One of my goals this year is to meet with each of my offices financial providers and have their staff present their operation to me so they are sure I that am sure that I know what I am talking about when I refer people to their program. I went with their staff right after lunch—not a good time for me since I am always a little dozey after lunch and feigning attention is a skill I never picked up at University.
I have been doing this job for almost eight years now and I have never gone over to the funders for this kind orientation. Not only is the orientation good for me as an Information Officer but really make our operation look good. Going to the providers is like going to the fountainhead. The office I had to travel to is just four blocks away from my office. I took my lunch an hour before the meeting so I would have time to stop of at the Crown Burger on the way.
Today I met with Chuck, Betsy and my board rep from this agency Angie. The program manager who is also a PhD. Now this Program Manager has never really impressed me but I diid see him on his home turf today and I have to admit I did come away from a way from the meeting seeing him in a new light. Not a whole lot changed in my opinion of the bureaucrat. What I saw today was a misplaced wannabe professor type. Actually, as my memory serves me correctly that is what he was. He se seemed in love with himself and his position, weaving or trying to weave word gardens to explain himself and his programs and hideout all at the same time. The guy reminded me of a couple of my Psych professors who were still trying to be the cool hip cat they thought they once were. It was sad because this bureaucrat was so far from the image he wanted to portray it was laughable. I did not laugh then as I did not laugh today-at least not in their presence- I have pretty keen survival skills. I know more then once my eyes glazed over and I was doing the mouth thing where you try to make a cavern inside your mouth to hide a yawn in all the while looking, alert, attentive. The mouth thing happened numerous times.
The other presenter was great. An RN who knew her stuff and told me what I needed to know and then let me go. I was at the at Anti-human services just about an hour. I got brochures and phone numbers and a new respect for the Waivers program. I still will approach any of this information with a healthy dose of cynicism because I hear back from the consumers and the consumers families at just what services are not being renders and I know about the unmoving waiting list and a couple of other items or which this particular bureaucracy this infamous.
One down and two agencies to go…I’m making progress…
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