Welcome students in the class,
Just a note, we expect lots of post this week, as this is the last week before the midterms and remember that at it is a course requirement to have 1 post and 1 response before the midterm!
Sorry about the Skipping of Week 6, certain activities prevented us from having Suitcase Class that week.
In the Week 7- Suitcase Class Blog- Clinic, please post all of your clinic related blog posts in this section.
By “Clinic” Blog, we mean Any topics relating to Suitcase, your perspectives on homelessness, any in-class topics that have been discussed, or other similarly themed subjects related to Clinic. For example, your blog post could be about a story related to a clients experience with the clinic, a dinner that you recently served at clinic, or your interactions with clients, caseworkers, or service providers.
Although your thoughts may not be clinic related, please post a response that is related to homelessness, healthcare, the Suitcase Clinic, or any of the issues or topics related to these.
Please Enter your Blog Posts as a Comment to this main Post,”Week 7- Suitcase Class Blog- Clinic”
Here are Directions on how to Post your Reply and Comments to this Blog:
- Go to www.suitcaseclinic.org/blog
- Once on the blog portion of the website, please view posts Labeled: “Week XX: Suitcase Class Blog-Clinic” or “Week XX: Suitcase Class Blog-Non-Clinic”
- Each Week’s Posts will be Categorized into Clinic related experiences or non-clinic related posts.
- Scroll to the bottom of the post, and your blog post will be a “Reply” to the Main post, and as identifiers for us please include your email, and at the end of your post write in your first name and Reading group UGSIs initials, For Example: “John-FR” if you are in Fletcher and Rebecca’s Reading Group.
- Your Reply to a Post from a Peer can be done by looking at the comments for the main post and clicking “Reply” to a post from a peer and then writing in your Response to another Students Post.
- Your Blog Posts and Replies must be “approved” by the Site Administrator, so please do not be alarmed if they do not appear on the website immediately, and be sure to proofread before finalizing your blog post.
- For any questions, please email suitcaseclass@gmail.com
- For a response post please write a minimum 300 word post, and for a reply to a response please write a minimum 150 words.
Despite our best intentions, we must agree that most of us entered into the clinic for the first time with certain expectations as to who the clients are and how they will behave. Though we hesitate to acknowledge these considerations as stereotyping practices and perhaps even brush them off as simple anxiety to a new environment, I find it helpful and even necessary to ruminate on how these preconceived notions came into existence, and how they may be ruptured or reproduced in the clinic.
I, for one, clearly remember my experience when I first shadowed at the General Clinic. As I entered the premises that one rainy Tuesday night a few weeks ago, I was quickly overwhelmed by a musky odor that I could not avoid, and I began to visualize the chaos to which I would bear witness. Perhaps there would be rudeness, violence, and banality—granted that these characterizations are frequently applicable to society as a whole, to inject some cynicism. In an attempt to regain my bearings in the barrage of unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells that bombarded me, I located the only volunteer coordinator available that night and agreed to help with the haircutting section for whatever reason.
Most of the clients I was able to serve, however, quickly put me at ease. Aside from their general easygoing attitude, they thanked me repeatedly for being there for them and were very encouraging when it came to my haircutting endeavors. We shared many conversations ranging in topic from general routines to common interests and chatted as if we had been close friends for a long time. It was exactly because of those moments that I began to reflect on their marginalization and underrepresentation in the society, mechanisms that made them vulnerable to grossly unfaithful portrayals through which long-established exclusionary practices are constantly being reinforced.
Nevertheless, one incident affected me profoundly—one that might seem trivial to experienced volunteers but impacted a new volunteer like me a great deal. While I was helping an African-American client, another patron, white and apparently homeless, approached us slowly and began to whisper. Out of his mouth rushed a series of blatantly racist insults—“you’re evolutionarily inferior to us” and “you’re closer to apes than humans,” to name a couple—things that I had only read in books from the last century. I was at a loss for words. On one hand, I feared that my client would be provoked into violence, but on the other, I also felt an inexplicable anger surging inside me. What gave him the right to say something senseless as this? Before this went further, though, my client and I asked him to refrain from making these comments and leave us in peace. I could see my client visibly agitated and slightly shaking.
In retrospect, I feel compelled to conclude (almost as a cliché) that the many clients that I met in the clinic were all unique in their own right—some were polite, others rude; some gregarious, others laconic; some jovial, others melancholic—and it would be impractical to lump them all into some grand category and ascribe to them arbitrary traits. That is precisely what we do in real life, though, is it not? So why do we have these seemingly illogical boundary practices that survived through decades of debate and evaluation? What functions do they serve in the society? These are all open questions.
Mark – JV
This is a perfect example of deescalation Mark! I remember you describing this to us in our reading group. I cannot believe how well you handled the situation as a first time shadower and new member to suitcase. Round of applause once again! In response to your questions, however, I feel that it is impractical to lump homeless and low-income people into one single category of being the same. I think many times we take the most troubled and complicated cases and place an entire population into that group and classify them as being identical. However, if there is anything that I have learned from shadowing and participating in wellness projects at clinic, it is that I have gained a new positive perspective of who homeless and low-income people are inside of clinic as well as outside when I see them in their daily lives. They are in no way, shape, or form the same.
I find your post pretty awesome, but I’m really interested in the (rhetorical?) questions you posed at the end.
Given the attitude of near brutal individualism in our culture, it’s a lot easier to blame homelessness in an innate quality the homeless person possesses. Perhaps they are lazy, they don’t want to work, they’re druggies or crack whores, or better yet, they allow themselves to be in that situation because they didn’t work hard enough. It’s easier to attribute homelessness as an undesirable, and most importantly, avoidable quality. IF they weren’t lazy, IF they had the ambition to work, IF they were drug abusers, IF they didn’t allow themselves to end up like that, then they wouldn’t be homeless. It’s easier to shift the blame into something that is avoidable rather than acknowledging that homelessness, in some cases, is inevitable, and in no way the fault of the person. And I think in doing that, people who do stereotype and “lump” homeless people into one
grand category” are themselves afraid of the possibility that they too can be homeless. After all, it’s much easier being indifferent and not caring towards someone completely unlike you, than being indifferent and uncaring about someone that you COULD be.
There was a line in this book I read some time ago that really stuck out to me. “The chilling truth is that his story could have been mine. The tragedy is that my story could have been his.” In ignoring the similarities, many people choose instead to prey on the differences, to distance themselves so far away from homeless people and dehumanize them that in a way, they are protecting themselves from suffering a similar situation. The sad part is, that’s not the case at all.
Sorry if this seems a little far-fetched. I’m studying for my class on self-deception and it’s really making my mind a mess.
-Teresa, VJ
Do not worry too much about being “far-fetched,” Teresa. The questions at the end of my post were meant to facilitate discussion, since discourse about these subjects in and of itself might suffice to effect for future change. Without sounding too philosophical about the reason for which the homeless are depersonalized, I would like to note that in many ways, it is simply easier on the observer’s conscience to resort to what modern anthropologist Oscar Lewis dubs the “culture of poverty” hypothesis:
“The people in the culture of poverty have a strong feeling of marginality, of helplessness, of dependency, of not belonging. They are like aliens in their own country, convinced that the existing institutions do not serve their interests and needs. Along with this feeling of powerlessness is a widespread feeling of inferiority, of personal unworthiness. […] People with a culture of poverty have very little sense of history. They are a marginal people who know only their own troubles, their own local conditions, their own neighborhood, their own way of life. Usually, they have neither the knowledge, the vision, nor the ideology to see the similarities between their problems and those of others like themselves elsewhere in the world. In other words, they are not class conscious, although they are very sensitive indeed to status distinctions” (Lewis 1998).
