New SPECs When Good Intentions are not Enough. 6 May 1856, Freiberg, Moravia, Czech Republic Sigismund Freud is born Went on to develop –Psychoanalysis.

New SPECs

When Good Intentions are not Enough

6 May 1856, Freiberg, Moravia, Czech Republic

Sigismund Freud is born Went on to develop

– Psychoanalysis– Way of helping individuals

• Based on unconscious• Based on defenses• Based on detachment

Freud had good intentions….but his approach was

Deficit oriented

Reactive

Expert driven

Individualistic

Many generations of helpers

Wanted to be little Freuds Studied models that reinforced- Deficit-ism- Reactive-ism- Expert-ism- Individual-ism

In short:

Clienthood and Patienthood

Why???

It’s easier to deal with problems if they have names (hence deficits: neurotic, crazy)

It’s hard to prevent something you don’t see It gives us all a sense of self-importance to be

experts It’s easier to blame people than to change

social conditions (lazy, unmotivated, poor parenting, etc). We’re part of the status quo, like it or not!

Wellness Promotion TreatmentPrevention

99%1%

CONTINUUM OF SERVICES

BUDGET ALLOCATION

Consequences of medical model

Big wake up call!!!

No mass disorder, afflicting humankind, has ever been eliminated, or brought under control, by treating the affected individual

HIV/AIDS, poverty, child abuse, powerlessness are not eliminated one person at a time.

The Need for a new Model

Less Deficits-based Reactive Expert-driven Individualistic

More Strengths-based Primary Prevention Empowerment Community

Conditions

The time and space of helping

Collective

Individual

Reactive PreventiveX

Quadrant IIIExamples:Crisis work, therapy, medications, symptom containment, case management

Quadrant IExamples:Community development, affordable housing policy, recreational opportunities, high quality schools and health services

Quadrant IIExamples:Skill building, emotional literacy, fitness programs, personal improvement plans, resistance to peer pressure in drug and alcohol use

Quadrant IVExamples:Food banks, shelters for homeless people, charities, prison industrial complex

Collective

Proactive

Individual

Reactive

Time and Space: Individualistic and Reactive Approaches are not Enough

The feelings of the helping process

Strengths

Deficits

Expert driven EmpowermentX

Quadrant IExamples:Voice and choice in celebrating and building competencies, recognition of personal and collective resilience

Quadrant IIExamples:Voice and choice in deficit reduction approaches, participation in decisions how to treat affective disorders or physical disorders

Strength

Empowerment

Deficit

Expert driven

Deficits and Expert driven approaches are not helpful!!!

Quadrant IIIExamples:Labeling and diagnosis, “patienthood” and clienthood,” citizens in passive role

Quadrant IVExamples:Just say no! You can do it! Cheerleading approaches, Make nice approaches

Moohamad Yunus: The anti-expert

Strengths and Empowerment

Prevention and Changing Conditions: Women of Kerala

SPEC is about Outcomes

And about process

Can’t have a good outcome without a good process

Without a good process the outcomes are superficial and not sustainable

New SPECs Three-year action research project

Oasis Center

Bethlehem Center

MarthaO’BryanCenter

UNHS

Principles of New SPECs

Ownership by workers and community members

Participation of workers and community members

Home grown solutions Practice and reflection Learning and taking risks together

Goals of New SPECs

Develop practices in line with SPEC Develop policies in line with SPEC Institutionalize SPEC in the life of the

organization and the community

Challenges in New SPECs

Too much process without outcomes Too many outcomes without a good

process Institutionalize SPEC in the life of the

organizations Ownership for sustainability “Power before program”

Opportunities

Create in partnership a new model for health and human services

Help in efficient ways millions of people who are currently suffering because the conditions are too overwhelming for them to overcome on their own

Educate millions of health and human service providers on the benefits of a SPEC approach

Accomplishments to date

Commitment Research Learning Perseverance Changes in various organizations Energized workforce Meaning

It’s like Venice…..

Venice’s Lesson

“The psychotherapist, social worker or social reformer, concerned only with his own clients and their grievance against society, perhaps takes a view comparable to the private citizen of Venice who concerns himself only with the safety of his own dwelling and his own ability to get about the city. But if the entire republic is slowly being submerged, individual citizens cannot afford to ignore their collective fate, because, in the end, they all drown together if nothing is done” (Badcock, 1982)

Thank you for wearing new SPECs!!