Working in community mental health provides me with opportunities to interact with clients in their home environment. Seeing my clients where they live helps me gain perspective on how their daily life affects their overall sense of well-being. As a mental health professional, I believe that the “systems” we find ourselves in have an impact on how we view the world around us. From a systems perspective, I can understand how the external environment my clients experience affects their level of stress, their basic needs, and their emotional state. In addition to understanding each client in his or her own unique system, I have found that the most important aspect of helping is the relationship. Each of us is a social creature, and we need connection with others. For my clients who are chronically and persistently mentally ill, being calm, consistent, and somewhat transparent has been therapeutically valuable. By approaching each relationship from a non-judgmental perspective, I give my clients the opportunity to teach me how to best help them. In order for a person to take risks towards change, there must be a firm foundation (i.e., relationship) on which to land. One of the most important lessons I've learned from working in community mental health is that I cannot expect people to change or grow at a rate or in the way I would like for them to change or grow. Learning how to keep my own values in check has allowed me to become a better helper. I constantly strive to understand each client in his or her system, and provide a solid place in which risk-taking can occur. However, I cannot take risks for my clients; I can only support their growth.
Take a moment to review the list of scenarios from Chapter 6 that appear under the "Values and Helping" section of the chapter. In my text, it is on page 175, but may be on a different page in your text. It begins with " A man with religious beliefs that cause him to refuse treatment...." Read through this list and honestly assess if you would have difficulty with any of these clients based on your own value system. If so, please feel free to share with the class. Self-awareness is an important part of human services, and in being self-aware, it's important to be honest with yourself about which clients and values you might struggle with. How can you counteract the difficulty you might experience with certain clients?