While much of this may sound accurate, Lewis also hints at that poverty alters the value system of the poor, often summarized by broad statements such as “the poor don’t value work as much as others do, and their children are taught this and therefore stay poor.” It is convenient for those in a “better” position, who are more affluent, to hold this belief for two reasons: 1) they reside in an ideologically superior position as compared to the poor, and 2) they are no longer responsible for the fate of the poor. Both of these contribute to the marginalization of the poor, the distinction between “us” and “them.”
P.S.: For whoever is word-counting my response, the block quote is not considered in the 150-word limit.
– Mark, VJ
Mark,
The scenario you just described is something that I have been both afraid of and curious about since I began shadowing at the clinic a couple of weeks ago. It is impressive how well both you and your client were able to handle yourselves in the face of such an unpleasant shock. It is very important for us, as caseworkers, to remain calm and levelheaded in such situations so a delicate situation so it does go any further. With that in mind, I think you did a great job of deescalating what could have been an even worse situation. I also found it equally impressive by how your client reacted. I always took it for granted that such provocations would definitely result in violence, but your client managed to take the high road and control his anger. From all aspects, I feel like this situation was handled very well and could serve as a model for a lot of the new volunteers who may be faced with similar situations.
I also want to acknowledge your open-ended questions, which I think everyone should ask himself or herself. I personally feel that these boundaries still exist because they were so ingrained in society in the past. As time goes on, these boundaries have slowly been broken down as people begin to realize how archaic they really are. However, as we all saw from your anecdote, remnants of it still exist, and we can only do our part in making sure that it does not get any worse.
Krishna, VJ
Mark,
To offer my perspective to your open-ended question, I would say that they are a product of self- and/or group-identification and social inequity. Of course not all individuals use their personal classifications as discriminatory weapons like the person you encountered did.
I definitely agree with your point that all clients are unique, and their uniqueness should be welcomed and respected. However, individuals still do feel a need to belong. Humans, being social animals, have a natural tendency to aggregate. I believe (based on the material I’ve been exposed to at Berkeley) that the realization of economic inequalities (i.e. resource differentials) during the period when humans established hunting/gathering communities was one of several sources that spawned social differentiation. In my example, those with more resources were “better” than those with fewer. I would only assume that this differentiation evolved, incorporating superficial differences in the process.
I do commend society for its effort to break these socially constructed differences, however. For something that was (unfortunately) ingrained into humanity for so long, the progress we (humans) have made is notable. While there are individuals that oppose the cause against prejudice/discrimination, there are many more that support it.
Eric-JV
Wow! I love your eloquent writing style and I can’t agree with you more. Stereotypes persist in our society. It’s as if human nature requires for us to categorize everything and everyone we encounter in order to make sense of our complicated world. Unfortunately, this does lead to the negative stereotyping such as that you encountered. When I lived in Florida where there are not as many Asian people, I faced a ton of discrimination and people were constantly trying to highlight my differences. It made me question this practice and I’ve come to realize, through my studies and experience, that the differences of others help some people cope with their own insecurities or problems. These stereotypes can impact us in detrimental ways if we start to believe them. For your friend at clinic for instance, if he continued to hear things told to him such as those insults whispered which you heard, he may begin to internalize those them. I believe it is important that we are aware of these social practices and do our best to think about our thoughts so that we do not place negative stereotypes up others. Also, I thought it was great that you spoke up for your friend.
Stereo typing is indeed a huge issue in our society here today. There are so many angles to approach this topic. I like how you approached the situation you happened to come across while shadowing at the suitcase clinic. I myself have experienced stereotyping. Based on the school I come from, the majority of Hispanic teenagers either end up dropping out of school or not continuing on to higher education. Whenever I would mention I went to the school I go to, , or even when I would mention the city I live in where there is so much crime and hate, people immediately would associate me with riots or a person who does not care about her education. is especially hard when you are the first in the family to go to college. I felt I needed to prove that stereotype wrong. Since this stereotype exists, it is harder for kids to get out of it. This Stereotyping is always going to exist and well the best thing to do is educating people about it and what harm it can do. Vanessa FR
This might seem unrelated, but I was playing around with NetLogo for an Education Class (Net logo is an education tool software) and there was a bunch of social science models. One of them was about segregation, and we could see how different colored spots in a screen segregate and group with those similar to them and also change how each spot works so that they could be more or less segregated. I liked that you pointed out that we have “seemingly illogical boundary practices” that are so present in society, even though we feel like these boundaries are wrong.
In dealing with homelessness, I often find myself thinking that every homeless individual is somehow similar and that they were all in one “grand category” like you said. I think that so many of us see the world this way because that is how we stay comfortable. We are inclined to group with those who are similar to us. And if we go to Berkeley we probably had a house and went to school and did our homework, so being homeless isn’t something we naturally relate to.
I’m glad that you pointed out the uniqueness of each client, (as cliche as you and I think it may be) because it’s so true. Nobody is like anybody else.
Your open-ended questions are ones that probably wont be resolved, but I am glad that your post communicates them so that we can all be aware, and see the need to break out of these “lumps” and embrace people for just being themselves.
I hope my reply isn’t too irrelevant or general (in addition to being 30 minutes before the MCAT! heh..)
Stacy- FR
For our first transition of small groups, I was in the wellness small group. For our last wellness project together, we did tie-dye at youth clinic. We bought 18 brand new white t-shirts to dye, and a few of the clients seemed more concerned that we were ruining the nice new shirts. Many would ask us if they could just have a plain white shirt because they didn’t want to tie-dye a shirt, and we would respond that they could have one at the end to assure that we would have enough shirts for those that wanted to participate in the activity. Because of this, I noticed one man pretend like he wanted to participate in our wellness project and started to roll up his shirt in preparation of the dying process. After, when much of the group seemed occupied with setup (yes, we were a tad unprepared for the long process of tie-dying) of all the materials, he sneakily slipped the white tee into his messenger bag. About 5 minutes later, he came back and asked for another shirt to dye. He did the same thing and rolled his shirt up in the same way, but this time he was actually convinced to participate in the activity and soaked his shirt in the “soda water”. I found this very interesting that there was a lack of interest on his part to even ask us to just have a plain white shirt, which we did end up doing at the end for the few shirts that were left. Rather, he chose to take a different route and sneakily take the shirt. I feel like this is related to the fact that many homeless and low-income people feel they have to do these things to get by not only in clinic but possibly for other necessities. I also feel this has to do with a lack of trust with caseworkers, as I noticed the guy kind of looked at me like I was crazy giving off a vibe that he was going to do it anyways. I wish more than anything that this blockade can be broken and clients like this can feel like they can ask for things and be provided with those things without having to steal. After all, we’re at clinic to help them.
Nicole,
I thought you were being a bit defensive of the t-shirts! 🙂 I also wish that our clients would trust us enough to ask for a t-shirt. I think that they typically understand the procedure at clinics or any service provider–there is a limited amount of supplies. This realization can lead to the possibility of rejection if they were to ask for a free t-shirt. Overall though, the clients used the t-shirts to participate in the wellness project and I felt that it was a great success. A lot of the clients I spoke to had prior experience tie-dying shirts and one client even told me he used to sell them! The t-shirts turned out really great and I almost felt like the clients were showing us volunteers how to do it. I really enjoyed this project because of the interaction and exchange of ideas and experiences between the client and the volunteer. We were able to facilitate a project while they were giving us advice on how to make swirls and yes, even tie-dye a pair of briefs! Although there was some distrust with the clients who took the t-shirts without tie-dying them, I felt that most of the clients that we interacted with benefited some way with our project. Anyways good job coordinating the event, “Fluctuations” Maria and “Smurf Strangler” Fletcher!
