Legacies of Mom, Dad...

Sent a letter to a local newspaper editorial, today.

"A joy to read on the advocacy work of State Senator Richard Codey, particularly on behalf of mental health.

On October 21, 2013, our Dad, the father of 9 children, died at age 86, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's. His passing is so soon, his estate and legacy still to be sorted these days. I think now of our sister who died August, 2012, and of the death of our Mom in 2006 after a brief period of illness. 

The wake and funeral for our Mom included: family/friends, countless DailyRecord employees, and numerous people whom our Mom had befriended in her advocacy work for NAMI. This community of consumers advocated for a memorial to my Mom through Senator Codey. In early 2007, the first Sussex County Freeholder memorial for an advocate on mental health issues was held. I am sorry the event was never covered by the Daily Record but maybe as so many employees supported our Mom. Our Mom would not have wanted all the attention, she simply sat with people and listened.  From this event, $50k in stigma education was budgeted in her memory. 

Senator Codey did not receive recognition for his efforts but the event and legacy has been inspiring to thousands, many of whom cannot advocate for themselves.  I posted a video on the life of Rita Harding Wright at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQppEXGoSOk

Thank you Senator Codey. Thank you Daily Record for your notice of his work. "

Caregiving revisited

In my bibliography:

Memoir is in the content analysis family and is an unobtrusive generally qualitative method of research. Qualitative meaning that the data is essentially non numerical in data collection and analysis. The variables are predominately nominal.

"The  Caregiver's Tale" is in my bibliography as Dr. Burack-Weiss was one of my Columbia University professors. She volunteered in a program that I helped to initiate, a shelter for homeless women who were non-compliant with psychiatric treatment.  She created a weekly group for women to talk about whatever. I am totally biased in terms of the researcher.  Dr Burack-Weiss has had a long history of helping through her work at the Jewish Home for the Aged, and being among the first volunteers at the Gay Men's Health Crisis. 

In her project, Dr. Burack-Weiss created the independent variables of caregiving situation and relationship out of an inductive process of reading through memoirs. I knew several of the memoirs and a favorite author Paul Monette was included in her sample. She has that heuristic sense of what works from the breadth and depth of her experience.  The hypothesis is that these variables inform the caregiving situation. The variables are nominal: how can one rank alzheimer's or AIDS, or a child with a neurological disability. They could be ranked perhaps in terms of cost, years to caregive, other variables, but as a distinct variable, the situations and relationships have no order. The memoirs have a detailed highly individual quality to them that gives meaning to caregiving and to the paradigm.

thoughts on how research happens

Paradigm and paradigm change are integral in research. In my Methods of Research bibliography is an Open Society Institute video on their drug policy advocacy around the world. 

http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/what-world-can-learn-switzerlands-drug-policy-shift

As ever one's  personal experience is just that, one's personal experience.  Most of my interest in drug policy has been in terms of clinical social work since 1982 with clients having substance abuse concerns. Caregiving as presented in the work of Ann Burack-Weiss has so informed my practice. I routinely refer to mindfulness as per Buddhist thought.

Policy is another lens. In my experience, luck has had it that I have known several drug policy advocates who are also tied to the Open Society. The first is a Swiss legislator who I visited in Zurich in the early 1990s and was then involved in the work presented in the Open Society video. I also observed the experiment to allow drug use in a Zurich park. My trips were in the time of my doctoral study in cross-national social policy, and I visited social work programs in Berlin and Rotterdam. 

Secondly, I have known the strategic planner for Open Society programs throughout the world and heard about initiatives since the 1990s. Third, I have done recent consulting with a drug policy organizer in San Francisco whose program is funded by the Open Society.

The work of these advocates as well as my lens as a social worker qua researcher are examples of how research can and does happen, and is utilized. The Zurich project initiated as action research  for real life social welfare activity and is presented as a case study video (case study is a method of intense focus on a case, group, community,  program or policy).  My friend at Open Society has put together resources around the world about drug policy, i.e, meta=research. The San Francisco activity is  case study and action research: the process of needs assessment and implementing solutions with real time evaluation feedback.

Thinking from the lens of Kuhn, paradigm shifts. Drug policy is changing as data analysis shows best practices from real life activity. There are many ways of knowing. 

Newark NJ summer life 2013

Mijn 14th summer in Newark, NJ. Not much swimming going on.. rain days and my leg was messed up. But did make the pool a bit and still days ahead.

