Social Capital: Why Relationships Matter

Most of you who know my work, know that along with leading CLASS (Community Living and Support Services - @CLASSPGH), and teaching at The University of Pittsburgh, I do a fair amount of speaking and presentations on the concept of Social Capital (the value relationships bring to our lives). In fact, in 2010 I helped launch an international coalition, "The Interndependence Network," that has done some surveying of community engagement patterns for people with disabilities (www.buildingsocialcapital.org). 

In most of this work, we talk about the huge disparity that exists between people with and without disabilities in community engagement opportunities, and ways that we can change this reality. All of this is important because Social Capital has been associated with most all that is good about life, including: health, happiness, self confidence, employment, advancement, achievement, and even life expectancy. And for people with disabilities (any type, happening at anytime) all of these variables are behind typical norms. 

Most of the time, however, people coming to my workshops, or presentations are human service professionals working with people who have disabilities, and think they will learn strategies to help their clients. And they do.  But in reality my thesis is much broader. In fact, the notion of Social Capital is something that we all need to learn more about, and develop strategies for ourselves. In a way, relationships are a 2 way street, and for everything you take, there are things you must also give away. 

So, no matter your professional background, or work, learning more about Social Capital will help you; with your family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. And the more open you are to relationships, the better you make your community. 

If you want to know more about Social Capital, take a look at our recent book, "Social Capital: The Key to Macro Change," highlighted on my website, o available at www.lapublishing.com.

"If" - Do You Lead a Balanced Life?

Recently I was invited to offer some thoughts on a friend who is being honored for his years of service to individuals and families who are experiencing disability in Vancouver, BC. Knowing that I could not clear my calendar to actually attend, the planners asked me to send a video with some remarks. 

As I reflected on my friend and his career, I looked to find some sayings, or a poem that might be relevant, and I began to pour through my poetry books for inspiration. 

I didn't get far when I found, what is probably my favorite poem, and it fit so well for my friend. It was the poem, "If," by Rudyard Kipling, which was published in 1910. This poem is a classic and what is brilliant about its construction is the juxtaposition of the good and bad. With lines like, "If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two impostors just the same," Kipling promotes a life of balance. 

This notion of balance, of being able to blend and diversify is, I believe, a key element to full life success. The balance of work and family, of social and serious, of laughing and crying are the notions of keeping us alive. You appreciate the highs when you stay aware of the lows. As Kipling says: "If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue; or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much." This typified my friend in Vancouver and was perfect for my remarks. 

So take a minute now, and read Kipling's masterpiece, "If." You can quickly find this with a simple google search, and as you read it, think about your own life. Can you relate, and if not, think about the changes necessary to balance your life. 

Education, Experience, and Wisdom

Many of you know that along with my role as CEO of CLASS (Community Living and Support Services) I also teach in the School of Health and Rehab Sciences at Pitt. One class I teach each year is "Organizational Theory and Behavior." This course introduces the structure, history, and impact of organizational theory and since we are preparing our students to be successful in the organizations they join, we feel this is an important topic. 

One concept we cover in this course is the "knowing/doing" gap. Quite simply this construct suggests that there are 2 key routes to organizational success for potential employees. One is knowing the subject matter of the company, and this implies learning, studying, and analyzing aspects related to the focus of the organization. In many ways, this is what colleges, universities, and some aspects of trade schools do. We teach our students all about the elements necessary in the field that they hope to work in. 

The other part of this construct is "doing," and here is where experience comes in. Actually working and learning the trade from inside by doing the work necessary. In some parlance, we identify this as the "school of hard knocks."  In a way, learning by doing.

Both of these elements (education and experience) are important to work life success and they are not mutually exclusive. You can learn from books, but until you put this knowledge to action, it remains primarily abstract. And, on the other side, you can learn by doing something, but unless you take the time and discipline to dig deeper and educate yourself more in the topic, you will only have a shallow reality. That is why we work hard at Pitt to get our students internships, placements, and field experience while they are learning and studying - so they can lessen the "knowing/doing"  gap.