Thomas, MD
Wow. I didn’t even know that the wellness group even did that! It sounded really cool and it’s definitely a fun way to interact with our clients at clinic. The incident you mentioned about the man taking a t-shirt away does seem a little strange and interesting to me as well. But I do think I agree with Thomas in the aspect that all of the clinics do have a small amount of supplies, so many clients do feel that pressure that they might be unable to get something. Being part of the Dinners small group in the first rotation, I saw that a few times with the clients at General Clinic. I definitely agree with you when you mentioned that we should try to break down the barrier between clients and caseworkers. I think that our clients’ situations sometimes force them to be more cautious and less trustworthy of people. I believe a way we can start building that trust with clients is to do more of these types of projects at clinics so that we can have fun interactions with them and get to know them better. This might allow them to open up to us more and allow clients to feel more comfortable with being in clinic.
Esther- MC
As a member of the wellness small group during the last rotation, I was also at the T-shirt tie-dying at Youth Clinic last Monday. I remember that I originally wanted to lay out all the white T-shirts in piles that would be more accessible to the all clients, until Nicole discretely informed me that it may not be a good idea because one client had already put a plain white T-shirt in his bag without asking one of us and then came back for another T-shirt to tie-dye.
At first, it made me sad that people may have been trying to take advantage of the supplies from our wellness project, but after I thought about it more, as Suitcase Clinic volunteers, we were still providing him with a service, even if it was not the one that we intended on giving. Wellness and Suitcase Clinic in general aims to empower the homeless and low-income community, but sometimes, clients simply need supplies.
However, I did notice that that particular client seemed to be enjoying his T-shirt tie-dying experience. (And his shirt turned out awesome, by the way.) It was nice to see him smiling and having a good time. And many of the clients seemed to enjoy the project. (One person made tie-dye underwear.) Then I started thinking about why tie-dying was so therapeutic. With all the colors and design choices, maybe it is because it makes you feel like you’re in control — you have the power to personalize your own shirt. Then I thought that perhaps members of the low-income or homeless communities do not often have the luxury of having so many options or opportunities to create things for fun. Like Nicole mentioned, maybe some of the homeless population is worrying about obtaining the necessities, like clothing or food. I would imagine that it was nice to have a creative escape/retreat from worrying about your day. (It was for me, at least. I had a lot of fun with my small group and UGSIs.) After talking to the Youth Clinic Wellness coordinator Sirena, it is generally harder to plan wellness projects for Youth Clinic (vs. Women’s) because the clients are such a mobile community and it is hard to engage them, however we should still keep trying, even if it’s not the best turn out. At least one person will probably get something out of the project. And I would really like to see a wellness activity at General Clinic! This experience made me appreciate wellness projects even more, for everyone.
(Yay for wellness, Maria, and Fletcher!)
Tracy-MC
Hi Tracy,
I can totally relate to the sensation of seeing clients enjoy a service that you helped provide and also went through a similar thought process as to why it was therapeutic. During my first night shadowing at General Clinic I had reluctantly chosen to go to the foot washing station. Of course, I had heard the general gist of it and was slightly grossed out at first. It is a service that allows clients to relax and, as you said, “escape/retreat” from their daily worries. After seeing my first client smile and continuously thank me throughout the process, I felt more motivated to make each encounter with a client more personalized in developing a rapport with them. Ironically, I began to feel that even though I was washing and massaging clients feet, the conversations that I had with them were therapeutic to me. I left General Clinic feeling less stressed than when I had initially entered, allowing me to appreciate the extent to which the Suitcase Clinic helps individuals maintain some kind of well-being.
-Jonathan, TH
During one of the first wellness projects at Youth Clinic we did origami with the clients. Although, participation was not as high as we had hoped, some clients did try some projects with us. As it was my first time in Youth Clinic, I was quite surprised that dinner was provided every Monday night. This was my first experience having dinner with a client. I proceeded to get my dinner and sat down next to this young man that was busy packing up extra food for his friends or just himself. When he settled down and began eating I tried to begin some small talk with him and conversed about the weather. It was really awkward. I felt like I had nothing in common to talk to him about. At this point I was ready to just give up and find another client to talk to. Noticing that no one else was around me but other volunteers, I turned back to the young man and tried our conversation again.
The second time around was a lot better. I asked him how his week had been and what is favorite wellness project was. This question really got him interested. He explained that the talent show was one of his favorite projects because he was in it! He sang with another volunteer and really loved it. Then he began to talk to me about how he performed at a wedding out of state and really enjoyed that. For me, talking about music was so relatable! My interest in music made me feel comfortable talking to the client and I felt connected to him. Soon enough, he was whipping out his cell phone showing me all the songs he covered and posted on Youtube. This was a really funny experience because I love searching Youtube for some good covers myself! The client was really good and singing and playing the piano and I was really impressed by his talent. My conversation lasted with him until closing time and I was trying to find a nice way of saying goodbye. All of a sudden, he tells me that he doesn’t know what his plans are tonight and asked if I was free to hang out after suitcase. Awkwardness overcame me. I really was lost for words. On one hand, I really enjoyed talking to him and listening to his music, but I was just not comfortable spending time with someone I just met. I felt like a horrible person as I told him I had homework and other plans for that night. Although by now we have gone over the topic of personal boundaries, I still can’t help but think how lonely he must have felt after our wonderful conversation and relationship was abruptly ended by my fear of the unknown.
Thomas-DM
Hey Thomas,
I’m really glad that you got to relate with your client through music; I had a really similar experience yesterday at General. I was washing the feet of a client and trying to initiate a conversation with him when, luckily, he started talking about his role as a sound production engineer in a upcoming music video and he promised to come back next week to show the final product. Our talk quickly dived into jazz, rock, Berkeley history, and his course at a college close by. Thomas, I hope you can continue that friendship with your client and, if you don’t feel comfortable hanging out with him by yourself, you can always bring along other friends who have a keen interest in music. Your post got me thinking: would it be possible to have music sessions with clients and, possibly, have them collaborate together on a song or two? Such sessions could be a great platform for clients to express themselves and feel a sense of accomplishment!
Hey Thomas,
Your comment also had me wondering about how I might pursue relationships with clients outside of clinic. Although I wasn’t in your situation I can understand how you felt awkward by saying no to the client after they asked you to hang out. I think that your decision was best for you at the time and maybe you might change your mind if you start to build your relationship with that client. Otherwise I think that you and Nathan have some good brainstorming and a possible idea to involve clients in some type of music activity. It seems like you all have a mutual interest in music and I think it is a great way to bring together a group of people. I think it would be a great opportunity for clients to showcase their talents and for the clients and volunteers to teach other people like me more about music.
Why is it that we are so much more on alert around our clients than with normal people who we meet who are not stigmatized by the label of being homeless. I amm not trying to attack you but I can’t help but wonder if that was why you did not hang out with him afterwards. But besides that, I am very glad that you found common ground with him, a skill that I would love to be able to learn.
Hong-JC
Thomas,
I understand what you mean when you say you enjoyed spending time with the client but felt uncomfortable seeing him afterward. Although I haven’t been in that position before, I’ve often thought about what I would do if I was presented with a similar situation. I guess what stops me is the fact that they’re homeless. Not that I judge because of their homelessness, I’m just unsure of how to be sensitive to their homelessness while treating them normally. I would have to avoid activities that cost money, I don’t feel like I have the ability to bring them to my dorm to hang out, and if I did spend a significant amount of time with them outside of clinic, I worry that the question of providing a place for them to sleep will come up. Ultimately what would stop me from hanging out with a client outside of clinic is fear of a friendship or situation I have never been in before, like you mentioned. It sounds horrible, but it’s honest. As much as I would love to feel entirely comfortable in the situation, I don’t have any experiences to draw on to know how to interact.
