heritage_sarahhochschwender says... "if a parent has a child which is not meeting benchmarks, that would be a different matter."
I agree that first time parents/participants should be a priority, but regular visits by an educator may be the only way a concern is caught before it becomes an actual developmental delay. One of PAT's goals is early detection of developmental issues and early intervention to head off future problems caused by the delays. A parent might not necessarily know that a child wasn't meeting benchmarks unless a parent educator was making regular visits to monitor development, hence the importance of regular visits for all children. Certainly, experienced parents--especially those who take their children to the pediatrician for well baby and child check-ups--have a better chance of noticing if their child is not developing in an expected way. But all parents and children can benefit from PAT, whether through home visits, PACT participation or a combination of the two.
I hope Mr Nixon re-thinks his stance and finds another place to cut--perhaps starting with the MO DOR....
I'm not sure that our district puts much of its actual monetary budget towards PAT. The SJSD's contribution towards PAT was always in the form of in-kind--office space, places to hold PACT, and help with coordinating and promoting Kindergarten and Pre-school screenings.
I agree--that little guy looks like he is having a ball (so to speak!) and Eric Keith did a great job capturing that!
TheShadow says... I think that's a great idea, but why stop there? We should just put a breathalyzer on every car in the United States. Then they wouldn't start if you have been drinking.
Problem solved.....
Sheesh--don't give the gumment any more ideas for using stimulus money. :|
"pops December 31, 2009 at 7:02 a.m. (Suggest removal) Those of you who have the desire to see these people in a nice warm place....I'm assuming you WILL be opening your own homes, refrigerators and medicine cabinets....right???"
Pops--I have and I will if ever needed again, although they would find the medicine cabinet sorely lacking. You can't really stop much pain with advil and ben gay, but I'm sure that wouldn't stop the hardcores from trying.
I agree with dalearch that people have been homeless through winter for as long as there have been people. As in St. Joseph, people have been caring for the homeless just as long as there have been homeless people.
While homelessness is not a good thing, the tragedy here is much less their homelessness than the complete inadequacy of our mental health service system to help those who are homeless when they are ready to get help/treatment. An eight-month wait for an alcoholic to get into a treatment facility is ridiculous and might as well be "never." You can only "dry out" so many times before you finally say "screw it" and give up on ever trying to get and stay sober. And waiting three months for an assessment to get into a residential care facility run by the local mental health service provider is completely unacceptable.
I also agree that many won't accept help, but it doesn't mean you don't stop offering. The help needs to be available when those who are hard to reach finally ask for it. The one good thing about those who won't accept help is that they are being independent and stubborn (albeit a twisted sort of independent stubbornness but still...), two things they will need to be when they finally do ask for help.
We have good agencies in this community that are offering help to those living on the streets--Salvation Army, the YWCA, Community Missions, Catholic Charities, along with the Social Welfare Board that offers health care to those who persist in living on the streets among other services. All of these agencies are United Way agencies, but caring for people who are homeless is expensive. Each of these agencies has seen additional expense with the increase in the numbers of homeless and the level of need. They could all use your help--money is always welcome but volunteers are necessary to the running of emergency services. The old cold weather shelter that InterServ and the churches ran would never have happened without the hundreds of volunteers who set up cots, brought food, talked to the men and made sure everyone knew about the shelter every night it was open. Call one of these places and volunteer.
And for those of you who truly believe that anyone chooses to be homeless, I would say to you that when you are not mentally sound, the choice is not really a choice--you do what the illness tells you to do, including turning down offers of help and not following the rules, esp. if it means that you can't have what makes you feel better--or simply not feel at all, as the case usually is.
Tell me truly, pops, if someone cut off your leg with a butter knife then offered you a choice of sleeping at an emergency shelter with no pain medication or sleeping on the river banks in the cold with plenty of vicodin to stop the pain--which would you choose?
Neither is a good choice, but my bet is that you--as I--would opt for the vicodin for the pain even if you had to sleep in the river itself.
These people are ill or they would not be living like they do.
Unfortunately, we have lots of new people who have been forced out onto the streets across the US due to the economy. I'm sure there are no bankers living on the street but there are lots of others who have reached the end of their ropes and have taken to the streets, too. And yet, Congress did not approve a multi-billion dollar bailout for people whose mental health, physical health, housing status and family life was put in jeopardy by the economy that put them out of work. Congress chose to bail out the banks and then claim they really had no choice but to do it. That's the "choice" you ought to be outraged about.
Until society accepts that mental illness is real and not some made up nonsense and puts money and education into truly dealing with the issue of mental illness as well as the issues associated with mental illness, we will have homeless people for whom there are very few valid and effective options. That being said, until we all realize that mental illness can--and DOES--affect anyone (and I would go so far as to say it affects every one of us every day), no legislator or person in a position to push funding for mental illness will take it seriously and do what needs to be done.
