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RPC home > Message from the Superintendent (May 25, 2006)

Riverview Psychiatric Center

Message from the Superintendent (May 25, 2006)

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." - Albert Schweitzer

I am sending this out one day early since I will not be here tomorrow.

I was mentioning to the staff that attended the monthly all staff Town Hall Meeting Wednesday, that I received an email from a staff member who did not find these weekly updates helpful or informative and didn't want the extra email. I was a little surprised in that I greatly value open communication with all staff at all levels, and believe that this type of dialogue is a hallmark for a healthy organization. I hope you agree. I will continue to be open, communicative, and provide you with information on a regular basis that I think you will find helpful. I hope that more people will try to attend the Town Hall Meetings. If you have suggestion on how to increase participation, please let me know.

After this week’s meeting, a staff member approached me with a couple of questions about recovery and consequences. They were great, thoughtful questions. I wish we could have discussed them as a group in the meeting. That is where a lot of value can be shared. The question about client consequences, or lack of them, is one he believed many staff wrestle with. Let me offer what I can on this subject.

As part of a therapeutic relationship we, as care providers, generally should not protect a client from the natural consequences of their behavior. In community care settings this is much easier to implement. This is an example that happened to me. A client asks me to call their landlord and tell him that the client has a mental illness and ask that he not call the police to report the client breaking the windows of his apartment. I would say "No, but I will help you come up with a plan to address your landlord, or the police, or the judge."

In the hospital sometimes it is a little harder to define the natural consequences. This can be frustrating to staff. This frustration, along with good intentions, sometimes leads to the development of artificial consequences. Natural consequences at Riverview generally relate to clinical assessments based on displayed behavior and effects on trusting relationships. Any time a "sentence" is imposed, (overly simple example) like if you swear your next smoke break is held, it is artificial and inappropriate. It is counter productive, likely to be interpreted as controlling and punitive, and interfere with therapeutic influence of the staff. But on the other hand, saying the following is appropriate: "Hearing you yell and threaten is frightening. People assess that as dangerous behavior and your doctor has stated we need 24 hours of safe behavior to be able to restore your level. How can I help you demonstrate safe behavior?" The latter of these two examples highlights that the behavior led to an assessment and can't be taken away because it happened and we have to deal with it. Also it maintains the service relationship by defining the conditions and affirming the desire to help. I hope we get more opportunities to talk about this issue.

I want to thank all the staff who contributed time, talent or treasures for the NAMI Walk a couple of weeks ago. The weather was "horizontal rain, 30 mph winds and 40 degree temperatures," but there were staff and clients from Riverview who showed up, and some who actualy walked in these conditions. We raised, as an organization, $2,150.00 and received a big thank-you from NAMI-Me. They have asked to come over here and thank us in person and we are arranging that now. It is the kind of thing that doesn't make the papers, but speaks volumes for the character of this organization. Again, thanks.

This morning the PSDs and I spoke on the value of maintaining a "Service Orientation", in all we do. Reminding us that there is great and significant value in being a service provider. I find myself at times in great admiration for those of you who seem to really enjoy being a service provider. I feel great pride whenever I see a MHW, Nurse, House Keeper, Administrative Assistant express great pride in serving others. I was telling Dr. Daskivich that I heard an interview with the musician Carlos Santana. In this interview he was asked what would he be doing if he couldn't play the guitar? He paused and then stated, "I think I would have been a doctor or maybe a waiter. Either way I know I would be serving others". He went on to talk about how he viewed creating music as serving others and that is were he found the greatest value. Everyone here at Riverview is in a serving others role. I hope each of you take pride in that fact.

The upcoming weekend is Memorial Day weekend, a time for reflection and celebration of our work and of our families and friends who support us in our work. It is also a time for a lot of holiday traffic. In the past week, here in Maine, 6 people have died in highway traffic accidents; one of those people was a 15 year old son of one of our Mental Health Workers and Grandson of one of our Housekeeping staff. This tragedy leads to the request I have of all of you, be safe this weekend, every weekend, and help others to be safe as well. This is a weekend for rest and enjoyment.

As always, thanks for your hard work

David Proffitt
Superintendent