FOUNDING FATHER-THE 1ST MENTOR

It’s the New Year once again and time for a resolution.?For the year 2022, this is my resolution.?I will offer all my knowledge, talent, and abilities to the generation just beginning their journey to adulthood.?I have prepared for this action during the better part of the last three decades, having been immersed in the realm of adolescence both personally and professionally.?My first job was as an overnight counselor at an adolescent recovery facility (1989).?My professional license came in 2007 as a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW).?The jobs that I’ve taken to enhance my understanding of our youth are as follows:?

• ·????????Daytop Village Adolescent Recovery Facility
• ·????????Boy’s & Girl’s Club of America
• ·????????Child Protective Services
• ·????????Sonoma Developmental Center
• ·????????Solano & Vacaville State Penitentiary
• ·????????Military and Family Life Counselor
• ·????????Petaluma Family Therapy
• ·????????Sonoma Valley Community Health Center

These are the jobs and from them came a specialty, adolescent “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” (PTSD).?In order to practice, I needed a modality that I could apply to those suffering from various forms of traumatic stress.?The modality I chose is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocess (EMDR), along with Brain Spotting (BS).?This has allowed me to become formidable when aiding the youth that come before me in the everyday environment as well as the therapeutic realm.

Now, if we backtrack just a bit - going back to the suggestion that “I would offer my knowledge, talent, and abilities.”?That sounds good but what exactly does that mean.?I’ve found through the years of offering these attributes I’ve just spoken of, require one key element??The group or individual must ask for your help, in other words, there must be a request for service or services.?

This being key to my entire resolution, how do I get our youth to ask for my help??

A request where I can perhaps use my favorite riddle??What do you get when you merge a former Navy SEAL with a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work??

Answer: Special Welfare.Social Warfare? or draw attention by suggesting the reading of “The Bell Tolls for Thee,” the book on Amazon that I wrote describing the who? What? Where? When? And why of who I am??

For my resolution to work based on the person I am, it's going to require some serious luck.?If it were only talent necessary I’d already have arrived. Therefore, I am going to do what comes naturally, I am going to share this through a regular blog.?The reason, beyond possessing a natural talent is we humans actually think in stories rather than in facts or statistics.??It is also by keeping the story simple that I have the greatest opportunity at getting lucky.

Before we go any further I’ll define for mutual understanding what it means to be lucky.?For me, it’s like the stories that’ll follow, simple or simply: “when preparation meets opportunity.”?

I will begin delving into this first blog of the New Year, doing so by applying my trademark to my offered resolution.?That being all my knowledge, talent, and abilities merged with

Special Welfare.Social Warfare?

Explanation??

Of all the issues facing the welfare of this generation attempting their passage into adulthood, it's racism.?I believe they are the only Americans in a position to address this scourge.?They are just forming their futures seeing what role they will play, what actions they’ll take in an America they will soon inherit.?Special Welfare – hence I believe it’ll be to address “RACISM.”?On the other hand, Social Warfare is what will be required to address “Global Warming” and its insidious nature.?You are coming of age at a time where the sins of your fathers are going to be placed upon you.?Unfortunately, you will have no choice in addressing this issue that you’ve participated very little in creating.?

I call it the best of both worlds - Navy SEAL/Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or in other words I’m a Combat Diplomate.?

It’s my belief that oversight for our adolescents has been transferred to institutions and pop cultural trends.?Leaving modern teens without guidance to navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence.?Where once traditional adult-supervised cultures applied time-tested and proven methods for guiding adolescent development, much of today’s guidance is academically determined and remotely controlled.?Adolescents need to be guided through the rocky journey of self-discovery and learning experiences necessary to become higher-functioning, self-motivated members of our complex and demanding society.??

In this blog, I made the statement “of all the issues facing the welfare of this generation attempting their passage into adulthood, its racism.?I believe they are the only Americans in a position to address this scourge.”?With my next blog, it will be my intention to address why I believe this statement to be an [absolute truth].