The System Kid

I’ve been working in and around ‘The System’, for around 16 years now.

I have experience working in group home for youth and adults with mental health needs, suicidal ideation, behavioral issues, anger management issues and other types of cognitive impairment.

I have experience working with schizophrenia, autism, Asperger’s, Prader-Willi syndrome, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and much, much more.

I am currently a Program Supervisor in a program for young people with disabilities.

This is a good thing.

At least where I am located now it is.

Because where I am from; it is frowned upon for me to do the work I do because I used to be a resident in some of these places.

I’ve been asked if I was ‘healed enough’ to work in this field – whatever that means.

People have told me to my face that’s it’s not right for me to ‘work here’, and that I have some sort of agenda.

Well.

They’re right.

I do have an agenda.

That agenda consists of using the firsthand knowledge of experiences I have been directly involved in, to try and help children, youth and families in similar situations today.

That agenda consists of using my knowledge of ‘The System’ , to try and ensure a better lifestyle and hopefully greater outcomes for the people I serve.

That agenda consists of wearing my heart ‘on my sleeve’, to try and leave a long lasting legacy of helping people survive in this world, and system that is designed to keep them down and out.

What, what?

Did you just say ‘The System’ is designed to keep people ‘down and out’? That’s preposterous.

Is it?

I used to work with a child who was aggressive and had trouble regulating his emotions. The particular facility he was in, was on my site and this child was ‘restrained’ and placed in locked confinement numerous times a day due to escalated behaviours. I worked in a program that was for teenagers and for ones with ‘semi’ stabilized behaviours and without concerns of aggression or restraint. One day, in a discussion with my manager, I decided to take this child into my program. My hope was that with a change of scenery, and a very structured environment, this might be able to tweak this child’s mindset and get him going into a good routine, so I would be able to help perform that good therapeutic work to assist in his cognitive development.

I worked with this child for about a year.

He was eventually able to get himself in a good routine and this child was barely ever restrained or confined anymore. His cognitive development was improving (slowly), and there was clear improvement that was witnessed by all parties that included management, social workers, and parents.

Then one day, the child’s social worker calls my place of business and says ‘His agreement is up. We’re sending him home’.

Excuse me what?

Just because this child’s behavior had ‘improved’, does not mean he was ready to go home.

So I advocated for him to stay with us, because I knew in my soul he wasn’t ready to go home, and that if he did at this time, things would go drastically wrong.

I wanted this child to continue to improve so he could eventually go home – and stay home. When he was ready; and when it was the ‘right’ time.

But my advocacy fell on deaf ears, and ultimately he was sent home.

A few short weeks later, there was quite a big incident at home which left his dad assaulted, and the child homeless in the downtown core.

This could have all been prevented, if case workers listened to me.

Welcome to ‘The System’.

Social Workers, advocates, and many people alike in this field have stories such as the one I just told.

Stories of how the system fails the people it serves and the people it is supposed to keep safe.

Young people aging out, and into the new ‘independence’ program, only get a max of $1000.00 a month for rent, and $350.00 a month for groceries and toiletries.

$1000.00 a month for rent, in this economy, is only going to find you a place to stay in one of the roughest neighborhoods. Run down, crime ridden, and bed bug infested.

$350.00 a month, in this economy, is only good for a couple of weeks, and the rest of the time will land you at the food bank.

In other words, you leave the child welfare system and enter directly into poverty.

No passing go, and no collecting $200.00.

I’ve met some young people who go through traumatic circumstances when they were younger and didn’t even get put into therapy.

And then young people all over the world, who are in similar situations that I used to be in, get moved around and shuffled around for years due to a lack of training in caregivers.

I, myself, was in approx. 60 placements.

When I was 15 they said the system was broken.

I am 43 years old and they still say it.

When is somebody going to do something about it?