And this is where wisdom comes into play. As you begin to accumulate lessons from your doing, and then sharpen your understanding from learning more, wisdom develops. Of course, the older we get, and the more we accumulate lessons from life, the wiser we become. In a way, wisdom is the by-product of knowing and doing. 

Think about it, and how you can continue to "learn" as you "do." Wisdom will surely follow.

Culturation and Cultural Diffusion: Broadening our Perspective on New Things

Often, when I am asked to talk about the need to impact community (and promote macro change) I use the term "culturing" or "Culturation."  People usually think this means education, but I see a big difference between education and culturation. To me, education is a deliberate attempt to promote a particular thesis to a particular group of people. The educator has a plan and often compliments their approach with books, materials, pamphlets, and the like. The goal is to get the audience to appreciate and then act on the new information. 

Culturation, on the other hand, is a much more informal, and to a certain extent, a broader and insidious process. It is about presence, and patterns and observable cues that are couched in the environment and language of the members of the culture. It is about informal leadership patterns, valued roles, and influential cultural features that lead way to an appreciation and understanding or that which is new.

Often education is anticeptic, and downward. That is, the teacher packages the information, introduces the students to it, and then tests or evaluates the students retention.  In fact, in more classic interpratation, gauges the student to see if they "learned" the new material. With Culturation, however, the process is different. It is not clear who the influencer is, and exactly when the influence might play out. As something new, say a person, product, or idea is introduced to the culture it is done in softer ways. People just come to know through presence and constancy.

Anthropologists call this type of learning, "cultural diffusion." It relates to the process of new information or experiences becoming absorbed by the culture. Once a critical mass of people start to act on the new information, cultural learning has occurred. 

It is my contention that we need to think more about the process of cultural diffusion in our work than using "difference-related education. We must understand how new information, no matter how diverse, becomes a part of the cultural norm.  This is a better way for new people to become included in the community. To this end, inclusion strategies work better through cultural diffusion.

Web Design Impact: Telling Your Story

The internet has revolutionized the opportunities to communicate, connect, and to pitch your skills or services to others. To this end, most of us have turned to Facebook, Twitter, or other means to tell our stories. 

For me, I try to use these medians to promote ideas and thoughts related to community engagement, building social capital, and inclusion of all people into our circles. This, of course, is in line with my work, passion, and world view.  Quite simply I believe we are better together and an inclusive community is one that is more vibrant, healthier, and happier.  

To this end, most of my Facebook posts, and Tweets are toward this goal. Further, the launching of my website, and this blog has helped me continue to share ideas and strategies on ways we can all be more inclusive and engaged in our communities.  And this gets me to the point of this blog today. 

When I decided to set up a website, like most of my friends who have done this, I was overwhelmed on where, and how to start.  This is where my daughter, Gianna (www.giannarotunno.com), came in to save the day. Gianna is a talented designer, artist, and educator, not to mention, my favorite daughter. She simplified the process, set up the pages, designed my logo, selected colors and fonts, and got me up and running quickly, inexpensively, and with a cool, professional look.  Further, she manages my site, uploads documents, and keeps my schedule up to date.  All of this allows me to focus on what I like to do, and am good at.  And this has increased the impact of my message and increased opportunity for me to tell the story of social capital.

So, take a look at my site. If you like what you see, and are thinking about developing your own website, or re-doing yours, drop Gianna a note at her website listed above. She would be happy to show you how she can make your online appearance dynamic, current, and reflective of who you are and what you do.

Books and their Impact

Over the years I have had opportunity to do a fair amount of writing. In fact, as the son of a writer and editor (my dad loved to write) I was always around journalism and writing seemed to always be in my blood.  Of course, the corollary to writing is reading, and as such, I am also a prolific reader. I always have 3 or 4 books going at one time, and never lose an opportunity to read when I can.

