The other day, our agency received a simple email complaint from a parent wondering why our services for his son did not achieve excellence. He was specifically concerned about the quality of activities his son was offered during the day. At the end of his note, he asked if there was anything he could do to help.
I have worked a long time in the field of developmental disabilities and I have witnessed numerous complaints on how our services are delivered but never an offer to help and rarely an idea as to how we could remedy the problem. People working with and for other people will always present problems that need solutions. Working with people is rewarding but imperfect.
At my nonprofit agency, we are hired to provide comprehensive and supportive activities that promote growth and independence for people with cognitive disabilities. It's a tough climate these days, though, being able to provide excellence with current budget and staffing constraints.
The solution may be to accept this parent's offer to help. There are resources that we may not be utilizing effectively that would be virtually free. As a parent whose daughter receives day habilitation services and group home services I recognize this tendency to want to criticize without offering help or solutions, as if it is some ethical strength to have recognized a flaw or mistake. Could the answer be as simple as all of us working together to improve services and solve problems, not just in criticizing but in taking action?
No comments:
Post a Comment