& - Sunday, May 23, 1993 ~ North Shore News NATIVE YOUTH HOME Bureaucratic burn-out hits So-Sah-Latch Awtxw staff RICHARD BAKER, a family counsellor for the Squamish Nation, sits behind his desk in the newly constructed ado- lescent home, So-Sah-Latch Awtxw, situated on the Mis- sion Reserve next to St. Paul's Church. The facility serves native children between the suffering personal problems tional family settings. On Baker's desk are two ap- pointment books for clients, and i memo spike already loaded with thal week's telephone messages, “TD play a lot of telephone tag with my clients,” he says, ‘and they like that.” In trying to help solve a troubl- ed teenager’s difficulties, Baker tries to work as closely as possible with the child's family, identifying problem areas and setting up re- covery programs, It can be a frustrating experience, and Baker says what ‘burn-out syndrome" among the social development employees is high. The shelter employs a staff of six workers plus a supervisor who work around the clock, often put- ting in 15-hour shifts, attempting to fill a vital need, while dealing with clients who, all too often, are experts at “tworking the system,"" Baker said he may spend up to six hours of the day phoning and talking with clients, trying to get them to keep their appointments. “That's not what we're about," he added, Much of Baker's work invalves teaching basic life-skills and parenting skills to people, whe, for whatever reason, have lost control of their own lives. But be- fore these skills can be learned, he said, the clients first have to learn to change their entire outlook. ages of 12 and 19, who are or who come from dysfture- NATIVE AFFAIRS by Paul Hughes Many of them transfer a dependence on the welfare system to a dependence on the band’s social development department. Said) Baker, ‘'No one realy holds them responsible for any- thing, so you have individuals who are not capable of managing themselves, Their greatest tenden- cy is to rely on social develop. ment, then everybody has to work with that individual or else you get slapped on the hand.”’ Often several different depart. ments of social services become entwined in one family’s problems, This adds to the confu- sion, “It's not only one area,"’ said Baker. ‘I'm dealing with educa- tion, ('m dealing with the social development aspect, I’m dealing with ADP (Alcohol and Drug program) counsellors." Baker said that the need for the services of the Social Development Department has mushroomed in the past few years. The situation results in an urgency for the band to respond, even though that response may be ill-defined and the hoped-for results elusive, “You'll sure find out if you don't work with a family in the way that they (Social Develop- ment) want you to,’ said Baker. “And we're not too sure what that way is."" He added, ‘There is a lot of frustration and burn-out among the shelter’s workers trying to go ubove and beyond their own duties. It seems jike we have to deal with the cHent #1 any cost.” Baker suggested that part of the problem is ‘‘statisties chasing.”’ Funding for social programs hinges on proof of performance, although results oF such programs are difficult to gauge. “Eventually a client may walk out of the program, and then resurface, walk out again and resurface again,’' he said. ‘But with ADP programs, medical ser- vices, everybody's pushing them. They've got to have stats to keep funding these programs. “H's the same with us. We have to have oumbers to account for (lunding) the program. But if you empower clients to come at their own pace, they'll come back,”’ When asked what the solution was, Baker replied, ‘‘The answer is we wake up more of our people so they take on more responsible roies. They’ve got to stop letting other people run their lives for them,” Baker said the answer to many of the social problems facing native people exists within themselves. ‘‘One of my favorite quotes is, ‘It doesn’t matter what people think of you, it's what you think of yourself.’ That’s really the main part of recovery — believing in oneself."’ ord es CAPILANO COLLEGE Tuesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. "C" Building, Room C148 It's time to plan ahead — our two-year full-Gime Business Administration diploma programs and the four-year 8, Admin, degree program granted by the Open Learning Agency start in September. Begin your career planning now. Attend this information meeting and find out how you can become job ready for tomorrow's marketplace. Our diploma programs allow for concentration ite the following areas: ¢ Accounting/Finane til Management « Administrative Managenient + Marketing Management « Computer Systenis Minagement ¢ Merchandising Management Information will also be available on our necelerated }O-month diploma programs applicable to several of the above areas of study, starting in July 1993. Learn more about our new ind innovative programs that will help you develop your education plans ona full- or part- tine basis. Applications for enrolment in these diploma programs are now being accepted,, Call the Department of Business Adnainistration at 984-4960 and let us know you are coming to the meeting. 2055 Purcsll Way ° North Vancouver « B.C. You've been scrimping and saving all your loonycy! Now it’s about to pay off! 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