Smiles and Storms

I started my psychology internship at Ellisville State School today. Before I went out there I had no idea how all-encompassing their care was. They have on-campus dorms, a Special Education school, work programs, recreational programs, rehabilitation programs, care for geriatrics, pediatrics, and everyone between with a wide variety of special needs. Most of the clients are mentally handicapped and psychiatric diagnoses are secondary from what I can tell.

The facility is much cleaner, calmer, and prettier than I expected. There is a pond, lots of green grass, and some really fascinating architectural detail. Inside the buildings were clean, organized, and had a much warmer feel than I expected. It does have the same smell as a hospital unit would. I think it is mostly due to the wide use of PEG tubes for feeding the clients. There is a distinct aroma that goes along with the nutritional supplement they use.

Today was my first day to work in the SPED school, where I will do the rest of my 80 hours this summer. It was a wonderful experience. The teacher was very friendly and well-spoken. She didn't have that air of working too long at a mental health institution like some of the employees I have met. One woman I met yesterday exhibited several behaviors of her clients and although I'm sure she is completely healthy and capable of doing her job, I think she could benefit from some time away from the institution.

The children were a pleasure to be around. It truly is something amazing to see the innocent joy in their faces when you say a kind word or they know they did something correctly. Those uninhibited smiles are something only a special child could give. It was sad, though, to see how quickly a smile could fade and a storm would take over the mind. The retreat inward often looked painful and chaotic. I found myself compelled to try to keep the kids I was interacting with focused on the world outside their minds, like the best thing I could do was to keep them distracted. But who knows if that is truly the case?

I know that this is going to be a huge part of my summer and I will probably be writing about it often. Forgive me if my posts become obtuse, as I am not allowed to talk about clients due to the HIPAA law. I will, however, be sharing my feelings about the experience as the summer goes on.