It is this love of reading that got me to a couple books that I want to tell you about. The first is titled, The Bend in the Road, by Yvonne Daley and chronicles the development of the Lenny Burke Farm (available at www.northshire.com ).  Lenny was a stellar basketball player in his town of Chittenden, VT, until he experienced a significant head injury in a game that changed his (and his family"s) life.  The result was the development of the Lenny Burke Farm, which has served as a support system for other men and women who have experienced brain injuries. Yvonne tells the story with dignity and passion.  More, all proceeds of the book go to help support the programs and services at the Farm.  Take a look.

The other book is titled, The Sibling Survival Guide, edited by Don Meyer and Emily Holl (www.woodbinehouse.com ). With other great contributors, Don and Emily explore the critical role that brothers and sisters play in the life and experiences of youngsters with disabilities. Bore from direct experiences, these guys take on the challenging realities of interplay that happens with siblings. Over the past couple years I have had opportunity to know and work with Emily and her impact with family members experiencing disabilities has been profound. This is an important read.

So, take a look at these excellent books, and keep open to what you might be able to do to build a community where everyone belongs.

Community Engagement - How Relationships Initiate

Over the past year, I have been involved in a cool advocacy effort in Ohio titled, "The Good Life Project." It is sponsored by the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities and has empowered folks involved in disability services to dig deeper into elements related to helping people with disabilities live  a "good life" in the community. Under the leadership of Pete Moore, and Willie Jones, our faculty includes some phenomenal thinkers in the disability movement including Allan Bergman, Meg O'Connell, Patti Scott, and Dave Hasbury.

My specific part of this project is to work with a subgroup on developing better ways for "community connections."   We have met a number of times, both face to face, as well as in webinar format.  It has allowed for a more focused look at community inclusion and what it takes to develop more social capital.

This past week, we looked specifically at community engagement and how most of us typically relate to community and engage with others.   The conversation was instructive, as all of us "engage" in community, but have you ever thought more deeply about this process.

Engagement always surrounds our participation with others focusing on something we have in common.  Usually these settings are formal, quasi-formal, or just plain informal.  Each person who participates has something to offer, and something to gain.  And when we commit to these gatherings, our regularity of attendance creates a "bridge" to other people.  The differences we have, over time, become muted as the topic of engagement align us to the others. 

All these things happen subtly, and somewhat insidiously and the seeds of relationships get sown.  Engagement is seminal to social capital.  Think about it - and engage more.  Your social capital is sure to grow!

The Secret to Innovation

Everyone wants to be more innovative in their work and tasks.  In a way, we think that when we are innovative we will get a competitive edge, and enhance our success.  And, in a way, this is true. Innovative people and companies do tend to be more successful.

So when I saw Walter Isaacson's new book, "The Innovators" I scooped it right up. You might remember, that Isaacson did the biography on Steve Jobs, and has penned a number of excellent works, mostly biographies, of innovative folks; Franklin, Einstein and the like.

The book is a fascinating account of the innovation of the personal computer, from its conceptualization, back in 1837, to its current impact on our lives today. Isaacson does a great job highlighting the various junctions of innovation and how these steps unfolded.  For me, 2 powerful insights occurred as I read this book, and both seem to be clearly aligned with innovation, no matter your field or how you want to see it applied.

One is that innovation takes time.  That is, each key step in the development of the personal computer, from the transistor, to microprocessor, and others, took, in some cases, years to initiate. That notion of the "ah ha" moment is often diluted with slow, and tedious efforts leading up to it. In a way, the "overnight success" theory is a myth.

And the other insight, and myth, is that innovation has been romanticized to appear as a solo activity.  The notion of one man/woman, in a garage by themselves, coming up with a new product, is also not how it happens.  Indeed, it appears that innovation is the product of social capital, where ideas get batted around by friends, associates, allies, competitors, and the like. As collections of people hear, react, challenge, cajole, or opine on ideas, they mature and get molded into something better.

