Dignity and Respect

Last night at work was very hard indeed. Some of the residents were struggling with safety issues and just could not maintain their safety. The entire shift was focused on these residents while the staff kept the program running at the same time. Nine residents did their best to maintain a positive attitude in the face of yelling and screaming and general trauma inflicting goings on. Staff once again stepped up and did their best to help those acting out with dignity and respect when those we serve were anything but dignified or respectful. Staff were hurt, staff and peers were re traumatized, it took a lot of work to deescalate the ones in behavioral crisis and also to ground those that were traumatized by the behaviors of their peers. The staff I work with continue to show creativity in how to help those not in crisis and compassion with those who are in crisis. Without compassionate co-workers this job would be a thing of the past. Building healthy working relationships with my co-workers is the only way to be able to do this job.
We, the staff, move forward after each crisis having learned a little more about those we serve yet more importantly we learn a little bit more about each other.
I am always reminded that there is a process and we have to trust that process.