As Veteran’s Day approaches, I cannot help but to reflect on the tragic event which occurred at FT Hood, Texas last week. This tragedy is especially “close to home,” as my own branch of service was the Army. Most of you probably knew that already, but what you might not have known is that my MOS (military occupational specialty, or “job”) in the Army was a Behavioral Science Specialist. It was my job, working under the supervision of a Psychiatrist, Psychologist or other licensed practitioner, to provide counseling to soldiers and their families. In this position, I was charged with conducting marriage and family group counseling sessions, one-on-one counseling, training on the prevention of “battle fatigue” and other stress related disorders, neuropsychological assessment, acrophobia (fear of heights – and some very funny stories) group sessions, and a host of other mental health related tasks that afforded me a great deal of experience that I would not have gained in any other sector of society as a paraprofessional.

I worked with some very competent physicians, nurses and other professionals who operated at a very high level of performance. And, at times, there were among us, in our own units,  those who were obviously troubled and who needed a lot of care of their own. The unfortunate thing, as many of you now experience, is that many times the “caregiver” does not receive adequate or appropriate care. Sometimes, caregiver colleagues have a tendency to minimize the fact that we all need care from time to time. In fact, it is a professional responsibility for caregivers to seek supervision and “treatment” as a part of their commitment to the clients that they serve. When talking about this topic, I often use the phrase, “if you don’t take care of yourself, you will not be able to take care of anyone else.” At least you will not be able to take care of anyone else for very long.

I write this message to illustrate the importance of peer support and the need for routine supervision, both of which can go a long way to ward off burnout or other symptoms that could result in severe consequences for you and others. How do we as caregivers address this phenomenon? Consider Proverbs 27:17 which says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” The science involved with sharpening is fascinating for lots of reasons. First, in order to sharpen something, the jagged edges need to be filed away by an equally hard substance, hence the need for two pieces of iron. Second, the blunt instrument that is used to file away the jagged edges of the refined piece of metal has just as much of its own potential to become a refined instrument. The Proverb points us to the fact that we all need each other in order to achieve our potential. Successful relationships, therefore, are the ones that recognize that there is no such thing as a “50/50” arrangement. Rather, sometimes you are the one that is in need of refinement in order to be sharper, while at other times you are the one that is needed to be the blunt force that is used to “smooth the jagged edges.” Caregivers need to understand that their relationships with their colleagues are critical, and that it is up to them to “sharpen one another” so that none of us suffers alone and/or isolated. It is also important to understand that the helping profession is one for which not everyone is suited. I remember one of our very first MCMC staff meetings where I made the statement that “this work is not for everyone, and you should let me know very soon if you have any doubts as to whether or not you can perform the job for which you have been hired.” I made the statement not to be cruel in any way, but to recognize publically that this field is specialized and that we have a responsibility to determine and admit our personal limits so as to avoid doing harm to anyone with whom we are charged with serving.

I urge you all to continue to seek supervision and care as you need it, and to encourage any of your colleagues who seem to be suffering to do the same. Regardless of political or religious views, our ultimate responsibility is to provide the very best service that we can provide to our clients. In order to provide high quality disaster case management services, we must all take our own self care very seriously and appreciate the fact that, because of the nature of our work, we are at a much higher risk of suffering emotional and psychological symptoms than the average person, and that those symptoms can be very dangerous if left untreated. Let’s all vow to be sharper as individuals and as a team.

This week, please pray for all of those service men and women who were involved in the tragedy at FT Hood and those who serve around the world under very hostile and stressful environments; and be sure to thank those veterans within your own families for their selfless service and sacrifices in days gone by.  Believe me when I say that your kind words of thanks have healing properties which you may never fully appreciate. Have a great week.

Blessings,

Stephen P Carr II, MA, MFT
Program Director
Mississippi Case Management Consortium