuthbertson and Field Intelligence Manage Ray Cervantes who talked about the current “drug war” occurring in Mexico. They made sure to point out that there is no sort of overspill in violence into the states, especially not El Paso (since it is after all the second safest city in the U.S).
After lunch, it was field trip time! We loaded up to visit a jail in El Paso since the topic of this month is Politics and Justice. I can officially say, I Dimple Patel, a 20 year old have been to prison. I was very excited. We visited the cells, the kitchen, and the clinic within the jail. The officers that led the tour mentioned how the kitchen is the most dangerous place because of the knives that are present. It didn’t really hit me how structured the lives of the inmates really are. They receive three hours of sunshine per week. They shower, eat, and watch television when they are given permission to and as one of the officers mentioned, “you basically take away any sense of control they have.” For some reason, I never thought about it like that, but it’s true. We passed by the laundry room and the basketball court and soon the tour was over. After understanding the fact that different inmates wear different colored uniforms, depending on the severity of the crime they committed, I felt like I had enough basic knowledge to enlighten those who have never visited prison about the fundamentals.
Our next and last stop was to a place called the Center Against Family Violence, which “provides confidential assistance, educational programs and most importantly, hope to families in need.” We toured the shelter home, walking past kids running after one another and mothers holding onto their youngest ones. We saw the closed in playground and the educational center for kids. The main part of our visit was a play performed by a couple, John and Linda King. They reenacted the life of their daughter, who died due to domestic violence. Their story was real. Their story is real. And they were telling it to anyone who wanted to listen since the message needs to be spread. Their play, “Control. Assault, Delete” made three points:
1. Point out common mistakes made by parents and friends in their attempts to help the victim escape abuse.
2. Bring to light common tactics used by abusers to trap victims into a rigidly controlled relationship.
3. Point out to abuses the pain and misery they bring to the lives of others through their actions (Control. Assault, Delete).
The play was intense, especially knowing that these parents had lost a daughter through domestic violence and continuously relive that moment by raising awareness to others. But I guess that’s what it all boils down to. You help people by any which way you can because it’s the right thing to do. For this elderly couple, telling the story of their innocent daughter helps them spread awareness and raise caution against such violent crimes. It makes you wonder, what do I want to raise awareness about and work towards? What bothers me about the way things are? And what can I do to CHANGE those things?
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Day 38- A Trip to Fort Bliss
Wednesday was my trip to Fort Bliss. OMG! I was soooo excited. It’s one thing interning at an agency that caters to veterans, but actually visiting where these people trained, slept, ate, and got deployed from is a whole another story. Luckily for me, I was given the opportunity to tour Fort Bliss with two of the funniest veterans ever! One veteran, Mike is a man I’ve talked about earlier in my blogs. He’s been in war for 20 years and is now working with MHMR as the military liaison. The other one, Dan, much younger, retired from war after 2 years. They both work together to help veterans receive the proper services.
As we got closer to the entrance of the largest military post in the U.S (in terms of land) and 2nd largest post by number, I was a little nervous that I may not be allowed inside due to the heavy security. However, both Dan’s and Mike’s I.D. were enough to permit my entrance. Thank God. As soon as the guy gave us the okay and let us drive in, Mike said “We got the bomb in. Let’s go.” Ha! I just entered Fort Bliss and already was a part of military humor. As we were driving around, Dan recognized his old commissioner’s truck and called him. Todd, came out and volunteered to give us a tour of Fort Bliss….well parts of it since it’s HUGE. (It’s literally more than an hour’s drive long). We first visited the post’s administrative building where all the paper work and boring stuff takes place. Then we made our way to the barracks (or the dorms). It was funny when the men would use terms such as barracks, motor pool, A.C.U and rucksack to describe the military life because they had to find a synonym for me to comprehend what they were saying. I’ve never been exposed to military jargon and so it took some time. As we were walking to the barracks, both Mike and Dan continued to test me on the terms they taught me in the car ride over. Then Todd intervened and asked “What’s this?” as he pointed to his feet. I said “Boots” and started to laugh because I was right. I also replied by saying “I’m offended that you would ask that” (as if I didn’t know what boots were). He replied with “Well, I was hoping you thought it was a trick question.” Smh, soldiers. Regardless, I felt uber cool just walking around with 2 veterans and 1 active solider on Fort Bliss as if it was the most normal thing ever.
