 |
| 401 State Ave. Alamosa, CO 81101 Phone: 719-589-2553 -- Fax: 719-589-6573 |
|
|
 |
 Van Pelt co-authors chapter in social work textbook By RUTH HEIDE  Mary Van Pelt holds a copy of the
recently-published textbook “Social Work in Rural Communities” which
contains a chapter she co-authored.ALAMOSA — Alamosa resident Mary Van Pelt transformed a painful chapter of her life into a written chapter of the recently-released textbook “Social Work in Rural Communities.” Van Pelt co-authored the 23-page chapter “The Challenges of Dual Relationships and the Continuum of Care in Rural Mental Health” with Dr. Susan S. Manning, associate professor of social work at the University of Denver. “Social Work in Rural Communities” is a graduate-level textbook edited by Leon H. Ginsberg. In her portion of the book, Van Pelt relates some of her experiences as both a mental health staff and client, or consumer. “It grew out of some really painful experiences when my employment ended at mental health,” Van Pelt said. Manning had been contacted by Ginsberg to provide a chapter about rural mental health issues. When Van Pelt spoke with Manning about her concerns with rural mental health, Manning suggested they write about them in this chapter. “It was a beautiful collaboration,” Van Pelt said. “It is a scholarly piece of work with references,” Van Pelt said. “I am so proud of it.” She said when others had told her “these aren’t problems,” she was glad to hear Dr. Manning acknowledge “these are problems. We need to write about it. I am just pretty thrilled.” Van Pelt met Manning in 1991 when Van Pelt was involved with the statewide group SCCORE (Statewide Consumers of Colorado Organized for Rights and Empowerment). Van Pelt was one of the few rural representatives in the group. The two worked on a research project at that time. In their recently-published textbook chapter, Manning and Van Pelt talk about dual relationships. Van Pelt said dual relationships exist when a counselor sees a person in a professional way but has other contact with that client outside of work. For example, their children may go to school together. “You have a client, a person diagnosed with mental illness, and your children are in school together. Can we be friends with each other?” Van Pelt said sexual relationships between counselor and client are never all right. That is not the kind of relationship she is talking about, however. “There’s all these other areas of gray,” she said. She said dual relationships need to be addressed in a fair and just manner. “It’s all about fences and boundaries. As we grow, the boundaries need to change,” she said. As people diagnosed with mental illness become educated and more capable, the fences between consumer and staff become more difficult to maintain, she said. When that happens, it challenges the system. “That’s what happened to me,” she said. “I challenged them because I was well, not because I was ill.” In the chapter Van Pelt describes it “like I had outgrown what the family could provide for me. But there was no gentle transition; no time to develop wings …” In the book chapter she and Manning suggest a new organizational structure needs to be developed to encompass such growth. For example, they suggest a change in attitude, as well as new programs and activities, to accommodate people who have advanced in their recovery but still need some level of nurturing. Van Pelt said her growth developed as her learning increased and as she realized what her stress limits were. “That’s really a survival skill for someone diagnosed with mental illness, knowing your stress limits and how you are going to care for yourself. You learn what your limits are, and you had better be real serious about how you care for yourself. “Eating right and sleeping are important for everybody, but for me they are even more critical, and I take them very seriously because that’s part of what keeps me well.” Van Pelt has lived in the San Luis Valley since 1979 when she came here to attend Adams State College. She has worked with La Puente, Emergency Food Bank, Christian Community Services, Blue Peaks Developmental Services and the SLV Comprehensive Community Mental Health Center. Of her 20 years of human service work, she worked about half of that time at the mental health center. Diagnosed bipolar, Van Pelt was both a consumer and staff member of the mental health center until her employment ended there a few years ago. She has since sought alternative health care. “This is my passion,” she said. She said leaving the center was like a death to her, leaving huge holes in her life, because the clients and staff were like family to her. Van Pelt now spends a great deal of her time volunteering with KRZA where she enjoys a flexible schedule allowing her to maintain her role in mental health advocacy. “I continue to do this work. It’s very important to me. I continue to maintain my contacts statewide and at the national level … and I will continue to do this work until I die. I think that’s my calling.” She said she feels strongly about civil rights, particularly the issue of “sustainable and meaningful employment for people diagnosed with mental illness. We can do more than janitorial. Janitorial is right for some people, but some of us grow beyond that and we need the opportunity to do more and be compensated for it.” Van Pelt hopes to collaborate with Manning on future projects. Last October Van Pelt and Manning gave a presentation, “Growth Challenges in Boundaries of Traditional Systems” at the “Alternatives 2004” national conference in Denver. “That’s exactly what’s happening right now,” Van Pelt said. “All the rules of boundaries and traditional ethics have not caught up with the changes that are happening when the people diagnosed with mental illness get well or recover.” Van Pelt has been involved with advocacy efforts since 1988 and enjoyed seeing people at the 2004 conference she had worked with years before. She also enjoyed meeting people like Patricia Deegan, Judi Chamberlin and Daniel Fisher who have been an inspiration to her. All three are people diagnosed with mental illness who have achieved education, distinction and empowerment, Van Pelt said. “I was honored to hear them speak and be a part of it.” “Social Work in Rural Communities,” is available at www.cswe.org. Send us your comments about this article. |