So, no matter your field or area, remember these 2 things.  One is that you keep moving forward and understand that the innovation process takes time; and you must share, compare, and listen closely to others as they comment.  These are the ingredients that can change the world.

The Art of Welcoming

All people need a place to connect. Somewhere inside each of us is a longing to be sincerely welcomed. This is a challenging notion because we are all so busy, that often we skip these collective experiences in an effort to get that one last thing done. Or, we are too distracted to reach out to other people attempting to join in. Yet, if we lose, or dismiss these collective opportunities, we put ourselves in a position of isolation and disconnection.  This, in turn, diminishes the essence of our collective humanity.

As we make efforts to embrace a new year we must resolve to accomplish 2 things. One is to participate more in collective activities. To join groups, clubs, or associations, or to make an effort to be more regular in the groups we already hold membership has got to be a priority. Finding time to engage with others is an imparative that keeps us human.

More, we must do our best to be cognizant of the welcoming of others. We must be the first to say hello, or extend a hand, or to acknowledge them. Just as you want to feel welcomed, when we are in situations where others are attempting to join our group, we must do our best to make them feel accepted.  

Welcoming others is a proactive process. Think about it! 

Depth through Discipline

With a barrage of holiday parties, I found myself engaged in a myriad of conversations on all the topics of the day.  Inevitably, everyone had an opinion on most all the topics we were discussing and most people punctuated their thoughts with, "I read about that on the internet."

This caused me to think about how powerful the internet is in passing information. Yet given our fast paced world, this information is often framed in short, and brief snipit's. Most of the things we frame opinions on are usually quick and hasty frameworks driven by authors, or sources we favor. 

Although this kind of information is helpful, it hardly is enough to cover all the issues related to a complex topic.  Take the racial struggles happening around our country. When someone sees a video on the internet related to Furguson, or NYC, this is clearly not enough information to frame a conclusion in answering the deeper questions of "why" or quilt/innocence, or even the implications of racism.

These questions are invitations to look further into issues before framing conclusions. This deeper exploration, however, require discipline. That is, taking the time, energy, and openness necessary in researching an issue to really understand it. Yet discipline is a hard concept to subscribe to, given the pace and distractions of the world. 

I remember the questions I had in college, when advisors told me of all the classes I needed to take to qualify for a degree. I wondered, often aloud, as to why I needed to take courses that seemingly had no relevance to what I was interested in. Often the answer to these questions, understood years later, was wrapped in the discipline necessary to connect issues essential to understanding the things I really wanted to master. 

So, the next time you are confronted with a complex issue, ask yourself what you really know about the topic. If you are intrigued, take the time and energy - the discipline - to try to understand.  

The Macro Change Handbook - Advocating for a Better Community

So I just sent my newest book manuscript to my publisher, www.lapublishing.com, for editing and preparation to be published early next year.  This book, is a companion to our most recent book, "Social Capital: The Key to Macro Change," but looks more formally at culture change.   

If you are familiar with my perspective on change, honed over the past 44 years as an advocate, you know that I see 2 major tracks for change. One is "Micro Change" where the onus of adjustment is on the individual. This approach typifies most human service efforts, that expect the vulnerable person to change and adapt to the world. 

The other approch, and one I am more interested in however, is "Macro Change," which looks at changing the environment and perceptions around the vulnerable person. The target for macro change is everyone else in the community. 

As I have been researching, studying, and exploring macro change, in this construct I see 2 major routes to making culture change happen.  One is the informal process of promoting social capital and allowing relationships to guide the change. This process is explored in our book, "Social Capital," which was released in Feb of 2014.

However, there is also a more formal aspect to macro change that is found in organizing people and advocating for official, legal, or regulatory change, that raises consciousness, and dictates how society should behave.  This more formal approach is the focus of my new book, "The Macro Change Handbook." 