We entered the barracks, walked around and honestly the building looked pretty nice. Well, then again the parts that Todd showed us were the newer parts of Fort Bliss. Todd pointed out one frustration he had with the barracks. He mentioned how it was completely disorganized. All the soldiers were mixed up and soldiers from different brigades were rooming together. The problem with all this is that is makes it harder for the commissioner in charge of his or her brigade to mange his men since they are all scattered. Todd stated the reason for such disorganization: “It’s because the civilians assign the rooms for the soldiers.” In other words, if it had been an active military member, then the situation would have been different because they would have known better than to randomly assign rooms. Mike obviously agreed one hundred percent and added that living together creates the brotherhood that is very much needed in the army. He stated “We live together, we fight together, and sometimes we die together,” which really hit home for me.
We continued the tour and entered the locker room of the soldiers. I saw some groups of soldiers on the floor, taking notes from their leader, while others were doing push ups. Todd was telling us how they have not yet received the weapons to practice with and so for now, the commanders are passing as much knowledge as they possibly can to the soldiers. We passed by the dining hall and entered the parking lot once again. It was the end of Todd’s tour since he had to stay in the vicinity. However, he did mention for us to look at a couple of others places before we left such as the new physical fitness center and the U.S.O. Mike and Dan said bye to Todd and I thanked him for his time. It was greatly appreciated.
We drove off towards the U.S.O, which is basically a place where soldiers come to chill. They have internet access, can watch T.V on a huge flat screen, play pool, and eat. I must say, I felt a bit out of place as soon as I entered. Everyone in there were soldiers who were all close together, within the same area. I felt the stares as I walked in with Mike and Dan and did not really know what to do but follow their lead. After a mini tour of the area, we left.
Lastly, before we left Fort Bliss, Mike drove us by the new versions of tanks that the military was using because he had noted my initial awe with all this equipment and vehicles around. It just like the in the movies. And the majority of the tanks, jeeps, and equipment were colored tan to camouflage with the desert since El Paso is after all, in the desert. We also drove by the MP, the military police and the jail in Fort Bliss. We passed by the military court and the huge houses of the higher ranking officials. They were gorgeous. I began to realize that Fort Bliss is really a town within a town. As Dan put it, “It’s a city of its own.”
And soon my trip to Fort Bliss came to an end. But I was still as excited as when I first entered. The only difference now was that I knew the following terms: rucksack, MP, barracks, motor pool, brigade, A.C.U and boots of course. According to the two veterans, “I can hang."
As we got closer to the entrance of the largest military post in the U.S (in terms of land) and 2nd largest post by number, I was a little nervous that I may not be allowed inside due to the heavy security. However, both Dan’s and Mike’s I.D. were enough to permit my entrance. Thank God. As soon as the guy gave us the okay and let us drive in, Mike said “We got the bomb in. Let’s go.” Ha! I just entered Fort Bliss and already was a part of military humor. As we were driving around, Dan recognized his old commissioner’s truck and called him. Todd, came out and volunteered to give us a tour of Fort Bliss….well parts of it since it’s HUGE. (It’s literally more than an hour’s drive long). We first visited the post’s administrative building where all the paper work and boring stuff takes place. Then we made our way to the barracks (or the dorms). It was funny when the men would use terms such as barracks, motor pool, A.C.U and rucksack to describe the military life because they had to find a synonym for me to comprehend what they were saying. I’ve never been exposed to military jargon and so it took some time. As we were walking to the barracks, both Mike and Dan continued to test me on the terms they taught me in the car ride over. Then Todd intervened and asked “What’s this?” as he pointed to his feet. I said “Boots” and started to laugh because I was right. I also replied by saying “I’m offended that you would ask that” (as if I didn’t know what boots were). He replied with “Well, I was hoping you thought it was a trick question.” Smh, soldiers. Regardless, I felt uber cool just walking around with 2 veterans and 1 active solider on Fort Bliss as if it was the most normal thing ever.
