Our helping community has changed in recent times; years of funding reductions (and mental health restructuring) have created such an unstable environment. What I see here in VA in my work with non-profits is so much different than in NC. In NC there seems to be a constant state of stress and holding on that whatever life-line is left.
Life-line living certainly takes its toll on both programs and staff. I miss conversations that were about planning and dreaming of ways to meet the needs of the community and the families we serve. The message we seem to give families today is that we are simply holding on, they should be happy with the service we were able to provide and don’t expect much else…conversations about quality, morals, organizational development and simply saying “we will give you and your family a chance to be proud and gain success”, I just don’t know where those conversations are anymore.
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