The Ten Commandments

Currently I work with many people who have disabilities as I am a case manager running a program for people with serious mental illness. all applicants to the program are also homeless and often have physical disabilities as well. In the capacity as their case manager its incredibly important that I treat them as peers and although I am trying to direct them I am always quick to give them agency. Additionally in working closely with hospital and shelter staff I see how others deal with the population. others certainly do treat people with disabilities differently. A social worker I work with often comes to mind. her voice audibly changes when she is working with clients. Although she does not intend to some clients may find this patronizing. I tend not to talk or treat the clients any differently then I would another because I myself have suffered from substance abuse issues and I find a lot of common ground with the population I work with. The ten commandments listed are pretty standard in my field of work. In reading them I didn't come across any that struck me as things I don't already do. I addition to my work at project renewal I'm the caucus chair for disability issues for a local civic organization. The only commandment that is difficult to always adhere to is the first. This commandment is difficult because sometimes there is a language barrier and an interpreter is necessary but often professionally we would attempt to refer the client to an organization that has the abilities to communicate with them directly.