We entered the barracks, walked around and honestly the building looked pretty nice. Well, then again the parts that Todd showed us were the newer parts of Fort Bliss. Todd pointed out one frustration he had with the barracks. He mentioned how it was completely disorganized. All the soldiers were mixed up and soldiers from different brigades were rooming together. The problem with all this is that is makes it harder for the commissioner in charge of his or her brigade to mange his men since they are all scattered. Todd stated the reason for such disorganization: “It’s because the civilians assign the rooms for the soldiers.” In other words, if it had been an active military member, then the situation would have been different because they would have known better than to randomly assign rooms. Mike obviously agreed one hundred percent and added that living together creates the brotherhood that is very much needed in the army. He stated “We live together, we fight together, and sometimes we die together,” which really hit home for me.
We continued the tour and entered the locker room of the soldiers. I saw some groups of soldiers on the floor, taking notes from their leader, while others were doing push ups. Todd was telling us how they have not yet received the weapons to practice with and so for now, the commanders are passing as much knowledge as they possibly can to the soldiers. We passed by the dining hall and entered the parking lot once again. It was the end of Todd’s tour since he had to stay in the vicinity. However, he did mention for us to look at a couple of others places before we left such as the new physical fitness center and the U.S.O. Mike and Dan said bye to Todd and I thanked him for his time. It was greatly appreciated.
We drove off towards the U.S.O, which is basically a place where soldiers come to chill. They have internet access, can watch T.V on a huge flat screen, play pool, and eat. I must say, I felt a bit out of place as soon as I entered. Everyone in there were soldiers who were all close together, within the same area. I felt the stares as I walked in with Mike and Dan and did not really know what to do but follow their lead. After a mini tour of the area, we left.
Lastly, before we left Fort Bliss, Mike drove us by the new versions of tanks that the military was using because he had noted my initial awe with all this equipment and vehicles around. It just like the in the movies. And the majority of the tanks, jeeps, and equipment were colored tan to camouflage with the desert since El Paso is after all, in the desert. We also drove by the MP, the military police and the jail in Fort Bliss. We passed by the military court and the huge houses of the higher ranking officials. They were gorgeous. I began to realize that Fort Bliss is really a town within a town. As Dan put it, “It’s a city of its own.”
And soon my trip to Fort Bliss came to an end. But I was still as excited as when I first entered. The only difference now was that I knew the following terms: rucksack, MP, barracks, motor pool, brigade, A.C.U and boots of course. According to the two veterans, “I can hang."
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day 33- E.C.I Part 2
My second day at E.C.I was spent with a dietitian named Raquel. Just like the case workers, counselors, therapists, and teachers, Raquel also visits kids at their homes. However, her purpose behind it is different. She is the person who takes the height and weight of the child and matches it up to a chart that the baby should be following, depending on his or her measurements and age.
The first house we visited consisted of a twins and a five year old boy. The twins were named James and Janet (for confidentiality purposes). I fell in love with James as soon as I sat next to him on the couch. They were around 12 months old and looked very healthy. While Raquel inquired the mom about the children’s eating habits and their preferences, I asked the mom if it was okay to hold James since he seemed to be getting anxious and well…because I really wanted to hold him. The mother gladly replied with a “yes” and in no time I was holding a chubby cheeked cutie. I tried to keep him steady but nope, James just wanted to jump up and down and so I followed his lead. He got a little too comfortable and started to pull my hair and that was a no no. I’m not sure why babies love hair so much. Once the babies were weighed and measured, Raquel and I said our goodbyes.
