Meeting People Where They're At

As a Community Mental Health and Addictions Worker, one of my biggest challenges is to meet people where they’re at and not where I want them to be. This means I have to accept people for who they are, and not who I know they can be. I am on the front line as a harm reduction worker and my duties include supporting my team as well as going out and connecting with the street community.

When I came into this field, I had a predetermined notion about the job and the people I would be supporting. Nothing could have prepared me for the constantly growing spectrum of need that is presented before me every day.

Unconditional support

We all have personal values and opinions, and as professionals, it is our job to adhere to a code of ethics. Working with such a vulnerable population strains the lines of what I would deem acceptable or sustainable living situations. It can be hard to start my day accepting that I will encounter and witness scenes and situations that would be out of the ordinary in normal circumstances but have become common on the street.

Whether it be drug induced psychosis or unacceptable living arrangements, I bring to the field a non-judgemental, loving and compassionate attitude to be of maximum service to the people I serve. Even if someone’s actions go against my personal values, it is my code of ethics to support the people on the street and meet their needs in that moment.

As safe as possible

As a recovered addict who spent many years on the street, I understand the great lengths an addict will go through to maintain their habits.

Even though it can be painful to witness a person’s downfall and feel as though I participated in the process, it is my job as a harm reduction worker to help someone be as safe as possible while meeting them where they’re at. By giving someone clean supplies to partake in drug use, I am giving them the opportunity to make it to the next day. Maybe the next day they will make better choices for themselves.

Thanks to the skills I learned in my Community Mental Health and Addiction Worker program along with personal experience, I feel confident that I am making a difference and for that I am grateful.