Miriam Shankweiler As a program assistant at S.O.A.R., I follow a schedule, but every day is different. I start my shift around 8:00 a.m., relieving the night staff. I get the keys and find out if anything happened overnight. Breakfast clean up is at 9:00 and lunch runs from 11:00 to 12:30. In the afternoon, there is either snack or a group, and on Wednesdays, the 902 clinic stops by and the residents have a chance to talk to a psychiatrist. The rest of the day is played by ear. I open doors and cabinets, record when medicines are taken and help out with fire drills. Some days, I vacuum and other days I run donations or mail to Miryams, another program of Bethlehem Haven. A day at work really means doing whatever needs to be done, so that the residents are safe and empowered to build a better life while living with a mental illness. This takes me to the most important part of my job: the residents! My boss encourages me to spend at least 15 minutes each day with each resident, discussing how they are doing and supporting healthy habits. I am there for them, and together we strive for a healthy community. |
"Doing What Needs to be Done"