threatening client; exploring biases
glad i had yesterday off from work. today i learned i missed some drama there: late yesterday afternoon, they had to call 9-1-1 (the cops) because the counselor in the office next door to mine had a client who became threatening/violent/verbally abusive. today i was trained in the proper protocol to use if i ever feel unsafe with a client.
{disclaimer: i rarely detail specifics about work because of the nature of what i do (e.g. confidentiality parameters), and my general comfort level with how revealing this journal is. but just so you know: it's possible my diary's tone might change a little bit from time to time when i come here to process stuff on occasion}.
like this: today's incident has me revisiting the importance of knowing my own biases in working with certain populations of clients. you see, my co-worker whose client threatened her--she works primarily with substance abusers. according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, substance abuse is considered a disability and therefore, people with addictions can and do receive services from our agency. addicts are protected under ADA legislation as long as they are not actively using, and have completed treatment.
a lot of people--(counselors as well as the general public)--carry strong biases about clients who battle addiction. sometimes biases relate directly to the substance abuse/addiction, but often it's not so much because of the addiction itself (?), as much as that that particular population also frequently has a history of incarceration and also violence (by default of their substance abuse). so it's often a population that no one wants to work with, and to be quite honest, i think that i would have a tough time working with people who have been through the correctional system.
i'm not sure this entry makes a whole lot of sense, as it's late and i'm so tired my eyelids are shutting as i sit here typing. time for bed.
