Part 2: Lack of Social Services in N.O.

Last post I said I would follow up on the notion of lack of social services in New Orleans. A number of clients (adults) I see are struggling financially, or are homeless, or close to homeless. And many of them have various physical maladies (e.g., diabetes, chronic pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, frequent headaches, gout, etc.).

I do the best I can to offer services outside of my realm, which is mental health. But usually they run into brick walls. And no doubt, it's sometimes because the clients give up looking for resources. But I would argue that it is difficult for a healthy person who has limited emotional problems and few medical issues to work their way through the social-services system. Consequently, someone who is suffering from Bipolar Disorder, who struggles with apathy and anhedonia, and has diabetes, sleep apnea, and migrane headaches, would find it exponentially more difficult to wend her way through the complicated system we have.

There is some good case management work being done (e.g., the Advocacy Center) but it's not enough and most clients just see it as another layer of something they have to do, and expecting it to be of little help.

Next time I'll offer some suggestions.

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On Lack of Social Services in New Orleans Area

Something that's been on my mind for about one year is, as the title says, the lack of services for those with various needs in New Orleans.

For instance, recently I've had a number of clients who were homeless, or close to homeless, without a job, and who had numerous physical maladies. Now, there are some places that come to mind for these needs, but people think because a place says it helps certain clientele that means they automatically get services. It's just a matter of calling them, going on to their offices, or getting on a waiting list.

This is far from the truth. Next time I'll talk more about this.

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Climate Change Evidence

Where I live, in the New Orleans area, we are getting hit by torrential weather. I was just thinking to myself as I jogged outside recently that the air was thicker and hotter than I ever remember it. It seemed the perfect incubator for cataclysmic weather.

I don't claim to be Nostradamus, but horrific weather events seem inevitable with the thicker, hotter air many areas are experiencing. Unfortunately there are many pockets of ideology that are hindering progress on turning back climate change.

Ideology may be king for a time, but hopefully a coup resides in science.

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Call Scotland Yard!

I find myself drawn more and more to unusual news. And there seems more of it than ever (possibly having to do with the Executive branch of government).

Today I saw that Taco Bell is running short of tortillas. A spokesperson at TB said, "[w]e are working diligently to replenish our supply."

Sometimes in life you don't know what you have until your don't have your cheesy bean-filled burrito.