What a wonderful opportunity we had last week to come together for a time of refreshment, refocus, and renewal!  From the feedback I have received thus far, it seems that the MCMC conference was a success in all of the areas that were targeted.  I observed many of you who projected a refreshed attitude when it comes to this work and your affect made an impact on our leadership and field management staff as well.  We have not completed a review of the evaluation material, but my initial review indicated that the majority of the feedback was very positive.

It is always interesting to me to see how a similar group of people can have such differing views on what is important.  For example, I was very focused in the weeks leading up to the conference on the development of the content of the workshops.  I really wanted to be sure that the material we were going to cover was relevant, of high quality, and thoroughly prepared.  I was very pleased with the way our team put together the material, and was satisfied that the material met expectations.  Others on our team were focused on the planning and logistics of the event itself, so as to make sure that the environment for the conference was pleasing and comfortable.  They did an outstanding job in that regard as well.  I was amused, at the end of the conference, to read some of the feedback that you provided.  There were comments related to having the next event in Washington DC, Atlanta, and some other exotic locales.  Other comments included the fact that there was not enough Diet Dr. Pepper available as a beverage choice!  And someone verbally commented on the fact that my hair never moves!  (I admit it, I do have a touch of “preacher hair syndrome” that I suppose CAN be distracting!)  Again, similar people can have so many varying views of what is important.  Amazing!  However, given all the varying viewpoints, one thing was clear: useful information was exchanged and lessons were learned.  We were able to clear up misunderstandings related to reasons for case closure, hear of resources that are pending for our clients, hear from our legal experts with regard to client interactions, and review the purposes for which we have all been called into this body of work.

On my way home, I revisited some music which I had not listened to in a while. One song in particular brought back some old memories, and refreshed my own spirit with its relevant message.  It is about dreams, and the fact that they are much like a river that changes over time.  The phrase that really stands out and has the most impact on me says: “I’ll never reach my destination if I never try, so I will sail my vessel until the river runs dry.”  As I reflect on the project that we are all working to implement, I can’t help but think back to a time not so long ago when many questioned, out loud, whether or not we should even attempt to do this work.  I felt passionately that, even though we were not guaranteed success, we would not be able to accomplish anything if we did not at least try.  We have been able to accomplish so many things in our first year of operation that it is quite difficult to list them all. Believe me I have tried, even as recently as Friday, as I had the opportunity to brief some members of the MCVS board of directors.  They were instrumental in our taking on this body of work, and I am thankful that they believed that we should at least try and contribute to reaching a destination of recovery within the state.  There is another line, from the same song, with which I will close this weekly update: “There are bound to be rough waters, and I know I’ll take some falls, but with the Good Lord as my captain, I can make it through them all.”

Have a Blessed week and keep dreaming that we can complete this work.

Stephen