On Maundy Thursday, March 20, AUSB Adjunct Faculty member Dr. Wayne Mellinger organized volunteer organizations and individuals from the Santa Barbara community to wash the feet of area homeless men and women. The objective of the event was contact and relationship-building between homeless individuals -- many shy or resistant to available services -- and a coalition of outreach workers representing a wide variety of health and social services.
"The act of washing another's feet transforms both parties immensely," notes Dr. Mellinger. "For the volunteers, it re-kindles compassion with some of the most weary and displaced people in our city. For the people having their feet washed, it demonstrates that someone really cares. As the two bond, both are profoundly reminded of the importance of simple acts of kindness. Through these simple acts, we hope to help to break down the stereotypes that both groups have of each other."
The benefits of the event also included new clean socks and shoes donated by local suppliers, many of which had been prepared in advance by volunteers who had interviewed local homeless people and noted their needs. At the event, 250 pairs of new shoes, with socks, were designated by name for pre-identified recipients. Also on hand were services and volunteers distributing both information and supplies, including birth control, coupons for food, and hygiene items.
Mellinger hopes the event can encourage clients toward transitional housing and other services. "Follow-up will be provided by the various homeless outreach workers who take part in this event, including those active in public health, alcohol and drug, and mental health issues. Clients will be specifically asked where they hang out to facilitate follow-up."
Read article from Santa Barbara Independent:
http://www.independent.com/news/2008/mar/21/washing-feet-giving-hope
Marianne D'Emidio-Caston, core faculty in the Teacher Education program, has become an official member of the Committee on Accreditation Board of Institution Reviewers for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Dr. Jeff Stauffer, core faculty in the Master's in Organizational Management program, has published a training manual, Get and Go: Effective Passenger Relations for Transit Operators. The manual is designed to provide guidelines for transit operators to practice professionalism, deal with difficult passengers, handle complaints, optimize communications with passengers and assist special needs passengers.
The manual, a culmination of training provided over several years for the transportation industry in California, has been adopted by Santa Barbara MTD, Ventura Gold Coast Transit and the Ojai Transit System. A number of other California transit systems as well as out-of-state systems are also interested in adopting the book for their training needs.
Dr. Stauffer teaches Consultation and Training skills for Antioch Santa Barbara as well as consulting and training management in both the public and private sector. In recent years, he has concentrated in the area of transportation since this has been identified as a high growth area given the necessity of conserving fuel consumption and the expansion of the transportation industry.
An article by Dr. Lynn K. Jones, adjunct faculty in the Master's in Organizational Management program, appears in the current issue of Social Work Today: "When Managed Care Coverage Runs Out -- Effective, Ethical Solutions."
Therapists who work with managed care companies can face challenges when allotted sessions expire. In Dr. Jones' article, seasoned clinicians share professional advice.
An excerpt from the article:
"Managed Care Changing Practice of Psychotherapy” was an attention-grabbing headline in a 1994 issue of The New York Times. The article claimed that managed care companies intended to wipe out what they called the New Yorker Syndrome—spending years in psychoanalysis was about to be a thing of the past.
Fast forward to 2008: Is the New Yorker Syndrome a distant memory or has it prevailed? Has managed care indeed changed the practice of psychotherapy? Only 20 sessions are typically funded by managed care, but then what?
Spending years in psychoanalysis may have been over the top, but is a 20-session limit the answer? What do private practitioners do about clients who have exhausted their funding but still need more therapy? Do their choices compromise the ethical demands of their profession?"
The full article is available on line at http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/janfeb2008p22.shtml
