New SPECs When Good Intentions are not Enough

6 May 1856, Freiberg, Moravia, Czech Republic Sigismund Freud is born Went on to develop –Psychoanalysis –Way of helping individuals Based on unconscious Based on defenses Based on detachment

Freud had good intentions….but his approach was Deficit oriented Reactive Expert driven Individualistic

Many generations of helpers Wanted to be little Freuds Studied models that reinforced - Deficit-ism - Reactive-ism - Expert-ism - Individual-ism In short: Clienthood and Patienthood

Why??? It’s easier to deal with problems if they have names (hence deficits: neurotic, crazy) It’s hard to prevent something you don’t see It gives us all a sense of self-importance to be experts It’s easier to blame people than to change social conditions (lazy, unmotivated, poor parenting, etc). We’re part of the status quo, like it or not!

Wellness Promotion TreatmentPrevention 99% 1% CONTINUUM OF SERVICES BUDGET ALLOCATION Consequences of medical model

Big wake up call!!! No mass disorder, afflicting humankind, has ever been eliminated, or brought under control, by treating the affected individual HIV/AIDS, poverty, child abuse, powerlessness are not eliminated one person at a time.

The Need for a new Model Less Deficits-based Reactive Expert-driven Individualistic More Strengths-based Primary Prevention Empowerment Community Conditions

The time and space of helping Collective Individual ReactivePreventive X

Quadrant III Examples: Crisis work, therapy, medications, symptom containment, case management Quadrant I Examples: Community development, affordable housing policy, recreational opportunities, high quality schools and health services Quadrant II Examples: Skill building, emotional literacy, fitness programs, personal improvement plans, resistance to peer pressure in drug and alcohol use Quadrant IV Examples: Food banks, shelters for homeless people, charities, prison industrial complex Collective Proactive Individual Reactive Time and Space: Individualistic and Reactive Approaches are not Enough

The feelings of the helping process Strengths Deficits Expert drivenEmpowerment X

Quadrant I Examples: Voice and choice in celebrating and building competencies, recognition of personal and collective resilience Quadrant II Examples: Voice and choice in deficit reduction approaches, participation in decisions how to treat affective disorders or physical disorders Strength Empowerment Deficit Expert driven Deficits and Expert driven approaches are not helpful!!! Quadrant III Examples: Labeling and diagnosis, “patienthood” and clienthood,” citizens in passive role Quadrant IV Examples: Just say no! You can do it! Cheerleading approaches, Make nice approaches

Moohamad Yunus: The anti-expert Strengths and Empowerment

Prevention and Changing Conditions: Women of Kerala

SPEC is about Outcomes

And about process Can’t have a good outcome without a good process Without a good process the outcomes are superficial and not sustainable

New SPECs Three-year action research project Oasis Center Bethlehem Center Martha O’Bryan Center UNHS

Principles of New SPECs Ownership by workers and community members Participation of workers and community members Home grown solutions Practice and reflection Learning and taking risks together

Goals of New SPECs Develop practices in line with SPEC Develop policies in line with SPEC Institutionalize SPEC in the life of the organization and the community

Challenges in New SPECs Too much process without outcomes Too many outcomes without a good process Institutionalize SPEC in the life of the organizations Ownership for sustainability “Power before program”

Opportunities Create in partnership a new model for health and human services Help in efficient ways millions of people who are currently suffering because the conditions are too overwhelming for them to overcome on their own Educate millions of health and human service providers on the benefits of a SPEC approach

Accomplishments to date Commitment Research Learning Perseverance Changes in various organizations Energized workforce Meaning

It’s like Venice…..

Venice’s Lesson “ The psychotherapist, social worker or social reformer, concerned only with his own clients and their grievance against society, perhaps takes a view comparable to the private citizen of Venice who concerns himself only with the safety of his own dwelling and his own ability to get about the city. But if the entire republic is slowly being submerged, individual citizens cannot afford to ignore their collective fate, because, in the end, they all drown together if nothing is done” (Badcock, 1982)

Thank you for wearing new SPECs!!