Cathy Nañez, MS, OTR/L OTTP, being a community-based organization, provides services at a variety of locations. One site in particular, called Log Cabin Ranch, is a facility for males between the ages of 14-18, who are detained for a minimum of 8 months as a result of being involved with the juvenile justice system. Yesterday, while I was working with a youth at Log Cabin Ranch, he asked: “Cathy, why do you bother to come work with us up here?” As I thought for a moment, I reflected on a similar question asked by a friend about what, in life, inspires me to do my best work. And I turned to this young man and I said: “Do you really want to know? I come to work with you and the other youth here because I feel as if it’s part of my life’s purpose. I see young men who have been exposed to so much trauma, violence, drugs, and unfortunate circumstances in their young life that I wonder how can they believe that there’s anything more to life than what they witness within their neighborhoods, their city of San Francisco, or even the state of California for that matter. I come to work with the residents of Log Cabin Ranch because it’s an opportunity to equip them with the skills they will need in order to be a more productive member of society and have a better quality of life. I try to convince them, that by identifying their strengths, skills, and interests, and then building upon those things, the possibilities for their future are limitless. I believe that the past experiences of each of the young men here, were far more challenging to overcome, than choosing a more successful path in life from this point on. And I point out, that although it may be difficult, it most certainly is doable. I have hope that at least one life will be impacted in a way that motivates that youth to choose the life they really want versus being satisfied with what has been dealt to them so far.” And this young man was looking at me so intently; I wondered if he was trying to assess my sincerity. After a few seconds he said: “Well, I’m glad that you come up here to work with us.” And I responded: “Thanks, because so am I.” Cathy Nañez, MS, OTR/L OTTP-SF CommentsLeave a Reply | AuthorsThis blog is a collection of the perspectives of the occupational therapists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists that collaborate to provide services to at-risk youth on a daily basis. They are excited to share their perspectives and the experiences that inspire them to pursue this exciting line of work. ArchivesNovember 2011 Categories |
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