-Nadia – JV
Thomas,
I have only volunteered at the General clinic twice and as you may know it is very chaotic and well structured which is what I thought I would only enjoy; however, after reading about the Youth Clinic, it interests me to go and volunteer there with the intention of hoping to get know a client better as you experienced. Initially I can relate in how you were hesitant to begin to talk to a client as I, too, feel that I may have nothing relatable to talk about. I am glad to know that this man was very personable, positive and up to date with things like you tube, music artists, and obtained the skills to play/read music. I feel within these general interests it allows one to escape from everyday worries or unintentionally come across new ideas with the hope to give their lives new inspirations.
Hi Thomas,
Your situation is one that I’ve been thinking about a lot ever since we had that lecture on personal boundaries a few weeks ago. I really like that you were firm in asserting your boundaries, but I often think, “When we do this, what kind of message does it send to the clients?” Do they think that we’re prejudicing them and don’t want to hang out with them because they are homeless? Would they figure that we are just forcing ourselves to talk to them just because we want to pass the class? And if we tell them that we might be able to hang out if we get to know each other more, does that imply an obligation to follow up on such a proposal? Because if the client actually really tries hard to get to know you, then wouldn’t it follow that you allow them to hang out with you even if you didn’t exactly feel the same way about them? Otherwise what you said would lose its meaning, and that might hurt the client. But I guess a situation like this is just something that requires practice and experience to deal with.
-Elise, JC
Hey Thomas,
I am such an awkward conversation starter too! But it’s so awesome that you took the initiative to try again and that it turned out much better. And I love that music was a connection that you guys got to share.
I had a similar experience with someone asking to hang out after clinic, and it was easier for me to turn it down simply because I really was super busy after clinic. I think that its hard to set our own boundaries at first because we want to be as warm and open as possible. Especially since we are so new at all of this. But I’m beginning to learn that my own boundaries are valid and important. I think it’s a real learning process to figure out what your boundaries are and how you communicate them to other people.
All of the times I have been to General Clinic thus far, whether it be with the Dinners small group serving food to genuinely thankful people, or shadowing caseworkers through footwashing or medical, I have been so pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoy spending time with clients.
The first day I came to General with the Dinners small group, however, I too shared Mark’s initial reactions to the clinic. It seemed chaotic and loud, and with people crowding around our food tables, I felt a little bit of anxiety, wondering what I had gotten myself into. Yet after a few minutes of serving, I was immediately put at ease. Many people were incredibly polite, thanking us profusely for dinner and giving us warm smiles afterwards. I specifically remember what one guy wrote on the back of the dinner feedback form after food was served (he was only one of two people to fill one out, whoops): “Although some people might act ungrateful about getting food, its not that they don’t appreciate it, but they just have a lot of stuff that they are dealing with. We all thank you” (not the exact words but something like that). It really struck me, mostly because it made so much sense and I had never realized it before. When we see people living on the streets, we often label them in certain ways. I had never thought about the issues that they could be dealing with, things like drug addiction, housing eviction, or past abuse. This one man’s comment reminded me of how important it is to not take things at face value, but to realize that there are so many factors that make people who they are.
I have had the same thought when I look around the room at the beginning of General clinic during the two times I have shadowed there: what are these people’s stories? Where are they from, and how did they end up at the clinic? Yet after watching experienced caseworkers interact with their clients, it has become apparent that you can’t force it out of them, and shouldn’t try to. Their trust has to be earned, like anyone else in this world, before its possible to truly get to know them and have them warm up to you. I worry as a caseworker that I might ask too much, but I know that I need to learn to embrace silence, something that will take practice but will be well worth it in the end.
Anna-CR
I think the experiences you bring up kind of resonated with me as well when I shadowed at General Clinic for the first time. Similarly, I was surprised at the liveliness and energy present in the clinic, but noticed how familiar the caseworkers seemed to be in the various situations they were in. Moreover, having washed a few feet at the foot-washing station, I was impressed with how efficient and comfortable the co-ordinators were at the station.
In regards to your last thoughts on earning the clients’ trust, I think that while we, as caseworkers, want to have great conversations with our clients, it will definitely take time for us to learn how to be effective and comfortable with the relationships we’ll be able to form in the various clinics. If anything, being able to witness how caseworkers at General, has helped me become more excited about what’s in store after we finish the class…!
– Cheston, VJ
My first conversations with the clients were quite prosaic: “How much ranch do you want on the salad?” or “How have you been doing today?” As I continued to come to General Clinic and went on to haircutting or foot-washing, I heard more and more of the clients divulge their experiences, struggles, religious faith, and worries; the conversations I had with them broke imbedded stereotypes in my mind and it became more and more apparent to me that their homelessness are as much a product of society as it a product of their decisions. The American ethos is merit-based: anyone can get what they want as long as they work hard enough for it. Yet, we (society) create an environment around certain people groups where they are given little chance to succeed and are bound to fail due to racism, socio-economic class, and etc. In reference to the classic question of nature versus nurture, there are times where nature or our environment can trump our individual will to succeed. For example, high-schoolers who go to run-down schools where good teachers are scarce and half of the class drops out by graduation are placed in an environment more conducive to failure than to success. I agree with Mark Jiang that the anthropological “culture of poverty” thesis is only an excuse for the affluent to forgo responsibility of those who are homeless due to society’s failures in creating equal financial and social opportunity; therefore, we, as a society, are responsible for getting homeless back on their feet. In accepting this responsibility, we must understand that ending homelessness will necessitate changes in our racial prejudices, education, economics, and etc. For example, how should one end racism in the job market? These socio-cultural issues are larger than any of us and it’s quite easy to become disheartened or jaded; however, take heart and have hope. The Suitcase Clinic already does so much to alleviate the problem of homelessness and, as future businesspeople, doctors, legislators, philanthropists, or etc, you can perpetually lobby and advocate for change for the homeless whether it’s in the E.R. room, White House, courts, or Wall Street. Taking more inspiration from anthropology, remember the words of Margaret Mead: “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” All of you at Suitcase Clinic could be that group of people; you could change the world.
In the first section of the Suitcase Clinic class, I was part of the Dinners small group. First off, I just have to say that I absolutely loved Dinners small group. (Trevor and Cindy are awesome!) It was quite an experience cooking dinners for about 60 people. From buying groceries to cooking in small kitchens to hauling the food from the dorms or apartments that we live in, we all did it as a group and I really think that we had a dedicated and determined group.
We, as the Dinners small group, cooked and served two dinners at General Clinic and then with Aileen, some of our group helped her cook a third dinner. The first dinner we cooked in Anna’s Co-op kitchen. It was a big kitchen, but with so many people in the co-op, it was hard to move around. It was still a lot of fun though. We cooked our second dinner in a Clark Kerr kitchen, which was definitely smaller than the co-op, but we managed!
Sadly, I learned that General Clinic does not serve dinners every week. Youth Clinic has a chef who cooks every week and since Women’s Clinic is a shelter, we don’t serve dinners there either. Yet, the church where General Clinic is held won’t allow us to use their kitchen at all (for reasons no one is sure about apparently), so we have to look for a place to cook our food and re-heat it before dinner every time we plan one. Clearly, this is an issue if Suitcase Clinic wishes to provide dinners for the General Clinic. From what I know in the Dinners small group, we are trying to talk with the church to allow us to use the kitchen again and talk to the Youth Clinic about possibly using their kitchen. Apparently, some incident happened in the kitchen a couple of years ago by some volunteers in Suitcase and they won’t allow us to use it now.