Our next stop was a home made daycare. As we entered I saw that there were only around seven kids because the woman in charge only takes a certain amount. I felt a little out of place because the kids were all playing and Raquel knew everyone there. But in literally less than 5 minutes after I had sat on the floor along side Raquel, all the kids came swarming around me. I must say, I felt the coolest I’ve felt in a while. One of the kids that was sitting around me, Brad (again for confidentiality purposes, a four year old boy) asked me “Do you know me?” I laughed and replied “No, do YOU know me?” He nodded no. And that is how mine and his conversation began. We told each other our names, our ages, and our favorite colors. He was getting kind of intimate. Haha. Soon, the other kids began to talk to me as well about Toy Story 3 and Karate Kid, two movies I am absolutely dying to see. I was jealous because these little ones had seen it and I still hadn’t. While I was hanging out with the cool people, Raquel was examining the baby that she was assigned to check up on. Soon it was nap time. The babysitter put everyone to sleep. And as the kids lay down, Brad asked me “Are you a kid?” And I couldn’t help but smile at question and his interest in me. I believe he became very fond of me in the 30 minutes we spent together. I was flattered.
Before the day ended, we visited a new born at another daycare and a baby boy at his house. Playing with chubby cheeked babies and flirting with a four year old boy marked the end of my second day at E.C.I.
The first house we visited consisted of a twins and a five year old boy. The twins were named James and Janet (for confidentiality purposes). I fell in love with James as soon as I sat next to him on the couch. They were around 12 months old and looked very healthy. While Raquel inquired the mom about the children’s eating habits and their preferences, I asked the mom if it was okay to hold James since he seemed to be getting anxious and well…because I really wanted to hold him. The mother gladly replied with a “yes” and in no time I was holding a chubby cheeked cutie. I tried to keep him steady but nope, James just wanted to jump up and down and so I followed his lead. He got a little too comfortable and started to pull my hair and that was a no no. I’m not sure why babies love hair so much. Once the babies were weighed and measured, Raquel and I said our goodbyes.
Our next stop was a home made daycare. As we entered I saw that there were only around seven kids because the woman in charge only takes a certain amount. I felt a little out of place because the kids were all playing and Raquel knew everyone there. But in literally less than 5 minutes after I had sat on the floor along side Raquel, all the kids came swarming around me. I must say, I felt the coolest I’ve felt in a while. One of the kids that was sitting around me, Brad (again for confidentiality purposes, a four year old boy) asked me “Do you know me?” I laughed and replied “No, do YOU know me?” He nodded no. And that is how mine and his conversation began. We told each other our names, our ages, and our favorite colors. He was getting kind of intimate. Haha. Soon, the other kids began to talk to me as well about Toy Story 3 and Karate Kid, two movies I am absolutely dying to see. I was jealous because these little ones had seen it and I still hadn’t. While I was hanging out with the cool people, Raquel was examining the baby that she was assigned to check up on. Soon it was nap time. The babysitter put everyone to sleep. And as the kids lay down, Brad asked me “Are you a kid?” And I couldn’t help but smile at question and his interest in me. I believe he became very fond of me in the 30 minutes we spent together. I was flattered.
Before the day ended, we visited a new born at another daycare and a baby boy at his house. Playing with chubby cheeked babies and flirting with a four year old boy marked the end of my second day at E.C.I.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Day 32 E.C.I Part 1
On Thursday and Friday I went to E.C.I (Early Childhood Intervention), which is a part of MHMR. E.C.I provides services to children from birth to three years of age. Eligibility for E.C.I includes the following: developmental delay, atypical development, and medically diagnosed condition. On my first day, I shadowed a counselor named Monica. She is AMAZING. She is a woman who is in her late 30’s but glowed with so much joy that one could have easily mistaken her for a mere teenager. The moment I met her, I became even more excited for the day. We visited three homes. I should note that all the services that E.C.I provides are through the home. This was not always the case. But since staff is able to obtain a better understanding of what the living conditions for the child are like and since it is important for the child to make use of the toys and materials they have in their homes for therapeutic reasons, (as opposed to relying on the toys in the clinic), it had been decided that the visits take place in the consumer’s home.
