Wonderful World

Memoir of an LSI

Prompt: Developmental Disability Professionals Day (7/15)

Back when I first graduated from college, I didn't get a job in my field. I'd payed my way through my last year of college by working at a thrift store for people to learn job skills, it was called Deseret Industries. Employees were only allowed to stay for a certain amount of time and expected to find a permanent job by the end of their time there.

My boss referred me to this company called North Eastern Services. He told me that they were looking for something called a Life Skills Instructor—LSI for short.

It turns out that this is one of those times where job description does not match actual job. My training provided didn't include how to teach people how to brush teeth or do an interview. Instead I learned very specific set of skills.

During my first weeks with North Eastern Services, while waiting for my background check to clear, I had to attend both virtual and in person training on subjects such as administering meds, redirecting behaviors, avoiding power struggles, CPR and restraining techniques. It all seemed straightforward until you actually had to put it into practice.

Before receiving my permanent assignments in two of the group homes, I was bounced around between various assignments always with another seasoned LSI.

My first day after training was a 9am-4pm shift at what North Eastern called "The Day Program". It was essentially an adult day care for persons with disabilities. This gave me a chance to observe most of North Eastern's Clients and receive more thorough hands on training.

The clients in The Day Program had a physical age of anywhere from eighteen and seventy. Mentally? You could never guess how developed clients were. Some were extremely agitated and spoke very little. Others you would never know there was anything wrong with them until you spent a few hours in their presence.

Everyone followed basically the same routine. Clients put their personal items in cubbies and then helped set up tables and chairs. The job of LSIs at this point was to supervise clients. This entailed making sure nobody hurt themselves or someone else and that conflicts didn't get out of hand.

The rest of the Day Program was coloring or some "educational" activity. I put the quotes in there is because the curriculum, regardless of a client's mental age, was always on the preschool level. It was baffling for someone who didn't have a background in special education.

Just before the clients went home for the day, afternoon medications were administered to those that took them. One LSI handed out pills. Another supervised to make sure clients weren't hiding their pills in their mouth. A lot of those medications were psychoactive, so if a client didn't take their meds, the consequences could be dire.

After everything was done, the clients boarded their busses while LSIs made sure they got in the right one.

The Day Program staff also wrote daily reports. The purpose of these entries was to document what clients did and any behavioral issues that might've occurred during the day.

Next I finally got to work in a group home. It wasn't my permanent assignment but I first worked in Res F. We referred to the clients group homes as Reses. This was provided by and administered by North Eastern Services. There were always two to three LSIs in each Res and the Res Manager supervised everything and was responsible for upkeep of the Res. We were to call the Res Manager if anything warranting their attention happened during our shift.

My night at Res F started at 3pm and went until 8pm. Normally evening staff stayed until 11pm or later depending of when the grave shift arrived; since my background check wasn't in, I wasn't allowed to stay past eight. Just as well since that first night was a disaster.

There was a miscommunication about one of the client's routine. She was an elderly lady who had dementia and was non verbal. She didn't like to take baths and couldn't bathe alone. So it was staff's job to help do this every other day.

The senior LSI had told me that it was time for this client's bath. I was eager to prove myself so I went in and told the client of this supposed fact. She stuck her tongue out and flipped me the bird. I immediately forgot all my training and engaged in a power struggle. I managed to herd her into the bathroom.(Not violently of course but I do kind of regret the way I handled things.)

I told the client to get in the tub. She stood there and stared at the porcelain fixtures as if they were torture devices. She then let out an unearthly scream grabbed me by the hair and tried to pull me around by the scalp.

Not sure I deserved it. I was kind of an ass back then so maybe. I did however manage to get out of her firm grip. She fled into her bedroom and only then did the other LSI manage to explain that it wasn't this particular client's day to have a bath.

It was a very long night at Res F.

Eventually I ended up working with male clients in Res C and Res D. This was a lot easier.

There were three men of varying degrees of disability in each Res. Except for one notable exception I managed to get along with these men quite well.

At Res C there was a client with epilepsy who had had one of his frontal lobes removed to alleviate seizures. A procedure that was technically not legal at the time. His mother had forced her way through both the local and state courts to get authorization for the operation. As a result he never matured beyond the mental age of twelve years old. Anyone who has had dealings with preteens as an adult knows this is a difficult age.

Because of his lack of maturity, this client was a bully and often tried to intimidate both LSIs and his roommates. He also appointed himself monitor of all activity in the Res. He'd tattle on clients for minor things, if he didn't like staff he'd make up wild stories about their behavior in an attempt to get them fired. He was a real piece of work and made my job really difficult.

He wasn't a good person either. Sometimes he'd steal my food that I'd brought for my meal on the evening shift. He thought he was so sneaky eating it on the other side of the kitchen counter. What he failed to realize is that while his face was obscured by the cupboards the gap between them and the countertop still showed his greedy little hands bringing my candy bar to his mouth.

Yeah, I really hated this client. You can say he didn't know what he was doing but I think he had just as much clue about what he was doing as anyone who had reached the preteen stage of mental development. Actual twelve year olds know what they're doing and are capable of planning things out. I'm sure this client could be just as conniving.

Anyways for all my whining, I did enjoy my job for the most part. Besides I could count myself lucky.

Other staff members ended up with bites that broke the skin, bruises or broken bones. One other LSI who worked in a nearby Res almost got murdered by her client. But thats another story. I just hope this brings a much needed perspective on what it's actually like to work with persons with disabilities.