Leo Samson

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(OOC: Wrong picture earlier. Sorry, brain dead!)

I do hope I mentioned this to everyone who was scheduled for today.

I will also be attending the conference in Germany this weekend (in fact, I'm currently waiting for my plane). If there any emergencies or concerns while I'm gone, please contact Tamika at the SCCS--number is posted on my door.

Have a good weekend!

As some of you already know, I, along with my colleagues at SCCS, volunteer regularly at the Angels Clinic in the Lower East Side. The clinic survived the attack reasonably well, but lost nearly all of its supplies helping those trapped in the city.

This Sunday the clinic is holding its annual 'Jingle Mingle' for the community. The Jingle Mingle is an open house for patients of the clinic and the local community. They have holiday games, food, and toys for children from low-income neighborhoods.

If anyone would like to help out, they would welcome additional volunteers. Volunteers will be asked to help prepare and serve the meal, play with the children & hand out presents, and supervise the games. There will be a 'store' set up for low-income parents to find gifts for their children, and volunteers will be needed to help parents find gifts among the donations and help with wrapping.

Additionally, since the clinic is widely known to be open and friendly to mutants, there will be volunteers there to make sure none of the participants are harassed.

If you're not able to attend, but would like to help, the clinic is still seeking donations for food and presents, as everyone in the area has had difficulty donating due to the attack.

Please let me know if you'd be interested in helping!

Overall, I think the trip to the challenge course today was successful--in fact, our team completed the low ropes "Bridge is Out" activity in the fastest time ever noted in the park. Which almost makes up for taking an hour and a half on 'The Web.' Aside from mosquito bites, poison ivy, and a few scratches from persistent tree branches, we escaped relatively unscathed. The most serious injuries were my monster splinter and Dante's bruised shoulder.

Things learned:

1. New York's mosquitoes are mutants. They're more persistent than the IRS, and twice as annoying.

2. When a group uses "1, 2, 3" as a method to make sure everyone is ready, it is essential to discuss whether the release occurs on three, or immediately after three. This is especially pertinent when individuals are falling from great heights.

3. Spontaneous dancing when walking on a log suspended 50 feet in the air is quite likely to give your psychiatrist a heart attack. Even if you are absolutely sure your balance is perfect.

4. On a similar note, while I am not particularly afraid of heights, "Hey Doc, you almost look small up there!" is not the most encouraging of phrases.

5. Water bottles are for drinking, not pouring on people's heads. Even if the person in question did complain of being hot.

6. If I never hear "The Song That Never Ends" again in my life, I will die happy.

7. The signs saying 'Don't feed the animals' are there for a reason. Even if the animals are very, very cute.

8. Melted marshmallows can be hazardous to your mouth. Eat with caution.

9. Additionally, unmelted marshmallows are to be eaten, not used as ammunition.

10. Leaves of three--LET THEM BE.

Seriously, it was quite a good trip. I am extremely proud of everyone who went. Each of the students demonstrated excellent teamwork and cooperation. And every one of you took at least a little step out of your comfort zone to try something new.

I hope all of you had a good time, and I look forward to trying another trip in the future. Though perhaps the next time we'll forgo the campfire doughnuts--I think the smores are more than enough sugar for one night.

And now I'm off to find baking soda for these mosquito bites.

In March, I had the (un)fortunate opportunity to attend a lecture at the annual Emerging Issues conferences sponsored by JAACAP. Drs. O'Hare (Liberty University) and Quackenbush (Thomas Aquinas College) presented a lecture purportedly discussing the ethics of working with mutant clients.

Anyone familiar with the above named educational institutions is undoubtedly already wincing, and for good reason. Instead of a lecture discussing real, pressing issues about working with child and adolescent mutants (disclosure, safety, informed consent, parental notification, hate crime statutes, etc), my colleagues and I were subjected to a thinly veiled treatise on 'mutant aversion therapy.' Despite the move in the larger mental health community to develop mutant affirmative therapeutic practices, Quack-Quack and Hare-Brained are operating on the assumption that since mutants are a genetic aberration, the only logical course of therapy is to return them to 'normal.'

Their new therapy ("Human Centered Conditioning") involves working with mutant children and adolescents to completely suppress any evidence of their mutant traits. If this means powers or abilities, aversion therapy is used to suppress their instinctual use of their powers. If this means a physical manifestation, cosmetic surgery, makeup, and other physical alterations are used to disguise any sign of the mutant trait. And, of course, the children are taught that, while it is not their 'fault' they were born a mutant, they must now take on the burden of protecting the rest of society from their 'disease.' So these children are home-schooled, hidden, and taught that their very genetic makeup is both dangerous to everyone around them and offensive to the world at large.

My like-minded colleagues and I (after I recovered from my temper tantrum) have been discussing this ever since the conference. It was fairly evident that Hare-Brained and Quack-Quack were using the conference as a testing ground to get a feel for reaction from the community. In mid-April, we found out why--they're publishing a book: "Human Centered Conditioning: An Effective Therapy for Mutant Children."

There aren't any laws in the United States to prevent idiots from publishing bigoted drivel, and there aren't any laws to prevent parents from choosing to implement the ideas in the book. However, there are rules and regulations associated with being members of the American Psychiatric Association, and maintaining a license as a child and adolescent psychiatrist. After a little pressure, my colleagues and I have convinced our professional organizations to take action. Immediately after the book's release (5/21/08), the APA, AACAP, ASAP and the ACP will issue a statement denouncing HCC therapy. And we're currently having the state boards of Quack-Quack and Hare-Brained take a very close look at their research and private practices.

If I've been a bit distracted lately, I apologize--this was one of the reasons.

I have to say, having worked closely with colleagues across the country on this project, some new friends, some old--some I haven't seen since residency days--I've been having that quote from Margaret Mead running through my mind. This type of change isn't as fast or as exciting or as glamorous as certain other things many in the school do to work towards a better future for mutants--it's been mostly phone calls, letters, emails and scholarly discussions--but right now, I'm not doubting that change is possible.

(Posted via phone)

Vey iz mir. Am stuck in lectre wth racist mutant-phobic idiot. Can somene page me and gve excuse to escape?