On that note, the first house we visited was of a child who had a clubbed foot, meaning that her left foot was tilted inward as opposed to the normal straight facing foot. This is probably because the mother was on drugs during her pregnancy. As we drove into the low income apartment parking lot, I was a bit anxious about how the mother would feel about me entering her home as a complete stranger. We climbed up the stairs to the second floor and Monica rang the bell. The mother opened the door and her baby, Nicole (for confidentiality purposes) was right by her side. Monica introduced me as a student and asked if it was okay that I join their meeting. The mother agreed. I was relieved. As we entered the small apartment, the smell of smoke hit me. Monica and I sat on the couch across from the mother and baby Nicole. As the counselor began to check in with the mother, Nicole was running around, bringing pillows from one side to other, and stopped to drink coffee whenever she needed that extra boost of energy. Yes, she is a child, almost 2 years old and she had acquired the taste of coffee. While the counselor and the mother talked about Nicole's foot, her sleeping and eating habits, I joined Nicole in her own made up game of transferring objects from one couch to the other. She was adorable with her tiny feet and tiny arms just moving back and forth with no intention of stopping.
In addition to Nicole’s clubbed foot, she had an attachment issue with her mother, which stopped her from doing anything without her mom. Nicole’s dad is a trucker and so he is always on the road. Throughout the mom and counselor’s discussion, I heard that the father was not too pleased with the physical therapist from E.C.I. Since Nicole has a clubbed foot, it is vital for her to perform exercises that force her foot to face straight. However, as per the parents, the therapist who is in charge of Nicole’s exercises hurts Nicole. According to the mom, whenever the therapist shifts the foot straight, Nicole starts to cry whereas with anyone else, she doesn’t. It was clear that the mother wanted another physical therapist for her baby. And Monica was there to ensure both the mother and Nicole were happy with the services that were being provided to them.
The next home we visited was of a woman who was in the process of adopting twins from her great niece. When E.C.I first started to work with these twins, they were both nearly skeletal because they were not being fed. They call a condition as this “failure to strive.” But when we went to visit them, they were the chubbiest babies I had ever seen. They had undergone a complete 180 with the right kind of care and nurture.
The last home we visited was a bit sad. The mother is a single 20 year mother with a baby who has constant seizures and can not sit straight, even though he is nearly 3 years old. It was to the point where the mother had to resuscitate her baby because he was not breathing. I could only imagine how that must be, knowing day in and day out that your child is so close to death. Monica asked her usual questions for their check- in. Soon it was time to leave. As we got settled back into the car, I couldn’t help but wonder how different that mother’s life and my life was, especially since we are the same exact age. I don’t know how people do it. But they do, day in and day out.
On that note, the first house we visited was of a child who had a clubbed foot, meaning that her left foot was tilted inward as opposed to the normal straight facing foot. This is probably because the mother was on drugs during her pregnancy. As we drove into the low income apartment parking lot, I was a bit anxious about how the mother would feel about me entering her home as a complete stranger. We climbed up the stairs to the second floor and Monica rang the bell. The mother opened the door and her baby, Nicole (for confidentiality purposes) was right by her side. Monica introduced me as a student and asked if it was okay that I join their meeting. The mother agreed. I was relieved. As we entered the small apartment, the smell of smoke hit me. Monica and I sat on the couch across from the mother and baby Nicole. As the counselor began to check in with the mother, Nicole was running around, bringing pillows from one side to other, and stopped to drink coffee whenever she needed that extra boost of energy. Yes, she is a child, almost 2 years old and she had acquired the taste of coffee. While the counselor and the mother talked about Nicole's foot, her sleeping and eating habits, I joined Nicole in her own made up game of transferring objects from one couch to the other. She was adorable with her tiny feet and tiny arms just moving back and forth with no intention of stopping.
In addition to Nicole’s clubbed foot, she had an attachment issue with her mother, which stopped her from doing anything without her mom. Nicole’s dad is a trucker and so he is always on the road. Throughout the mom and counselor’s discussion, I heard that the father was not too pleased with the physical therapist from E.C.I. Since Nicole has a clubbed foot, it is vital for her to perform exercises that force her foot to face straight. However, as per the parents, the therapist who is in charge of Nicole’s exercises hurts Nicole. According to the mom, whenever the therapist shifts the foot straight, Nicole starts to cry whereas with anyone else, she doesn’t. It was clear that the mother wanted another physical therapist for her baby. And Monica was there to ensure both the mother and Nicole were happy with the services that were being provided to them.
