This morning I was chatting with a friend who runs an excellent youth program and she was sharing that they were looking at a new building for their program today.  This is the second time since the recession has started that this program is looking at expanding.  I, personally, find that incredible.  The program is a rare one, focusing on urban youth in foster and relative care, and producing incredible results.  Over 95% of the youth in their program graduate from high school!  They have a situation in which two extremely caring, competent and dynamic people have built a program, hired and trained good staff, and worked very hard for years to serve the youth in their community.  The program is individualized, and uses group activities where they contribute to their goals.

Contrast this with discussions I had yesterday about a friend's attempt to get services at a local mental health agency.  My friend has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, which means that group therapy isn't the best choice, as groups overwhelm her.  However, the agency staff said they offer groups because that is what they can afford to offer and it helps 95% of the clients they have.  The truth is, the agency offers groups to people several diagnoses which groups don't help because the recession has led to budget cuts and they are making decisions which aren't based on the needs of those walking through their doors.  The irony to me is that they are part of a Systems of Care process.  I also heard that our state Medicaid office has decided not to cover Asperger's for services even though they are required to do so under the January standards for equal treatment for mental health.  

As I thought about it this morning, it reminded me that systems don't care, but people do.  Where large bureaucracies become reactive to recessions and mandated budget cuts people who need caring relationships with providers get told, "tough luck".  For the mental health center I suggest they remember to "do no harm", and putting autistic people in groups can be harmful.  

For the rest of us, we are facing major challenges in the recession, including proposed health care overhaul.  Do we want to be like my proactive friends who keep caring, keep pushing and find a way to succeed as a culture.  Or do we want to give up, blame the recession and say we can't afford to care for our neighbors?