Effective and ongoing treatment for mental illness is hard to come by due to the stigma attached to the disease and to the lack of education about it among medical professionals and the general public. Effective treatment requires funding but it also requires cooperation from providers of mental health services including a comprehensive and intensive approach to providing care along with a commitment to both the consumers who need care and the funding sources to produce good results, regardless of how difficult that might appear to be.
Due to lack of education about mental illness, the stigma attached to getting treatment for a mental illness, and the derth of truly effective resources for treatment, many people self-medicate with street drugs and alcohol and end up with not only the underlying illness that drove them to drugs and alcohol but with substance abuse issues on top of it. Many of the people on the streets are at this point in their cycle of illness. They drink so that they can survive--the cold, the pain of their illness and loss, the daily struggle. Until you have walked a mile in a man's shoes, you cannot possibly know what he is going through.
So to those of you who malign people who are homeless for drinking or using other substances, be glad tonight when you snuggle in your warm beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in your heads, that you don't need to drink in order to keep from seeing your best buddy blown up by a grenade during active combat. Your brother being beaten to death by your father. Your daughter being molested by someone she trusted. Or yourself, failing miserably to protect someone you cared about from some horrendous fate.
apple October 12, 2009 at 10:02 p.m. "In a nutshell - it is important to remember - It is important to understand that for some, going to McDonalds is a treat, while it is also important not to be envious of those who can afford to eat steak everynight."
johnahickman October 12, 2009 at 10:18 p.m. "It is also important to remember - Those who eat steak shouldn't look down their nose as they drive past McDonald's at those enjoying their treats."
We should also keep in mind that just because we have steak doesn't mean we should slap people with it.
"apple October 14, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. (Suggest removal) Let me be clear, there is a difference of developing a plan, and then winning an election. If you wish to win the election you simply go where you know you have the best chance to win. You solidify your yes votes, try to win undecided but you don't spend your money and time in the no areas."
If you don't spend time and money in the "no areas," you don't increase your "yes" votes and the result is the same as last time--loss by a small margin. Look at Congress.
Funding cuts impact program for parents
heritage_sarahhochschwender says...
"if a parent has a child which is not meeting benchmarks, that would be a different matter."
I agree that first time parents/participants should be a priority, but regular visits by an educator may be the only way a concern is caught before it becomes an actual developmental delay. One of PAT's goals is early detection of developmental issues and early intervention to head off future problems caused by the delays. A parent might not necessarily know that a child wasn't meeting benchmarks unless a parent educator was making regular visits to monitor development, hence the importance of regular visits for all children. Certainly, experienced parents--especially those who take their children to the pediatrician for well baby and child check-ups--have a better chance of noticing if their child is not developing in an expected way. But all parents and children can benefit from PAT, whether through home visits, PACT participation or a combination of the two.
I hope Mr Nixon re-thinks his stance and finds another place to cut--perhaps starting with the MO DOR....
February 5, 2010 at 3:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Funding cuts impact program for parents
I'm not sure that our district puts much of its actual monetary budget towards PAT. The SJSD's contribution towards PAT was always in the form of in-kind--office space, places to hold PACT, and help with coordinating and promoting Kindergarten and Pre-school screenings.
I agree--that little guy looks like he is having a ball (so to speak!) and Eric Keith did a great job capturing that!
February 5, 2010 at 3:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Accusations fly as Mardi Gras Parade canceled
TheShadow says...
I think that's a great idea, but why stop there? We should just put a breathalyzer on every car in the United States. Then they wouldn't start if you have been drinking.
Problem solved.....
Sheesh--don't give the gumment any more ideas for using stimulus money. :|
January 26, 2010 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Council gives green light to Downtown TIF
"The Jaded Palate." I think I like that. I think that might be the next new restaurant in the entertainment district. :D
January 26, 2010 at 12:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
A faithful friend is never forgotten
Nice tribute, Alonzo.
January 7, 2010 at 10:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Homeless struggle with bitter cold
"pops December 31, 2009 at 7:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Those of you who have the desire to see these people in a nice warm place....I'm assuming you WILL be opening your own homes, refrigerators and medicine cabinets....right???"
Pops--I have and I will if ever needed again, although they would find the medicine cabinet sorely lacking. You can't really stop much pain with advil and ben gay, but I'm sure that wouldn't stop the hardcores from trying.
I agree with dalearch that people have been homeless through winter for as long as there have been people. As in St. Joseph, people have been caring for the homeless just as long as there have been homeless people.
While homelessness is not a good thing, the tragedy here is much less their homelessness than the complete inadequacy of our mental health service system to help those who are homeless when they are ready to get help/treatment. An eight-month wait for an alcoholic to get into a treatment facility is ridiculous and might as well be "never." You can only "dry out" so many times before you finally say "screw it" and give up on ever trying to get and stay sober. And waiting three months for an assessment to get into a residential care facility run by the local mental health service provider is completely unacceptable.
