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Tag: #professionalism

  • The Cost of Providing Services

    Thinking back to my younger years in human services a common refrain was “no matter the cost, if we only helped one person, it was worth it.”

    Fast forwarding to recent times, I have not heard anyone say this.   Times are tough, budgets are tight, funding levels decease…if they exist at all.   Human services has become much more business orientated and goal driven.   At the same time, money has changed the field forever.   Salaries have increased, we follow medical models, yet clients are being served at lower rates than ever before.   Agencies are saying yes to almost anything in hopes of staying afloat.

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  • How Did I Get Here?

    Students frequently ask how I ended up in the field of human services.  Many expect a grand plan or lifelong dream to be shared.   Neither is true in my case.

    I was given a great opportunity when very young (19 years old to be exact) to be involved in a new human services program providing for the needs of citizens within the same town as my college.   The assignment was scheduled to be only two weeks with the duty of providing technology assistance to the newly hired staff.   I can still remember the interview for that two week job as if it was yesterday. Unknowingly those two weeks turned into over seven years of experience. Simply put, Jamie was in the right place at the right time.

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  • Missing the Target – FAQ

    Missing the Target – FAQ

    A version of this post was originally posted on Oct 17, 2012.

    The preceding post is accessible via this link.

    During the academic year, students frequently inquire about the “Missing the Target” post, which I incorporate into an Introduction to Human Services course. The actual post can be accessed here. This narrative has been an integral part of the course for over eight years.

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  • Greene’s Rules for Do-Gooders

    As published in “A Practical Approach to Therapy with the Chemically Dependent Person” by Al Greene, ACSW, Appalachian State University and Gene Saussure, Ph.D, About Recovery Incorporated, Wellspring Chemical Dependency Treatment Center.  Publication Date Unknown1.

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  • An Introduction to the Field of Substance Use and Addiction

    An Introduction to the Field of Substance Use and Addiction

    My introduction to the field of substance use and addiction was an accidental one. Despite nearly three decades of involvement, I find myself still in this field. While some circumstances align, others do not, but in this case, the confusion surrounding addiction and its impact on our population has remained with me. I will delve deeper into this topic in subsequent posts.

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