We also have the issue of budgets. We only get $100 per dinner and after going once to buy groceries, it’s definitely hard to budget the food and produce that we want to give to our clients. We thought about donations from restaurants and produce stores.
So, I’m attempting to propose or ask those in the Suitcase class if you know any places or ideas that could help the Dinners small group and those interested in keeping dinners a sustainable project.
Esther-MC
I also shadowed at all three clinics, and I completely understand how you’re having a difficult time choosing which one you like best. Something that struck me, when comparing the clinics, is how each is designed to best suit its clientele. Obviously this was something that was well thought-out before, but I was just impressed at how natural the running of each clinic went, despite their differences. The youth at Youth clinic seem perfectly comfortable with “chilling” with a plate of food and friends to talk to. At Women’s, the circular tables really help to foster the type of friendly conversation that women enjoy, as they get their nails painted, make jewelry, etc. At General, the efficiency of the services is really good for clients who are looking to get something done, but the downtime while waiting for services still gives time for caseworkers to get to know clients. Personally, I felt comfortable at all three clinics despite their differences. Like you I’d also love to get a chance to get to know them better. And I’m also impressed with the amount of good a bunch of undergrad students like us are able to do for our community.
Karen Thompson – Hi Sue,Hope all is well with you.I just thought I would let you know that Murray the bolldug who was in your original portfolio passed on yesterday. He had problems with cancer and for a while was doing very well after having a leg removed. Unfortunately the cancer came back and to avoid any suffering they took him in yesterday. Tara treasures the photos you took of Murray when he was a pup which will always remind her of what a happy joyful dog he was.All the bestKaren Thompson
I’d like to bring up the issue of healthcare, because I think it’s a struggle for many of our clients. Lack of access to healthcare and homelessness are issues that are very closely related and I think that without fixing one, you cannot improve the other. High medical bills as a result of no medical insurance or minimal coverage can lead to homelessness if an individual loses their job or can’t afford to pay their rent and once homeless, the resources available to individuals without an income or permanent residence are scarce. Homelessness alone prevents good nutrition, personal hygiene and aggravates chronic and mental illnesses. In addition to suffering from medical issues common to people with homes, the homeless also deal with weather-induced issues like frostbite, diseases due to unclean water and communicable diseases such as tuberculosis. I tend to have these issues in mind when I interact with clients, because coming from a health-oriented background, I feel that addressing healthcare is of utmost importance.
While shadowing in medical this past week, a client we were caseworking for mentioned that he was diagnosed with a hernia a year ago and was recommended to undergo surgery. Of course, due to his lack of housing, income and health insurance, he couldn’t get the surgery. He came to clinic on Tuesday with the same pain and it occurred to me that he may never receive the surgery he needs. I did some research and when untreated, hernias become much more dangerous and often fatal. A simple surgery to fix a hernia costs around $14,000 without insurance, a fee most middle class people can’t afford.
How are our clients supposed to afford such an expensive surgery while attaining and/or maintaining a job, especially if their health condition impairs their daily life and causes intense chronic pain? Even if they manage to keep their job without treating their health problems, how can they afford to receive treatment, pay for medications or surgery while at the same time paying for rent, food, and other daily costs? It seems like our clients are caught in a cycle of homelessness and illness that can only be fixed by a change in our healthcare system.
-Nadia – JV
I agree that access (or lack thereof) to health care is a major issue for many of our clients. Even clients with Medi-Cal and/or Medicare do not receive adequate access to health care. In a few weeks, one of the lectures in the class will focus on health care, so look forward to that!
As for the client you mentioned: was he referred to the CoCAs? I know of a client who talked to a CoCA and, after a bit of work, received free hernia surgery.
For both of the shadowing requirements I went to General Clinic, and I can relate to many others as I felt it was very chaotic but fortunately has a strong structure that is very consistent in how things must successfully follow through.
My first day I remember that I was checking in with the Volunteer Coordinators; however, my mind was roaming around towards foot washing, haircutting, and the noise from the gym. Soon enough I was overwhelmed but later that night I realized that I enjoyed this fast pace environment and more importantly as I shadowed and went to the third floor I went to each service to understand what it is that they do and how they like it at Suitcase. I got to know a medical service provider, and a student at the Touloro University (OMM) pretty well. First I shadowed at medical and I saw how the medical student was extremely good at providing a comfortable atmosphere since the client that she saw was unique and had a strong sense of style–with this, I admired how well she was able to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This allowed me to open up and ask/respond to questions. I got to know that he has traveled quite bit across the United States and as I enjoy traveling and hearing about stories I quickly asked what his favorite place was and why and discovered how he classifies the places he goes to with the specific types of people he meets. So far, he enjoys San Francisco the most as it offers a wide range of diverse communities which suits his personality. Although I believe I only began opening up to the client due to the medical students’ assistance in easing up the tension and providing a warmer atmosphere I am hopeful to initiate my next conversation and meeting on my own.
Kiran Kaberwal–FR
In the last few weeks, I’ve managed to visit all three of the clinics and get a feel for what goes on at each place. The first thing that struck me is how differently the three clinics are set up from one another. General Clinic is the most structured of the three. I feel like much of what we cover in class can best be applied to the General Clinic setting more so than the other two clinics. What I liked most about General is how much was always going. It amazes me that so much can be orchestrated by just a group of students. In one night, I was able to shadow a caseworker, walk a patient up to medical, and do some haircutting. Each station is different and gave me a refreshing perspective about the clinic.
Working at Youth Clinic was probably the most memorable because it was my first shadowing experience. It was entirely different from both General and Women’s. Youth Clinic is far more laid back and flexible in terms of accommodating to its clients. What appealed to me about Youth Clinic is being able to interact with people who aren’t too far in age from the volunteers. What I did notice that Youth had in common with General was the skills used by caseworking when dealing with clients. Though the clients themselves were from relatively different backgrounds, the methods that the caseworkers used were very similar in both cases.
Just this week, I finally got the chance to visit the Women’s Clinic. Once again, this did not seem anything like Youth or General. I really like the atmosphere in Women’s Clinic. My favorite part was definitely interacting with the children. It is entirely different but equally amusing to deal with children and to be able to properly understand them. Of all clinics, I felt like even though I did one thing the whole time, the hours went by more quickly than in any of the other clinics.
The reason for this post is just to reflect on my experiences at all three clinics. I went to all three in order to decide which clinic would suit me best. But after seeing all of them, I like all of them and am curious to further explore how each of them works. Hopefully, I will be able to continue volunteering at all three places in the future!
Krishna, VJ
Throughout the first half of the semester, I’ve been able to shadow at clinic three times. Though that may not seem like a lot, my comfort level with homeless people increased each time I went. Comparing how I used to feel about reaching out to a homeless person to how I feel now, I feel that I’ve made some definite progress. And I have Suitcase clinic to thank for the experience.
