Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Refusing Help

We finally discharge a client who - in spite of our best efforts - is determined to do what he wants when he wants.

During his two month stay he’d been disciplined for stealing, making sexual overtures to female clients, lying and other misbehavior.

Then last week he drops two urine tests and when the results came from the lab today - both were hot for opiates.

And while we were having a staff meeting to deal with the dirty tests, a female client tells a staff member that he’d been harassing her at a 12-step meeting.  Even though he was banned from speaking to female clients because of previous harassment.

In spite of ongoing efforts some clients refuse our help. And this client was one of them.

When we accept a client into the program our goal is to help them graduate.  To help them rebuild their lives and remain sober.  But they must show at least a little effort.  

We can’t do it all.