So if you see yourself as an advocate for change, regardless of the issue at hand, you will want to see this new book. Soon I will have sections up on my website, but in the meantime, keep checking in with Lash Publishing for the publication date. 

together, we can change the world! 

Social Capital - the give and take

As I continue to study and think about social capital the notion of give and take always unfolds. That is, how much you give, and then what you take in the relationships in your life.  We often like to think that this is a 50/50 proposition, but that is rarely the case.

Our give and take in relationships can vary wildly, and there are variables that impact this in many ways. In a way, we don't build social capital so we can get things, but in every relationship we have, we alway do. 

Now, these deposits and withdrawals with our social capital can be tangible and intangible.   The tangible things we give and get can be measured, but the intangibles are much more abstract - just as important, yet harder to see.

So what do you get (and give) in your relationship exchange, and more important, what are the intangibles? As you open presents this holiday season, you can touch and feel the tangible gift in your hand, but what is the intangible exchange unfolding?  

When we awaken to the intangibles, our lives are enriched all the more! 

Shibumi- Simplicity blended with Complexity

Years ago, I was introduced to the Japanese word, "Shibumi" which means simple, yet subtle beauty.  In a way, if something is considered shibumi, it a blend of simple, yet complex elements.  Something shibumi seems so simple, yet when you look closer at it, the complexity is dramatic.

An example might be a Japanese garden. If you have ever wandered through these gardens, they seem so basic, almost understated. Yet, if you are really observant (some might say alive) you see the deep beauty, and complex features of the garden - how the sand is raked, the position of the rocks, the way the bonsai trees are trimmed. 

Over the recent years, I have thought much (research, writings, presentations) on the concept so "social capital."  In this effort, I have looked at how powerful the social residue is when we build relationships.  We know that in tangible ways, our lives are bettered through the relationships we forge.  We also know that when people are isolated, for any reason, bad things can happen.  Sociologists are convinced, that the more relationships (both quantitative, and qualitative) people have, they are happier, healthier, achieve more, advance more, and even live longer.  Powerful stuff! 

So, in a way, the message of social capital is very simple - get more friends and your life will be better.  Yet, any consideration of friendship, or relationships suggest a deep, and complicated challenge.  In a way, social capital is a "shibumi" concept. 

Think about it?  How a good of a friend are you?  How successful have you been in friendships?  Have you ever struggled gaining, retaining, or growing friendships? 

If any of this interests you, either personally, or professionally, keep an eye on this blog.  Or take a deeper look at the resources on my website. 

In spite of the wind, rain, and weather, the Japanese Gardner continues to work at his garden.  It needs raked, trimmed, and renewed everyday.  Simple things are needed in the path of complexity. 

Community and Diversity - How an inclusive culture works for everyone

The concept of community is a really powerful element in our lives. Quite literally it means "with togetherness" and it does more for us than we tend to give credit. Some anthropologists suggest that community is the primary reason why human beings have not only survived, but thrived as a species. Certainly as an animal, human beings lack many of the acute skills and abilities of physicality to succeed on our own and so by sharing, collaborating and cooperating everyone does better. This is the history of human success.

Think about it. In spite of our individual skills or abilities anyone of us who have experienced success have not realized this totally on our own. Our success is a compilation of people, and experiences with other people that have informed, inspired, challenged, or cajoled us into performance or activity tht lead to the success we have enjoyed. From our parents, to teachers, to coaches, to friends, life is riddled with relationships that form community and make us better people. 

It is this reality that has driven social scientists to come to the conclusion that life success is promoted, not just by our individual skills, but more by the social capital we have developed around us. Today researchers are convinced that all good things of life; health, happiness, advancement, achievement, and even life expectancy, are directly related to social capital. Indeed, the term "social capital" is a deliberate effort to remind us that our relationships are tangibly valuable to us. 