The next home we visited was of a woman who was in the process of adopting twins from her great niece. When E.C.I first started to work with these twins, they were both nearly skeletal because they were not being fed. They call a condition as this “failure to strive.” But when we went to visit them, they were the chubbiest babies I had ever seen. They had undergone a complete 180 with the right kind of care and nurture.
The last home we visited was a bit sad. The mother is a single 20 year mother with a baby who has constant seizures and can not sit straight, even though he is nearly 3 years old. It was to the point where the mother had to resuscitate her baby because he was not breathing. I could only imagine how that must be, knowing day in and day out that your child is so close to death. Monica asked her usual questions for their check- in. Soon it was time to leave. As we got settled back into the car, I couldn’t help but wonder how different that mother’s life and my life was, especially since we are the same exact age. I don’t know how people do it. But they do, day in and day out.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Day 29- Mental Health Conference
On Monday, a mental health conference was held to discuss existing programs and promote new ones. Mike, the military liaison for EPMHMR, and I represented EPMHMR at a booth. Since we were there to promote a new program called “Veterans Rally Point” that provided services for veterans and family members of veterans, we covered our table with camouflage material (or the material that the military wears. I thought it was a pretty cool idea). Anyhow, I felt important representing one of the best mental health agencies in El Paso with a veteran who had been in combat for 20 years. Once the conference began, I decided to leave the booth and attend the speakers and guests in the big room. Different speakers, doctors, and individuals from the military spoke about what has been done, what needs to be done, and realizing what the actual problem at hand is. What hit home for me most was when a solider spoke about how the veterans feel when they come back from war. They feel unappreciated and can not seem to integrate with society as they once were able to for various reasons. This may be a minor concern for other cities, but not for El Paso considering it has the second largest military post in the United States. In addition, 10,000 more troops will be returning from war by the end of October. The veteran population in El Paso is a serious issue, one that needs to be dealt with properly, especially for those individuals returning with PTSD and other psychiatric disorders. As mentioned before, Mike also spoke about the new program EPMHMR is launching, “Veterans Rally Point.” As someone sitting in the audience, I knew exactly what he was talking about because I’ve met with him previously regarding these programs and the training that needed to be implemented. I just really felt like I was a part of this process, of this new establishment and it was something to be proud of.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Day 27- Tigua Reservation
I apologize for the delayed blogging. I’ve been too lazy, too tired, or too busy to blog. But I am about to make up for the past 5 days because A LOT has happened and it has been one of the most memorable weeks in El Paso thus far.
So let me begin with last Saturday. The girls and I attended the Cultural Arts Market at Ysleta Mission, which is a church on the Tigua Reservation. The Tigua are the only Pueblo Indians in the state of Texas and I got to see a little bit of their ways. I was beyond excited, especially because I am going through a phase in my life where Native American history is something I want to become really familiar with since at some point I want to work with Indians, medically. But until that happens, knowing about this history, their values, their culture and their present situation is vital, which is why reading about it necessary. Simply stepping foot the Tigua’s independent territory was something I have always wanted to do. Just standing on land that belongs to these Pueblo Indians holds a significant meaning because it is theirs.
As we entered the Cultural Arts Market, we saw booths all lined up selling various objects, jewelry, food, and clothing. I made sure to stop by every booth, even though I may have known from the very beginning that I had no intention of purchasing anything from that spot. It’s important to see everything. The very first booth had bags, but not just any kind of bags. The bottom half of the bags were made from turtle bellies. The buttons made from deer horns and the overall cloth made from cow hide. The woman behind the booth stated “A real Native American doesn’t let anything go to waste.” I just smiled and continued to touch the bag that was created out of three different animals, thinking to myself that I have heard that before, several times.
I continued my walk through the booths and really only wanted one thing: a turquoise ring. The belief is that turquoise would bring rest to the dead and since the stone is a mixture of the colors green (embodying the earth) and blue (embodying the sky), turquoise would attract good spirits. I honestly had no idea until after I had bought two of them, one green and one blue. My shopping for that day was complete and I was content.