I always knew in my head that homeless people were not necessarily bad. They had a bad reputation for committing crimes and being dirty, but none of it was their fault. What these people really needed was help, not prejudice, to make their situations improve. Although I knew all this, and I strongly believed it, I still did not want to reach out to a homeless person on my own. Some part of me was still really worried about the possible dangers. Maybe I was just too shy; I told myself that I didn’t know how to approach these things and so I had better leave them be. Consequently, I would be one of those people who averted their eyes when they saw someone panhandling on the street corner. When I first shadowed, at Women’s, I still carried a bit of my shyness with me. But seeing how kind and enthusiastic the volunteers and clients were, I soon became quite comfortable. At General, though the environment was a lot brisker, I was able to get to know a couple clients by talking with them as they waited for services, and that really opened my eyes to how they were people just like us. And then at the relaxed environment at Youth I was able to have a completely casual conversation over dinner with clients and volunteers.
I joined Suitcase Clinic to force myself to conquer my shyness, and to amend my actions regarding something that I knew was right. My experiences at clinic so far have exceeded my expectations, and I’m very excited to go back.
I felt the same way about the topics of homelessness and homeless people on the streets of Berkeley when I first came here. However, I am also very glad that my views are changed. I also felt a new sense of confidence when I pushed myself to interact with the people at Suitcase Clinic–something initially out of my comfort zone. I am glad that both of us were able to move away from the old feelings we had about the homeless. Overall, my experiences with Suitcase Clinic has given me a broader sense of society and also helped me understand the details (and similarities to ourselves, like you pointed out) of the homeless population.
Shelley Shi
I shadowed General Clinic on a rainy day- inclement weather definitely prompted more people to seek shelter and services that day. I was impressed by the efficiency and expediency of veteran and newer caseworkers there, but I was also concerned because as more people did come in, the more hectic it became. The foot-washing coordinators always kept a calm demeanor and it was interesting to see the dynamic the person I shadowed had with her client. I did foot-washing for several clients- all of whom were grateful. It seemed to me that people were more on edge and the level of chaos was heightened because people were uncomfortable from rain—wet feet. At times, the noise-level was high, with all of the activity, that I was not able to hear the clients tell me their stories or they would not be able to hear my questions— having to ask them to reiterate created some stills in the conversations.
In regards to homelessness, when I came into the class, I had a strong inclination that a significant percentage of the homeless population had mental illnesses, or had some sort of mental handicap. I met many people who were perfectly normal, happy, and sane—generally, I met a wide array of people, but I also did have my first experience with a homeless man who seemed to me not completely mentally all there. When I was getting ready to wash his feet, he was kind and gracious, took off his shoes, and allowed me to start washing his feet. Within a couple of minutes, he began to passionately tell me that theories on evolution and Darwinism were all wrong and he went on a rant regarding homosexuality. There was no point in refuting anything because this was not a conversation conducive to arguments/rebuttals…my interaction with this client was largely reminiscent of my relationship with someone close to me who’s mentally ill, and I know that in these types of cases the best thing to do is to just listen. I still felt like I wasn’t able to connect with my client, though, because that gap was there. I would like to get a better understanding of the mental illnesses prevalent in the homeless community and how it affects the way they live, and how it affects the way others live.
I agree that mental illness creates a huge gap that a lot of people are not willing to cross. It’s a large contributing factor to the perception that you should avoid eye contact with “crazy hobos”, and maybe to the societal idea that if homeless people are so unapproachable then they aren’t really worth helping. I know that when a mentally ill person rides BART or the bus, everyone studiously ignores them. Some people look resentful or irritated that they’re forced to be subjected to their presence, as if the person could choose to mentally ill and turn it off at any time. It’s really heartbreaking to know that the external factors of homelessness cause a variety of mental illness (as an earlier poster mentioned), and there’s the catch-22: the more severe your mental illness is, the less able you are to find a way out of a difficult situation. Suitcase Clinic is a great place where everyone is approached with understanding, and perhaps gradually overcome their unconscious prejudices.
Suitcase Clinic so far has been nothing less than an empowering and rewarding experience for me. A little more than a month ago, I stepped through the doors of General Clinic one Tuesday evening. I was a little nervous because I wasn’t yet sure what the tone of operation at clinic was like and I didn’t know the population of clients that I would be serving. These questions arise from my own desire to provide the services to the best of my ability at clinic, even though it may be my first time. Will I meet clients with certain mental disorders or ones with needs that I can’t readily attend to? I was placed in haircutting service my first night. It seemed like a good skill to be able to have and I would directly interact with clients. “What better way to get to know clients?”, I thought. I initially began by just observing Kishor–the resident barber at General–and learning how he was doing the haircutting. While he was doing an awesome job showing me the ropes, the best way to learn, though, is to do something yourself. So when more clients wanted haircuts, I agreed to jump in without much technical preparation. To my surprise, the clients were very patient and understanding with my “skills” as a barber. They slowly voiced their preferences of a haircut and were extremely welcoming. As the clients thanked me, I also thanked them. I felt a sense of content and self worth because I knew I had successfully helped them knock off one more thing on their list. Small but meaningful experiences really do matter to a person. What’s special about haircutting is also the collaborative nature of it all. I learned that it was very much about actively listening to the client’s needs. There is a distinct sense of accomplishment at its completion that lets me know that I’ve helped make some part of someone’s day better. I value that ability and opportunity so much and I thank clinic for it.
On a lighter note, I was glad to find that I could readily meet new clients and readily talk to them as long as I kept an mindful attitude and a genuinely caring demeanor. One of the clients I gave a haircut to was getting a haircut right before a job interview at Kip’s restaurant. The fact that something as simple as a haircut can (hopefully) help him get employment was amazing to realize. That 15 minutes of my time on a Tuesday night was gladly his. Now, I’ve even made a friend who works at Kip’s! 🙂
-Jirayut -DM
Laura,
I totally understand where you are coming from. I’m not sure which day you were there but I too have definitely been at General Clinic on a rainy day and have witnessed the heightened anxieties and degrees of impatience within a new turbulent environment. I was shadowing at the Health Education desk and was mystified as to how the person I shadowed was able to both calmly and efficiently provide hygiene kits to the influx of people demanding one at the same time. Potential disorder and chaos amongst members of the Health ED desk was almost transformed into an organized assembly line. More importantly, this situation highlights the advanced experience of each worker and their ability to ultimately maintain harmony between the service provider and the surfeit of clientele in unique circumstances that cause plausible abnormal chaos. I also wanted to touch on your point about stills in conversation between volunteers and clients. This predicament is very possible in loud environments; however, I have realized through experience that it is extremely possible as a result of cultural and communication barriers as well. To elaborate, a client was asking me a question that I just could not understand at the Health ED desk. He was definitely speaking English and was an African American but I just could not connect with his dialect. I did feel slightly upset and embarrassed but I did get an ally who helped me out and we were both able to figure out how we could help him. These encounters and experiences at clinic influence us in positive way so we can better serve clients in the future. You had some great thoughts!
Abhi Jairam–MD (in regards to reply to Laura)
During my visit to clinic this week I had my first experience with de-escalation. While I was shadowing for med, there was some miscommunication that caused confusion between the client and the nurse practitioner. Then the nurse began giving the client advice on a topic that the client felt very sensitively about, and as a result she believed that the nurse was “judging” her. The client left the room very visibly upset, and my caseworker and I followed her to try to figure out what happened. After talking it out a bit, the client was able to calm down again.
This was a really eye-opening experience. In class, it’s easy to develop a somewhat “ignorant” mindset towards de-escalation: “Oh this type of thing won’t happen to me,” or, “If this ever happens I’ll just let someone else take care of it.” So seeing it happen in person helped me realize the full weight of the situation and how much more I had left to learn.