More, see also know through research and study that the more diverse our social capital, the more we grow or broaden in our perspective of self and life. Quite simply, when we build a relationship with someone who has some differences from us, we become more tolerant, and willing to accept or even respect their difference from us. This is an important, maybe even magical phenomenon because we also know that when people have or experience key elements of difference they are at risk of societal segregation and devaluation. The antidote for devaluation is to be included in the bigger mix, and so with an inclusive agenda for community, we have an interesting and powerful paradox. 

To this end, diversity in community becomes an important variable in promoting a better, more successful collection of people. That is, when people who have some significant difference from each other (age, race, lifestyle, disability, poverty, etc.) come together around things they have in common, good things happen for everyone. In this regard, inclusive community should become a goal for all of us. 

So, where do we start? How do we make for a better community? It all begins with each of us, individually. Find time, today, to start a conversation in your communities, and promote ways and means for more diverse people to enter into the conversation. In this regard, we all win! 

Social Capital - Meaning Something to Someone

Scanning through my Twitter feed I found the following quote: "The best feeling in the world is knowing you actually mean something to someone."  This caused me to pause and reflect.  I started to think about the people that mean something to me, and reflected on what I might mean to them.  Then I thought about people who are isolated, and may have limititations in social capital.  This brought some sorrow to my heart.

We know that social capital refers not only to our relationships, but to the value they bring to our lives.  This value is often measured in tangible (instrumental value), intangible (emotional value), and things that help us (informational value).  But reading this quote pushed the notion of social capital to a deeper level for me.  It caused me to think not just about my social capital, but to think about "meaning."

The notion of "meaning" is a philosophical concept.  I remember years ago reading "Man's Search for Meaning" by Victor Frankl, a deep, contemplative exploration of surviving the holocaust; or college philosophy classes where we discussed the meaning of life.  These discussions, or readings seemed complex and complicated.  Yet, in a way, meaning is really not that deep.  It is found all around us, embodied in our social capital.

In the end, most of us are blessed with people in our lives, relatives and friends, who, in the end, bring this meaning to our lives.  Yet there are many people, who are isolated, or severely limited in social capital, that are also limited in meaning.  This doesn't have to be.  If we awaken to the potency of social capital, and consider strategies to help people build social capital, in a way, we help bring meaning to people's lives. 

The Measurement Dilemma - How Will You Know People Are Developing Social Capital

Any formal program or service in human services must have the wearwithal to examine and evaluate its outcome and impact on the people it serves.  Most of the time these evaluations are specific to the individuals growth or development.  That is, if you set a plan to help someone in losing weight, a simple scale of measurement at key benchmark times will help you know if your efforts are on target.

Often, measures are designed to show micro improvement.  In disability programs these measures often look at a person's enhanced capability to perform tasks independently, or to demonstrate that they have a new skill.   But if your agenda is to help people become more included, or to be more accepted in the greater community, the classic micro measures may not work. So what can you do?

To this end, you need to be aware of macro measures that look more at engagement patterns and relationships.  At the Intedependence Network, (www.buildingsocialcapital.org) we have been doing just this.  We have taken "The Social Capital Benchmarking Survey" developed by Robert Putnam at Harvard, and began to look at how connected people with disabilities served by agencies in the US, Canada, and Australia are in the typical community.  The results of this survey are on the IN website, but you probably already know the answer.   NOT VERY CONNECTED!

So as a leader, you need to find methods like the SCBS, or other types of sociogramatic tools to know if your efforts are making a difference.  This is not only essential for you to know, but to shift the paradigm from micro to macro.   

Stay tuned to this blog to find ways and means to promote and evaluate macro change. 

Financial Handcuffs

One huge obstical to macro change is found with micro financial handcuffs.  That is, most programs for people with disabilities are paid for by individual accounts or billings.  Programs are reimbursed on an individual basis and these funds are often tied to individual skill or functionality issues.  If the consumer shows some type of gain, the organization is rewarded.  Further, many of these contracts are pedicated on a ratio or "economy of scale" framework.  The individual reimbursement is so low, that services need to be grouped in order to make staff costs balance.  This is why many programs have 2 staff scheduled to support 6 or 7 consumers.

