Another Good Idea

  The other night my son Luke mentioned he wanted to obtain his Notary. I thought it was difficult, but comes-to-find-out all you really need is to obtain the State Required Seal and recommended supplies; complete the state Notary Application; and finally join the National Notary Association.  Sounds like just a lot of crossing palms with silver kind of drill. 

But I asked him, why did he want that?

“Because I can then notarize that I can drive a truck; or own assault weapons, or best of all, that I’m a clown.  Think of it pop, I can be a notorious clown.”

He had a point, that’s an enviable title to possess and very influential on a resume.

  But, just between us, I’m going to leave that sit for the moment and address another bright solution to an otherwise sticky situation.

There's this new initiative by our government, called the Peer Support Specialist; the short version looks like this to me ~ there are so many military coming back from the war emotionally screwed up beyond all recognition that there just are not enough psychologist on board to go around.  The conventional method of growing Psychologist is way too time intensive and frankly, just can't keep up with the pressing demand; nor is the profession able to tweak the process giving 'practice-without-degree' status to anyone without fearing (and rightly so) litigation for malpractice; (even those now licensed are sued over trifle complaints over quality and timely delivery of ‘all better’.)

   Oddly enough, this is exactly the sort of situation that occurred after WWII when psychiatrist experienced an overwhelming demand for their skills by the deluge of victorious veterans coming home from the front. Back then, they figured a great solution to the patient-to-doctor ratio would be to pull the number-crunching-do-nothing psychologist out of their laboratories and make them do something for their paychecks besides torturing mice. At least, the conventional thinking went, Psychologist were after all PhD’s...sort of; the way Jew’s-harp is a musical instrument, (note to Jew’s-harp aficionados…no intentional offense to your talent or skills.)

  So then, today, the call is out for this new position of Peer Support Specialist (that does pretty much most of the therapeutic tasks of a psychologist at a fraction of the cost) and it’s like going great guns in the job recruiting arena; I've received at least four invites from VeteransResourceCenter; to USJOBS.GOV; as well as USAJOBS.GOV; and VA.YouBetWeWillHireYourAss.gov…OK I made the last one up. Yet, getting into the details is an education in and of itself.

Such as: To enter into the requisite training for certification, (and this is ON the state web page under the subtopic of directions for training)

   “Candidates must have a primary diagnosis of mental illness or ( like the more is better positive spin) a dual diagnosis of mental illness and addictive disease….along with a strong desire to identify themselves as a person with mental illness, current or former consumer of mental health services.”  It also goes on to articulate,

    “You must …be well grounded in your recovery (one year between diagnosis and application to the training)”

I thought. Hmmm

I know the original 'good idea' from the hallway was similar in nature to,

   "Look, all of our substance abuse counselors are prior addicts, and that turned out swimmingly; just look at how smashing a success that program is! (not), so let's keep that template and have these new pseudo-psychologist be from the population of the mentally ill? Sounds like a plan dude!"

Let's extrapolate on that rationale~

  Only Doctors with brain tumors can operate on patients with tumors; oh and say, how about,..I got it...let's have rapist counsel rape victims and rapist? I mean, from a point of view, he speaks both their language wouldn't he? I see a linear connection here, and say, a soldier struggling with antisocial tendencies prodded by alcohol enhanced mental disorders should be just the very fellow to empathize with the guy gingerly petting his AR-15, (named Darlene) in his lap.

   Ah I'm reminiscing over the beautiful moment from the movie FULL METAL JACKET~

Gunnery Sergeant Hartman: What is this Mickey Mouse shit? What in the name of Jesus H. Christ are you animals doing in my head? Why is Private Pyle out of his bunk after lights-out? Why is Private Pyle holding that weapon? Why aren't you stomping Private Pyle's guts out?

Private Joker: Sir, it is the private's duty to inform the senior drill instructor that Private Pyle has a full magazine that is locked and loaded...sir.

  Yes, that didn't end well for Gunnery Sergeant Harman NOR Private Pyle.

Now I can say call me crazy enough to be a peer support kinda empathetic fellow. But to get it certified...

hell....I'll need a notary....saaaayyyy