The entire time I found that I had wanted to use cliché responses like, “I understand” or “I know how you feel,” but of course, I didn’t understand. I didn’t know how she felt. All I knew was that she was upset, but as to how upset or why, I couldn’t begin to understand. Her life was completely different than mine, and there was no way I could ever begin to identify with her or her situation- but I didn’t need to. As the U-GSI’s in class had said, there is a fine line between sympathy and empathy: the only thing I needed do was just acknowledge and understand that she was upset and do my best to comfort her without taking a side. It would have been so easy to tell her, “Yeah! You’re totally right! The nurse was being a jerk,” or, “No, you’re wrong. The nurse was being completely reasonable and you weren’t.” And even though those phrases would have brought to conversation to an end quicker, it wouldn’t have been a conclusive ending.
Elise- JC
I know what you mean Elise when you talked about the fine line between sympathy and empathy and how easy it is to fall into the tendency of offering sympathetic remarks. I think it was a valuable lesson to learn in Suitcase class and the more experience I have with clients I feel the distinction is invaluable. After talking with some clients at the Women’s clinic and hearing about their hardships and stories I have the urge to reply sympathetically. However I have found that it means a lot for the women to just have someone to talk to and they are not necessarily interested in hearing “I understand” and “I know how you feel” like you [Elise] said. I really enjoy going to clinic and meeting the different clients that go to the three different clinics. I feel that I have learned so much just from the conversations and interactions I have with clients and the lessons that we learn in class, such as the sympathy/empathy distinction, really help us build relationships.
Michelle VJ
I really enjoyed shadowing the general clinic twice before the midterm. The first night I shadowed a caseworker who was taking a patient to several services the suitcase clinic offers. The second time I shadowed, I got to do foot washing, and I was able to interact with the clients, which is something I really wanted to do. I interacted especially with one of the clients. She told me she had lost her son due to diabetes and she had no other family to rely on because they had all passed away. She told me she devotes most of her time to her church and loves to interact with her church group. That is when it came to me that she is the lady I see reading the bible on the corners of streets with her sweet voice saying every word like she was the happiest person ever. She began talking to me about how she was really excited because she was going to attend a women’s conference that weekend. I was surprised at how positive she can stay despite knowing she has no family to support her or for her to go to. It reminded me of how positive and happy my mom is despite our economic hardships and despite also knowing she can have a seizure at any moment anywhere. This simply reminded me that there are many people out there who have had many obstacles in life yet they do not let this get to them, and they continue staying positive at life. Being negative is just going to make it worst on yourself. Overall, I really enjoyed shadowing for suitcase clinic, because I always knew I wanted to help others, I just didn’t know where to go to do this, and here at Berkeley I feel I found what I like to do.
Vanessa-FR
As many have mentioned this week, I too came into Clinic for the first time with certain fears and preconceptions of homelessness. Yet as I continue to shadow, many of my ‘preconceptions’ have begun to turn into ‘misconceptions,’ and I am beginning to see the uniqueness of each individual’s situation. It is far too difficult to put forth a broad term such as “homelessness,” attach some characteristics to it (e.g. former drug user and/or mentally ill), and expect each person who falls into the homeless category to possess these characteristics. The fact is that a combination of biological, social, and environmental factors plays into the current situation each person is experiencing. And putting a label on a person or passing judgment is very limiting to our society as a whole. I joined Suitcase Clinic to force myself to drop this extra baggage of the preconceptions I previously held. And what I am finding is that the lessons learned in Suitcase about people’s life situations can be applied to almost any social interaction, whether it is a not reacting to an angry friend who just may have had a bad day, or whether it is looking at broader issues such as how stereotyping and racism affect people’s actions.
On this note, I do not believe that the issue of racism is very far removed from the issue of homelessness. The modern literature on racism maintains well-tested theories which assert that racism is experienced on a daily basis through unequal access to goods, services and opportunities; differential treatment in education, housing, and employment; and many more common interactions that many of us could never even begin to think about. One of the main things caused by racism is higher stress levels, which over time causes many hormonal imbalances and puts one at-risk for multiple diseases.
In relation to homelessness, does this all sound familiar? High stress, experiencing discrimination, limited opportunities, and poor health? This is exactly what the homeless go through every day. And since a majority of us Americans in the 21st century clearly and obviously consider racism to be morally wrong and detrimental to society, is it too farfetched to desire a similar change in mindset to view homelessness in the same light? I believe it begins with learning. Becoming aware of the problems surrounding homelessness is a challenging and somewhat daunting issue. Not everyone has the opportunity to volunteer at a homeless clinic, nor would they want to given the choice. So there must be a way to get the general public to develop more awareness without it coming off as “just another social justice issue they’re giving out flyers for on Sproul.” One potential way to do this would be an attempt to re-frame homelessness in the same way that racism has been framed; and draw similarities between the two to show the public that while we are against racism we are simultaneously supporting a very similar type of discrimination against the homeless.
Similarly, a guest lecturer in one of my classes suggested re-framing “social justice” issues as “health issues.” I know that for me personally, when I hear someone yelling “social justice!” or “save the whales” I immediately think “Oh god I have no money to give or time to listen! This is so uncomfortable, this is why I don’t walk through Sproul every day.” Well, if we stopped using the words Social Justice and began to talk about how saving the whales is actually a broader issue of inefficient and polluted water systems that can directly affect your health personally, people start to listen. People listen when it becomes about them and how pollution is affecting their health directly. I know this is a bit abstract, but take the issue of not having a soap dispenser at People’s Park bathroom. It is a social justice issue because it disproportionately affects the homeless, who are the majority of this bathroom’s users and they are now subject to dirty hands and sickness. Yet, the only way to get the city to install a soap dispenser in this bathroom is not to talk about social justice for the homeless, because they think they spend enough money on the homeless, but to re-frame it as a public health issue that affects all users of this bathroom who can now potentially use their bacteria-ridden hands to infect a large number of Berkeley citizens with sickness. This is why re-framing Social Justice into a Health issue is very important in the struggle for better conditions for the homeless. At a policy level, ideology is powerful. The ability to frame ideas in a certain light, present them in ways that appeal to the public, and make sense to decision-makers is crucial. Anyone have any ideas on how to re-frame what people think when they think of the word “homeless?”
Joe- MC
You make a great point about the need to reframe issues in order to receive attention. We all hear buzzwords and phrases that make us filter out what people have to say. Unfortunately how things are phrased often has a huge bearing on whether a program is successful or stigmatized. Other than advocacy, I think about the way that some people choose to call the homeless “residentially challenged” or a similar euphemism. The relationship between homelessness and classism/racism grows when we consider all the levels of terminology and euphemisms people use to find which is the most de-stigmatized way of expressing difference or inequality. In Suitcase class we have encountered other changes in terminology like food stamps becoming the “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” to distinguish some changes and make the initiative seem fresh again. The SNAP acronym makes it all seem rather comical, but sometimes what successful legislation needs is wording. When we talked about healthcare last Thursday a number of sensitive words came up as we saw that “socialized” and other classifications make the public reluctant. Although I wish we could just sift through to what is important, the intentions behind issues, bills, or campaigns, more often than not a word can change how we feel.
Katherine- TH
I’ve never been one of those people who like to interact with strangers trying to get me to buy or donate to some organization or another by flyering. I avoid Sather Gate so that I won’t have to walk by all the student groups, and bow my head and avert my eyes when I see someone armed with flyers honing in on me. I honestly thought I was respectfully declining their offer by silently passing them by. When the supplies group flyered outside of Safeway a couple weekends ago, however, I quickly learned just how rude and unhelpful my silent behavior has been. I thought handing out fliers was going to be one of the most embarrassing and awkward experiences, considering I never take other people’s flyers myself, but it was a surprisingly painless and rewarding experience. While a few people had taken a page from my book and completely ignored us, more often than not, people were happy to not only take our fliers, but there were several people who went out of their way just to support us. One woman was running late for her dad’s birthday and had stopped at Safeway to get balloons, promising us when she went in she would get some supplies for our table. When she came out of the store, she realized that she had forgotten the supplies, promptly apologized to us, and ran back in to get some supplies, even though she was late! My favorite person of the day, however, was this older gentleman who not only bought us some supplies, but also went home to get a bag full of extra miniature soaps he had lying around. Not only did he make an extra trip just to support our cause, but he also brought us cookies (his own special recipe which he told me about in detail…) People like these made the experience an extremely rewarding one, and made me realize that people actually care about issues such as homelessness. It was heartening how much these people cared, and ever since then I have been making a huge effort to not only take every flyer from every person on upper Sproul, but also to remind myself of those encouraging people at Safeway that are inspiring me to also go out of my way to try and help make a difference.
Sam Henstell – FR
Wow, I am really cutting it close to the deadline here.
I think the biggest impact this class has had on me so far is that it has given me the realization that homelessness can really affect a person’s mental health. To recall what one woman said from a documentary we watched in Housing Small group (<3 vivian&josh :), and don't quote me on this, "if you're not mentally ill before you become homeless, you will be when you are." I always knew that homelessness could occur because of so many diverse circumstances, and sometimes you just lose your way. Some people choose it. But I never thought about the effect living on your own in the streets can have on your mind, and on your view of society. I have learned that many homeless people have difficulty adjusting to living with other people, and the idea of belonging to a community is often lost when somebody is fending for themselves on the streets for a long period of their life.
Last week at clinic I got to shadow CARE, where a client was learning how to access email for the first time on his cell phone. He was so thankful and happy to finally learn how to get onto an email account and was giddy at the thought of being able to send emails from his new phone. It was striking to see such a simple gift of knowledge that cost no money be such a joy for a client. He literally almost cried. I suppose this is what it means to empower.
My first time at clinic I helped foot-washing. I got to work with an older client, and I have to say, I love old people. They are always so sweet. ☺ I got to listen to him talking about his day, and he asked me how my studies went. When I mentioned physics, this old man went off about angular momentum and gravity down, normal force, centripetal force! And I initially thought, sigh, I don’t know why he wants to talk about this. And then I noticed all that he was saying was right on the money and helpful for my midterm. It was a fuzzy moment where I realized how cool it is that I can connect to people who I would never talk to outside of this class. And if I ever see anybody I meet at clinic on the streets it is so nice to be able to say hi and chit chat for a minute.
Stacy Kim- FR
I was looking for recent articles on the SFGate website concerning homelessness and I came across the article “Homeless still top voters’ list of S.F.’s woes.” After hearing about an earlier program “Care Not Cash” implemented in 2002, I was interested to see if this approach had been beneficial for the homeless population in San Francisco. “Care Not Cash” was a program that limited General Assistance cash benefits and instead put the money towards funding for shelters, housing options, and other services for the homeless population. The article that I read seemed to be in response to this same approach through a program Project Homeless Connect which also limited welfare benefits in exchange for increased funding for housing. However despite this program’s good intentions, a majority of San Franciscans see little to no change in the homeless population. Some individuals claim that the problem is actually becoming worse with longer waitlists at shelters and higher demands for food and donation centers. Interestingly, the article ends with a British nonprofit study indicating that giving individuals the opportunity choose how they spend their money is more effective than giving them a prescribed solution. This study directly refutes the two prior programs because they limit the individuals spending power by assuming the government’s proposed solutions are the most effective. In the study homeless individuals were given a budget of $4,860 and matched with another person to help them manage their budget. This study helped moved 7 homeless individuals off the streets with 2 about to; however, they didn’t say how many participants were in the study all together. The results of this study are noteworthy because it shows how client self-determinism has potential in helping to formulate solutions to problems of homelessness. Although it is clear that California doesn’t currently have the budget to propose a program in line with the study, I think that we can learn a lot from the results. I agree that we do need to create structural change with more options for subsidized housing and shelters; however I would like to see if there could be more direct dialogue between policy makers and homeless individuals so that their needs could be directly heard.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/13/BASM1I7GED.DTL
I know this is a really late post, but I hope I can still join in the discussion.
It’s really interesting how everyone’s blogs have ranged from deeply personal experiences to wide-ranging comments of homelessness in society. Regardless, the common thread is that Suitcase Clinic seems to have helped us approach an issue which is normally ignored or consciously avoided. There are people who say they “averted their eyes” or felt “uncomfortable” when they saw a homeless person on the street. I know from my personal experience that I’d avoid walking past People’s Park sometimes, not because I felt unsafe, but because I didn’t want to deal with random comments from people who hung around and watched everyone go by. Sometimes I would smile, but I never wanted to commit to staying for a whole conversation, especially with the possibility of getting asked for money hanging over my head. Before Suitcase Clinic, it never occurred to me to respond to them or approach people to simply ask how their day was going.
After my first shadowing experience at Youth Clinic, I ran across a guy named Derek on Telegraph playing guitar with his friends. I remembered listening to his stories about buying a motorcycle and traveling along the west coast to Alaska, then dropping everything for a spontaneous trip to Hawaii. He wore a pair of leather pants with patches, which he said had lasted for three years so far. He was basically still a kid, just a few years older than me, but with so many adventures and experiences under his belt. So instead of seeing a random homeless dude on the street, I saw Derek, and he recognized me as well. We said a shy “hello” as we passed by. I couldn’t help smiling at the encounter, but what was really interesting were my friends’ reactions – they didn’t understand how I would know someone who was on the street. It’s sad to realize that even though UC Berkeley students and the homeless youths coexist in the same area, we live in our separate bubbles and never make an effort to get to know one another. It would be an enriching experience to learn each others’ stories instead of pretending that the other side doesn’t exist. At least Suitcase Clinic has helped me take a step out of my comfort zone, and I’d like to think that it has allowed me to develop a new perspective.
Last week after Suitcase class, the advocacy group attended a workshop type meeting to discuss different strategies for activism. We discussed a campaign strategy to hypothetically combat a proposed No Sit-Lie Ordinance in Berkeley. This activity made me think of the possible effects of a similar policy that was passed in San Francisco in November. According to an article in the Examiner, in response to the No Sit-Lie ordinance, the police are currently advised “to go easy in the beginning and just admonish people.” The law entails that there can be no sitting or lying on the sidewalks from 7a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. According to the article, police officers are not currently citing individuals and they plan to wait until the public is informed and the law enforcement is properly trained. Police officers plan to first print and distribute warning cards that have service provider numbers that include local shelters, clinics, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment centers. I find it interesting that the fines for “repeat offenders” will range from $50-$500 and may require jail time and/or community service. Furthermore the article includes Police Department Lt. Troy Dangerfield’s statement that “we’re going to use it [the No Sit Lie Ordinance] as a community policing tool to provide access to services.” I feel that there are several problems with the No Sit-Lie ordinance and Lt. Dangerfield’s claim that this can be used to force people to obtain needed services. The No Sit-Lie ordinance does not solve the problem of poverty/homelessness, it only punishes those who are already marginalized in our society. To charge homeless people with a fine ranging from $50 to $500 is not logical because they do not even have the means to afford the basic human need of shelter. Furthermore, when the Lt. claims that this will force people to use offered services he assumes that there is a sufficient supply of services for the high demand. He doesn’t address the long waitlists and sometimes poor living conditions of shelters. Yes I do agree that there needs to be more outreach to this population, but criminalizing the homeless won’t provide a solution either.
Michelle VJ