I also agree that many won't accept help, but it doesn't mean you don't stop offering. The help needs to be available when those who are hard to reach finally ask for it. The one good thing about those who won't accept help is that they are being independent and stubborn (albeit a twisted sort of independent stubbornness but still...), two things they will need to be when they finally do ask for help.
We have good agencies in this community that are offering help to those living on the streets--Salvation Army, the YWCA, Community Missions, Catholic Charities, along with the Social Welfare Board that offers health care to those who persist in living on the streets among other services. All of these agencies are United Way agencies, but caring for people who are homeless is expensive. Each of these agencies has seen additional expense with the increase in the numbers of homeless and the level of need. They could all use your help--money is always welcome but volunteers are necessary to the running of emergency services. The old cold weather shelter that InterServ and the churches ran would never have happened without the hundreds of volunteers who set up cots, brought food, talked to the men and made sure everyone knew about the shelter every night it was open. Call one of these places and volunteer.
December 31, 2009 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Homeless struggle with bitter cold
And for those of you who truly believe that anyone chooses to be homeless, I would say to you that when you are not mentally sound, the choice is not really a choice--you do what the illness tells you to do, including turning down offers of help and not following the rules, esp. if it means that you can't have what makes you feel better--or simply not feel at all, as the case usually is.
Tell me truly, pops, if someone cut off your leg with a butter knife then offered you a choice of sleeping at an emergency shelter with no pain medication or sleeping on the river banks in the cold with plenty of vicodin to stop the pain--which would you choose?
Neither is a good choice, but my bet is that you--as I--would opt for the vicodin for the pain even if you had to sleep in the river itself.
These people are ill or they would not be living like they do.
Unfortunately, we have lots of new people who have been forced out onto the streets across the US due to the economy. I'm sure there are no bankers living on the street but there are lots of others who have reached the end of their ropes and have taken to the streets, too. And yet, Congress did not approve a multi-billion dollar bailout for people whose mental health, physical health, housing status and family life was put in jeopardy by the economy that put them out of work. Congress chose to bail out the banks and then claim they really had no choice but to do it. That's the "choice" you ought to be outraged about.
December 30, 2009 at 11:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Homeless struggle with bitter cold
Until society accepts that mental illness is real and not some made up nonsense and puts money and education into truly dealing with the issue of mental illness as well as the issues associated with mental illness, we will have homeless people for whom there are very few valid and effective options. That being said, until we all realize that mental illness can--and DOES--affect anyone (and I would go so far as to say it affects every one of us every day), no legislator or person in a position to push funding for mental illness will take it seriously and do what needs to be done.
Effective and ongoing treatment for mental illness is hard to come by due to the stigma attached to the disease and to the lack of education about it among medical professionals and the general public. Effective treatment requires funding but it also requires cooperation from providers of mental health services including a comprehensive and intensive approach to providing care along with a commitment to both the consumers who need care and the funding sources to produce good results, regardless of how difficult that might appear to be.
Due to lack of education about mental illness, the stigma attached to getting treatment for a mental illness, and the derth of truly effective resources for treatment, many people self-medicate with street drugs and alcohol and end up with not only the underlying illness that drove them to drugs and alcohol but with substance abuse issues on top of it. Many of the people on the streets are at this point in their cycle of illness. They drink so that they can survive--the cold, the pain of their illness and loss, the daily struggle. Until you have walked a mile in a man's shoes, you cannot possibly know what he is going through.
So to those of you who malign people who are homeless for drinking or using other substances, be glad tonight when you snuggle in your warm beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in your heads, that you don't need to drink in order to keep from seeing your best buddy blown up by a grenade during active combat. Your brother being beaten to death by your father. Your daughter being molested by someone she trusted. Or yourself, failing miserably to protect someone you cared about from some horrendous fate.
December 30, 2009 at 11:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Districts steer clear of sunsets
apple October 12, 2009 at 10:02 p.m. "In a nutshell - it is important to remember - It is important to understand that for some, going to McDonalds is a treat, while it is also important not to be envious of those who can afford to eat steak everynight."
johnahickman October 12, 2009 at 10:18 p.m. "It is also important to remember - Those who eat steak shouldn't look down their nose as they drive past McDonald's at those enjoying their treats."
We should also keep in mind that just because we have steak doesn't mean we should slap people with it.
October 14, 2009 at 6:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tax support plummets for St. Joseph district
"apple October 14, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me be clear, there is a difference of developing a plan, and then winning an election. If you wish to win the election you simply go where you know you have the best chance to win. You solidify your yes votes, try to win undecided but you don't spend your money and time in the no areas."
If you don't spend time and money in the "no areas," you don't increase your "yes" votes and the result is the same as last time--loss by a small margin. Look at Congress.
October 14, 2009 at 1:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )