The Coalition on Provider Vulnerability believes that everyone in crisis deserves support....unconditionally. An allegation of misconduct by a caregiver, whether a licensed caregiver or a parent, creates upheaval in many lives, and each of those people deserves courtesy, accurate legal information, and support.

Topics to follow:

• Guilty or innocent?
• Guidelines for CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS (spring '96)
• Discussion about support groups (August '94 meeting notes)
• VOCABULARY for caregivers in crisis (spring '96)
• From Support Group to... Work Group

Innocence is a state of mind. It may also be a matter of law or of fact, but a feeling of innocence, surprise, betrayal, shock, disbelief, and outrage are common when accused of maltreating a vulnerable person. This is true when the person accused is innocent, and is also true when the allegation is only partly wrong. This feeling of innocence is an element of self-esteem and a caregiver's self-image.

It is not possible to correctly judge the guilt or innocence of caregivers who come to us for support. We were not there, and we will never know. We are here now, and we know that humane and competent support is needed now.

Guidelines for CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUPS

1. Everyone in crisis deserves support....unconditionally.

2. Support Group and Work Group are two different functions, even if done at the same meeting.

• a Support Group looks inward, encouraging an insular "groupthink" that allows the wounded ego to heal.
• a Work Group looks outward, encouraging an unvarnished realism about goals, budgets, agencies, and volunteerism.

• Intolerance. Discourage sidetracking about non-relevant divisive issues that do not help you, such as religion, abortion, and presidential campaigns. All people must feel welcome. Stick to the group's mission.
• Incompatability. Some people will have a vision for the group that is different in such an important way as to create factions, such as confiden- tiality, working with 'guilty' people, and aggressive or conciliatory public stance. In addition to Mission, each group develops a style and a reputation.
• Incoherent stories. Patiently practice the neutral vocabulary.
• Turnover.  For a variety of reasons, people will drop out. Let them go.
• Sabotage. Repeating stories as gossip, dominating meetings. Do your best.

• Develop knowledge of the grief process, stress, self-esteem, and depression.
• Practice personal stories until they are clear and short with clean, neutral vocabulary (a 1-sentence version, 1-paragraph version, 1-page version).

• Brainstorming is a non-judgemental discovery process for the whole group.
• Reflective listening gives a healing affirmation, modeling neutral vocabulary.
• Consensus decision-making is time-consuming but less divisive than voting. It does not require 100% agreement, but allows negotiated agreements with an understanding of trial-and-error. Decisions must be documented.

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