Why do we do what we do? It is an interesting question, and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you as we begin this, the next chapter, of the MCMC program. In a few days, the details of the program extension will be worked out and a program realignment will begin to take shape. This realignment is necessary for lots of reasons, and undoubtedly it will mean yet another adjustment on the recovery effort we have been undertaking since August 30th, 2005. So, as we move forward, the question can be asked: Why do we do what we do?

I have read and heard a lot lately about baseball players who have been caught up in the steroid scandal that has swept through the sport over the last few years. A reporter stated that ball players, like all of us, can be easily seduced by the cheers of crowds. Fans want their teams to win, and players want to hear their cheers. So, as the reporter went on to say, many players will do whatever it takes for them to be able to continue to perform at a level that will ensure that fans continue to cheer and chant their names with gusto!

When is the last time you had someone cheer for you as you went about your job as a case manager? It may have been a very long time! For some, it may never have occurred. You see, in our business, we are more often going to hear jeers as opposed to cheers. And yet, we continue to serve. That is the operative word in our business: service. Ours is a profession that requires us to invest in relationships; in people. Investment in anything involves risk, but investment in people almost certainly diminishes the opportunity that we will have a great return on our investment. Many times, we lose what we invest. And yet, we continue to serve! Why?

For me, it is because I have a great sense that I have been called in my life to serve others, and to invest in something greater than my own self interest. I imagine that you also feel this sense of obligation to serve; otherwise you would have been like so many others who gave up on serving in the recovery effort so long ago. I also recognize that to serve others means that you become vulnerable to disappointment, hurt feelings, and even jeers! But every so often, I get to witness someone cheering because they have been helped. That does it for me. The indication, however small it may be, that something or someone is in a better place because of something I have had the privilege of doing, somehow keeps me moving forward.

As we move forward, know that our leadership and field management teams are cheering for you! We are your fans! We want you to use the opportunities that the MCMC program has given you to serve your clients to the best of your abilities. Do not sit idle when it seems that there are no resources. Instead, reassess the clients’ needs. Spend the time with your clients that they deserve. Invest in the relationship and assist them with planning and building their own resourcefulness. Invest in your work so that you make yourself vulnerable, because that is what service is all about. What you give of yourself to others, no one can ever take away from you. It is what we have been called to do and I encourage you to stay strong. Why do we do what we do? If not us, who else?

Blessings,

Stephen