There are lawyers in the behavioral health world with whom I’ve shared many an advisory committee table. My frustration for so many years is these noble yet misguided Champions of Peer Needs have held up necessary services by way of insisting everything be constitutional BEFORE helping peers. By doing so, peers continue to suffer because the life-saving services peers need RIGHT NOW are stuck in forced academic debate devoid of understanding the reality of the peer experience
If we can move so effeciently to address exactly what peers need to be healthy in less than a week, I suggest we continue this process and fast track all the other crucially needed peer services held in indeterminate limbo by people mistakenly believing they fight for peers’ primary needs. I perceive the value of these civil rights advocates is secondary at best and their role at behavioral health meetings be reduced to that of a law enforcement officer helping to direct traffic. And I hope we can build upon this positive revelation moving forward, using the four day from problem to solution model as the starting point for all future discussions of matching peer needs to offering peer services.
This is that “silver lining” within the uncertainty of pandemic. This is the long awaited opportunity for peers to get the services we demand in a timeframe that lessens our suffering quickly. This is finally prioritizing peer joy and success over the detached and established bureaucratic norm.
This pandemic sucks so I’m going to high five my pdoc Deb and count this as a win.
Why the pixelated logos? Dude, I’m taking to task a bunch of lawyers.
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