Real Life at the Crisis Shelter June 11-17, 2012

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Weekly highlights

Monday June 11:    One of our families discovered that they had head lice.  We isolated them while they worked through treatment.  Fortunately, this family had their own room.  A couple of our moms are showing a consistent disregard for the instructions of staff.  We are talking to them about how to better handle frustration.                 

Tuesday June 12:   Moved a single to phase 2 when she was having personal care issues that were impacting her room mates dramatically.  Two of our singles are having a bit of war of words that seems to be escalating.  We were trying to handle it with conversations. But it did not take long until threats were flying.  When we checked into things one of the singles had been out and just walked into the room when the threats happened so the “attacker” was asked to leave.  She left dramatically.  CPS called us and asked us to move a mom who’s daughter was having trouble with her roommate’s daughter.  We complied.  We checked in a young woman who is overly friendly with the kids (picking them up and playing with them).  The moms are getting nervous.  Staff have witnessed this guest being touchy (not necessarily inappropriate but not always welcomed).  We are talking to her and have given her strong encouragement to change her behavior.        

Wednesday June 13:     One of our guests took too much of her medication and went to the hospital.  They had made some adjustments to her medications and she misunderstood what she was to take.   One of our moms had a court date today that she was stressed over.  Staff had prayed with her about the court case on Tuesday where they mostly dropped the case.  She will still need to go to rehab in about a week but the charges have been dropped.

Thursday June 14:   When I returned to the shelter from teaching the Engaged work seminar at the mission, three police cars were in a blocking position in the parking lot and there were social workers and police all over the place.  One of out moms that we checked in the night before had been reported to CPS by the police before they dropped her off.  CPS had been looking for this mom and came to take the child.  She was a flight risk.  The officer gave her a chance to take a drug test to keep her kids when she maintained her innocence.  We offered to take the test for her but she refused.  Ultimately the police took the child.  One of our volunteers took a tour of IChoice with one of our guests.  This was eye opening and a blessing for the guest.  We had a mom who we have had numerous conversations with about keeping her kids with her.  She simply refused so she was asked to leave.  Our single with hygiene issues has now been moved out of the shelter completely as she refuses to make improvements.       

Friday June 15: We did lots of breathalyzer tests tonight.  They all came out negative!       

Weekend:    On Saturday in two separate, unrelated incidents ladies fell and hit their heads very hard.  Both times (within 30 minutes of each other) ambulances were called and the ladies went to the hospital.

General comments:   We had a staff/volunteer potluck at Oasis Park on Saturday.  We had a good time and then closed by going to the shelter to pray for peace since it has felt very disruptive as of late.  Things were quiet on Sunday and Monday.  One of the ladies who fell was released later that night and was fully ok.