A little while after, there were performances by children and adolescents, 2 girls and 2 boys. They wore tribal attire and danced to their tribal music, the live drum beats that the drummer created. After a couple of dances with the four performers, one boy did a solo performance. He did the Eagle Dance. His attire even made him appear as an eagle. As the master of the sky, the eagle is considered a carrier of prayers. “Many Indian Nations honor this bird as possessing courage, wisdom, and a special connection to the creator.” Last semester I had done a 45 minute presentation on a Native American poet, Joy Harjo and the poem that I had used to describe her and her ideals was called “Eagle Poem.” I felt as if I had some sort of reference, connection and even tie to the performance because of my previous readings and research that at that moment while the dancer was performing the Eagle Dance, my heart was just really happy.
Once the performers were finished dancing, the host called everyone to come and join them. And so naturally, the ladies and I joined them. We all held hands and moved around in a circle (with a specific type of footwork, but honestly I was just trying my hardest to not fall). We raised our hands as we moved in a circular motion to the beat of the drums. I could not help but smile my whole way.
After we left the Cultural Arts Market, we wondered around the Tigua community to see what else was around. The only thing we came upon was a casino called Speaking Rock which is apparently very well known in El Paso. We also saw the houses of the Tiguas that had a mixture of modern and pueblo looking style appearances. It was soon time to search for a bus stop since a couple of drops of rain warned us. And so we went back home, me- tired and oh so happy.
So let me begin with last Saturday. The girls and I attended the Cultural Arts Market at Ysleta Mission, which is a church on the Tigua Reservation. The Tigua are the only Pueblo Indians in the state of Texas and I got to see a little bit of their ways. I was beyond excited, especially because I am going through a phase in my life where Native American history is something I want to become really familiar with since at some point I want to work with Indians, medically. But until that happens, knowing about this history, their values, their culture and their present situation is vital, which is why reading about it necessary. Simply stepping foot the Tigua’s independent territory was something I have always wanted to do. Just standing on land that belongs to these Pueblo Indians holds a significant meaning because it is theirs.
As we entered the Cultural Arts Market, we saw booths all lined up selling various objects, jewelry, food, and clothing. I made sure to stop by every booth, even though I may have known from the very beginning that I had no intention of purchasing anything from that spot. It’s important to see everything. The very first booth had bags, but not just any kind of bags. The bottom half of the bags were made from turtle bellies. The buttons made from deer horns and the overall cloth made from cow hide. The woman behind the booth stated “A real Native American doesn’t let anything go to waste.” I just smiled and continued to touch the bag that was created out of three different animals, thinking to myself that I have heard that before, several times.
I continued my walk through the booths and really only wanted one thing: a turquoise ring. The belief is that turquoise would bring rest to the dead and since the stone is a mixture of the colors green (embodying the earth) and blue (embodying the sky), turquoise would attract good spirits. I honestly had no idea until after I had bought two of them, one green and one blue. My shopping for that day was complete and I was content.
A little while after, there were performances by children and adolescents, 2 girls and 2 boys. They wore tribal attire and danced to their tribal music, the live drum beats that the drummer created. After a couple of dances with the four performers, one boy did a solo performance. He did the Eagle Dance. His attire even made him appear as an eagle. As the master of the sky, the eagle is considered a carrier of prayers. “Many Indian Nations honor this bird as possessing courage, wisdom, and a special connection to the creator.” Last semester I had done a 45 minute presentation on a Native American poet, Joy Harjo and the poem that I had used to describe her and her ideals was called “Eagle Poem.” I felt as if I had some sort of reference, connection and even tie to the performance because of my previous readings and research that at that moment while the dancer was performing the Eagle Dance, my heart was just really happy.
Once the performers were finished dancing, the host called everyone to come and join them. And so naturally, the ladies and I joined them. We all held hands and moved around in a circle (with a specific type of footwork, but honestly I was just trying my hardest to not fall). We raised our hands as we moved in a circular motion to the beat of the drums. I could not help but smile my whole way.
After we left the Cultural Arts Market, we wondered around the Tigua community to see what else was around. The only thing we came upon was a casino called Speaking Rock which is apparently very well known in El Paso. We also saw the houses of the Tiguas that had a mixture of modern and pueblo looking style appearances. It was soon time to search for a bus stop since a couple of drops of rain warned us. And so we went back home, me- tired and oh so happy.
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