These financial handcuffs are formidable for we leaders, but not insurmontable.  Leaders need to reframe what we measure, and continue to find ways to address the "ratio" framework and individualize services as best we can.  If we look to measure community engagement patterns and social capital connections we can begin to shift the mentality of funders, and reorient everyone to what is more important; relationships over functional skills.  As for ratios, we might look to adjust the roles that staff play having some DSP hold down the fort, while others look for places and people connections.

There are engagement measures out there and the Interdependence Network has been developing more capacity and experience with these tools.  Still, before any of this happens, leaders must admit that people they serve remain isolated, and disconnected from the greater community.  In spite (or maybe because of) our programs the community continues to believe that they need not be involved, because there are programs that know what is best for "these people." 

This is all not easy, but it is essential that we leaders begin to establish a consistent and cogent macro, community strategy.   Our agencies reflect what we emphasize. I am anxious, however, to see that leaders have more opportunity to talk about these financial handcuffs and find ways/means to address them.  Soon I will upload a "white paper" on what leaders can do, so keep an eye out on my website for more thoughts,  or better yet, share some of your own thoughts on this issue.  Know too, that the Interdependence Network, www.buildingsocialcapital.org, plans to host a symposium on this issue, specifically designed for leaders, administrators, and leaders to discuss and explore.

Keep your eye out for these things and let's plan to step up to the plate and lead fundamental change! 

Leading Macro Change

It has been many years that we have been talking about social capital, and macro change. This is when we look to support people with disabilities in building relationships, and these connections change perspective and attitude of the new friend towards disability.

In the time we have discussed this, many leaders have asked how their agency can shift focus towards this agenda.  This is obviously very difficult, but must be addressed. 

Keep an eye out on this page as we look to dialogue about this issue. 

40 Years of Stories : On Community Perspective of Disability – Circa 1990

In thinking about the negative perspective that community can have, I am reminded of an experience I had when my children were young.  We had stopped by a McDonalds for a quick meal one Saturday afternoon, when I had noticed the van pull into the lot.  It had some writing on the side, with a large yellow smiley face.  Then they entered.

First the lead staff, and then 4 nicely dressed, but shuffling people followed.  Finally the last staff member brought up the rear.  I immediately had the image of two shepherds and their flock.

They sat down near us and the 2 shepherds got things set up and took orders.  They went for the meals and returned to oversee the lunch.  I couldn't help notice that other people in the restaurant noticed.  I heard the hushed voices of parents telling their children not to stare; that these people were "crippled."

As I saw this unfold, I noticed that there were both good and bad aspects to this obvious group home community outing.  I am sure the staff felt this was a nice day out in the community, and certainly there are good things about getting out.

On the other hand, there were also some real negative images about this outing.  People who appear strange, clustered around shepherds hovering over them, a well marked van that announced their deviance, their apparent inability to order, even with a simple McDonald's menu, all these things, in effect have hidden negative images.

Until Next Time... 

Al

40 Years of Stories: Introduction

In 1973, I walked through the doors of UCP of Pittsburgh, thinking that this would be a good job while I worked on my MSW at the University of Pittsburgh.  I figured that once I completed my studies I would get a real job.  It has now been 40 years and as I look over my shoulder at the experiences and opportunities that have unfolded I am dumbfounded.

What follows are a number of stories from these wonderful years.  Many of these stories have been told or chronicled in some of the books and articles I have written over the many years.  Each story is not only true, but so instructive to me in the philosophy we have developed at CLASS and the perspective that is so important in building a community where each belongs.  Each story starts with a philosophy we embrace and attempts to illustrate its implementation.  Further, each story is cast in the era of its unfolding. So, I hope that you enjoy this look back over the past 40 years of my career and the wonderful events that helped shape my view on life, community and social capital.

Until Next Time... 

Al