Lesson 5: Values of PSR


Attention

Does this cartoon describe what we REALLY see in our culture when it comes to those who think and act different that we do? Political debates about immigrants seem to have this feeling to them...


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify the core values of PSR
  • Identify barriers that exist within the Mental Health field to work by these values

Teaching

If you refer to the document on Goals, Values, Principles, and Practicies of Psychosocial Rehabilitation you will identify the Core Values as follows:

  • Self determination
  • Dignity and worth of every individual
  • Optimism
  • Capacity of every individual to learn and grow
  • Cultural sensitivity

Each of these of these characteristics are deeply imbedded in the PSR philosophy and permeate all applications of our work.

Self Determination

Being able to make informed choices as to what happens in your life is a quality of our existance that we often take for granted.

Can you think of circumstances around the world where this is not the case:

  • Political Dictatorships
  • Child Rights (or lack of)
  • Women's Rights
  • Jail
  • Slavery

Issues of self determination are key in areas of health care such as treatment decisions, end of life issues, parenting, schooling, and civil liberties

Although this is related to "empowerment" it really embodies that the "power" we speak of is already within the person.

Dignity and Worth of Every Individual

This might be a handful for some people (some clients and some practitioners!)

Carl Rogers presents in his theory of Person Centered Counseling the ethic of "unconditional positive regard".

  • "Unconditional" means that there is no need to "earn" the regard...and it is present regardless of what a person has done, will do, or can do
  • "Positive Regard" does NOT mean that you support every action that a person does...it DOES refer to the basic idea that you view the individual as essentially worthy of existing

While this is one of the most challenging of Roger's concepts it has also been very effective. Charged to work with a number of individuals with various histories of victimizationa and perpetration we are challenged to see beyond the circumstances of the present and into the larger picture.

Optimism

This particular quality is often seen as a "personality" construct as much as anything else. Do you see the glass "half full" or "half empty"

Nurturing a sense of optimism and hope is critical to personal survival in the field and for your overall effectiveness as a practitioner.

It is not to be confused with being naive, though many will accuse you of being so!! There is a lot of negativity in the field of Mental Health.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

One of the most manifest dangers of negativity is self-fulfilling prophecy. When we lower our expectations, even when it serves to protect us from disappointment, we actually increase the likelihood of failure.

We often couch our negativity in the guise of "keeping clients goals reasonable and not getting their hopes up"

Why not get their hopes up?

Capacity of Every Individual to Learn and Grow

Each and every individual has strengths that directed, can bring about profound change in thier world and the world around them. Our task is really to assist individuals on directing their energies in these directions.

One challenge of personal growth is change, change of habits, friends, behaviors, etc.

Cultural Sensitivity

Personally I find that the concept that we are all "essentially the same" to be not only misguided, but insensitive. We are not all equal, we are not all the same.

The path to cultural sensitivity does not rest in focusing on the ways in which we are the "same" but on the ways that we are "different". This focus however, is based in the "Dignity and Worth" value!

In the movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Theives" with Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, Azeem, the Muslim character played by Freeman is asked by a young girl why "God painted" him (likely Azeem was the first black man she had encountered).

Azeem replied..."Allah loves wonderous variety"

Our world is made richer by the diversity of our people...this extends into differences that you might find uncomfortable or offensive. In our work we evaluate the ways and means of people's behaviors by their function...does this work where they want it to work to accomplish what it is they want to accomplish...rather than by the assumption of a universal code.

Personally we can ascribe to our code, but in our work we remain sensitive that we are not all alike...and we honor it.

So in what ways do we sometimes differ from others:

  • Looks
  • Money
  • How to raise kids
  • Value of knowledge and learning
  • Personal history
  • Work ethic
  • Sex related issues
  • Religion
  • Politics
  • Preferences
  • Food
  • Dress
  • Marital status
  • IQ
  • Emotionality
  • Health
  • Wellness
  • need I go on...???

Personality

Another way in which we are "different" from others is our personality. One of the most useful tests (although it is not thought of very highly as a personality test in the psychological literature) is the Myers-Briggs Typology.


Assessment

Lesson 5 Discussion

Let's review some of the ways in which we may differ from our clients and coworkers. How might these differences impact our ability to hold true to the values presented in the PSR philosophy?

Review in what ways you may cope with these differences. Are there any that you would not be able to deal with very well? What role might clinical supervision play in dealing with these differences?

Do some research in your personality type says about how you process information, make decisions, and deal with conflict. Integrate your results into your discussion.

Click here to download an Excel file which contains a shortened version of the Myers-Briggs Typology test.

To assist in your personal interpretation of your Myers-Briggs Typology Test...visit TypeLogic

But, yes...there is an app for this...Jungian Type Questionnaire.

This app simply provides a way to take the test, get your letter combination and then some additional information on the interpretation of the results.

There are literally thousands of websites on how to use these scores.