Visited a brother several times in the NJ suburbs.. found a good local pizzeria in Morris County. Doing my caregivng. Family reunion on the side of our maternal grandmother, a whole crew of cousins unknown to me, the Croatian-Dalmatians. A whole diaspora from Vrboska, Hvar.

Writing about social workers in politics. Donated funds to Booker for Senate, Buono for Governor, Gale Brewer for Manhattan Borough President.

Good summer songs always!!!

Music background in the playlist for a July 2013 episode of Eastenders. The hauntingly beautiful song from "Trainspotting", Underground-Born Slippy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOi8Gnq_z_U

Pre-iftar evenings this Ramadan listening to Capital Cities-Safe and Sound.  Listening to Adele, and Layla.

Lots of videos this summer.. "Man of Steel", "Lone Ranger and Tonto", "the Heat". YouTube video catching, seen every PBS Mystery Poirot, and BBC Spooks seasons 1 through 4.

Carpe the season. And Happy Birthday to a Park Ridge IL buddy from Maine South days, today! So many shared years!

figuring out summer songs etal by myself or with friends and/or neighbors. meanwhile.. gotta get with this one! sucha generational thing.. the best song of every summer always and forever!http://mashable.com/2013/08/07/stephen-colbert-get-lucky/

Occupy Newark community organizing

SALUT Occupy Newark!
Went to the organizing activity on Saturday, 19 November, 2011. Maybe up to 50 people there, seemed very Newark/NJ like.. appreciated the diversity of peoples. Not the usual overwhelmingly young NYC white lefties although some and they seemed to be the visible organizers. I felt very at peace and welcome. Looked through the library, perused the fliers, got several silkscreen "I am the 99%". One of the general assembly members and I spoke about my doing some sort of teach-in due to my adjunct college professor life of 20 years. I remembered the compassion tent at Occupy Wall Street and thought of a caring space. Made a poster and sat in a chair. Spoke with a number of attendees about various things primarily politics in Newark. Waved to one of my neighbors out riding his bicylce, greeted Newark Council Member Crump who had come in solidarity. All in all really felt good being appreciated and asked to do some sort of action. Felt lots of curiousity and peace within the event! Bravo Newark for showing how an organizing event can be done!

Women's Equality

Salut (albeit late) for Women's International Equality Day! I always think of the work of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Endless bravos to Jane Addams for helping to found, and a joint recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1930. I have had the good blessings to know many interesting, dynamic or just an endless special woman my life long!

Thoughts of the mother of a friend, Adeline. Photo inserted. When my Mom died, this friend said he wished he had a Mom like mine. My Mom was fine but I would have loved a Mom like Adeline as well! Of course, I would only visit on holidays and she would bake all sorts of italian foods. She would go to Pegnataro's in New Haven and make sure we had lasagna, apizza and the stuffed breads! Of course my friend had a different experience as his Mom also had a disabled child who needed endless care. I remind my students that not until 1974 were all children required to be educated (Public Law 94-142). Those with special needs often languished in the basement or attic or were institutionalized. The scandals in the early 1970s showed the horrors of such wanton institutionalization. So, my friend's childhood consisted of being second to the sister with multiple needs. I am truly amazed at the remarkable strength that Adeline had though in raising 3 children, the two boys getting advanced degrees and professional jobs. Adeline has about 15 grandchildren now although few will remember her spirit. I remember how she finally put her daughter in a home when Adeline reached 60 years but made sure her daughter visited holidays! I was blessed to have her friendship.. "a true friend waiting for a visit".

A long ago buddy, Hannah was a member of WILPF, in fact she made me aware of them. Hannah an oldtime child welfare social worker, CPUSA member in the 1930s thru 1950s, and long time resident Greenwich Village bohemian. In my community organizing work, she would always show up at demonstrations and sign petitions. I had endless interesting chats with her. We were both members of the Village Independent Democrats and always eager to support progressives. Hannah was a real mensch and I will always love her! Om mani padma hung!

Thinking from the paradigm of caregiving, I am always assured, hopeful, by the understanding that so much of our lives are enriched and we thrive from the caregiving we have or give. It is not just Winnicuit's "good enough mothering" but the notion that we all caregive throughout life. I am always blessed to have known and then to have read "The Caregiver's Tale" by Dr. Ann Burack-Weiss!

peace, hugs, compassion