I give up

I work as a shelter worker in a high barrier shelter for a Christian organization (or shall I say corporation) and I don't think I want to continue in this line of work. I originally signed up to help people, but I feel I am more of a baby sitter working at a homeless shelter where hospitals dump their patients' with severe mental health issues. None of us are equipped to deal with psychosis and behavioral issues. I had good intentions in this field but I am too burnt out to go on.

19 Comments

Post a Comment

What kinda Christian... nvm

Mar 31, 2021 at 3:13am

The way you're supposed to deal with psychosis is by performing an exorcism and casting those demon abominations out of those poor heathens.

5 4Rating: +1

Anonymous

Mar 31, 2021 at 6:54am

Thank the neoliberal view that feels nothing about closing mental wards and dumping the occupants onto the street, where the locals can then deal with these former patients.

Someone probably then celebrates getting bigger profits for the corporation.

16 3Rating: +13

They won't...

Mar 31, 2021 at 8:52am

... get better without dietary intervention. What do they eat? Post a typical day's meals. I bet it contains very little salmon, leafy greens, etc.

I was involved in a corporation, as you call it (all churches are incorporated, individuals dont tend to issue tax reciepts, the myth of dumb religious people is false. Laity are dumb, clergy are like psychopathic executives) and we had a volunteer food program for years.

Then, as an excuse to write grants to save an employee from the end of his contract (he's so "nice!") they decided to "re-imagine" the food program as a grantwriting thing for this guy and ANOTHER GUY that they hired. TWO PEOPLE to manage a food program that used to be 100% volutneer, each earning like 60k+ a year, because, you know, they both have MASTERS DEGREES so they're worth it! Obviously it takes an MA to organized a sandwich program, it's not something I could have done in Grade 3.

They went from serving takeout salmon sandwiches most days of the week (lots of homeless guys can't sit down for a meal) to having sit down meals with no salmon, because nobody donates canned salmon and one thing the MAs do is scrounge "free food" AKA bullshit.

They have also converted it into a sitdown millieux therapy "community" experience, as though these street dudes are just not socialized to sit at table. They're literal psychopaths who have made it a condition of receiving the free food that the homeless dudes sit at a table with other homeless dudes.

So what has happened is that now we have a lot of nice ladies who happen to wear gold and jade in spite of being too poor to buy food. Funny, that, eh? Oh, and they scream RACISM! if some homeless dude even looks at them the wrong way. Even if he's Indigenous they do this, and then the priests try to lecture the indigenous man, who would have been happy to just get a salmon sandwich and book it, about "appropriate behavior."

So, in order that two useless MAs with no real skills beyond Grade 3 can continue to support their children/wives/mortgages, we totally destroyed our food program. And no more salmon, now they get a cup of rice, a salad slathered in canola oil dressing and some beans or a chicken leg. No fish so no omega3. Lots of omega6 in the canola oil dressing.

And the volunteers are now serfs for these MAs. Church is supposed to teach freedom under GOD, not under Degrees...

10 9Rating: +1

Yup

Mar 31, 2021 at 1:03pm

I work in a high barrier shelter for a “corporation” too. We are all burnt out. And the seniors that are now being dropped off is breaking my heart. We used to take care of our seniors in this province. And the entitlement in the streets is out of hand. Never used to be like this. I’m just a glorified shelter receptionist now handing out rigs all day.

15 3Rating: +12

I. Pheelyah

Mar 31, 2021 at 1:31pm

I want to say “don’t give up”... but you described the situation perfectly. Civil Servants are Private Serpents at the end of the day. What’s the opposite of give up? Take down?? We are witnessing a purge.

6 6Rating: 0

Honestly

Mar 31, 2021 at 2:12pm

Since you work for a corporation, lest you forget that corporations don’t give a shit about people. They only care about profit. Period.

16 3Rating: +13

Pippa

Mar 31, 2021 at 2:19pm

There's no real political will to help the poor/ mentally ill.They warehouse them and then pat themselves on the back.Look around,this city is a mess and this has been going on for decades.Governments help the rich get richer and leave the rest of us scrambling for crumbs.I predict it will get worse.And yes,many people working in social services are just babysitters.

52 3Rating: +49

ooshpick

Mar 31, 2021 at 6:49pm

Unfortunately, the Christian organization I volunteered for paid their staff very poorly and hired people who were Christian and had no other qualifications. This work is very demanding and requires a great deal of education to avoid burnout and not to further damage the vulnerable. This work should also be well paid because of the demand. Many of the people I worked with had experienced too much trauma and could also be traumatizing to work with without adequate skills. Too bad this work is undervalued and there aren't a wide range of support options for the families of vulnerable people and the people themselves. Best of luck...

14 4Rating: +10

Mr marc

Mar 31, 2021 at 7:48pm

Not a matter of training how to work with mentally but more lacking a complete team to do the work.

8 1Rating: +7

@Yup

Apr 1, 2021 at 12:25am

We probably work in the same shelter.

7 1Rating: +6

Join the Discussion

What's your name?