Douglas Powers

It's All the Little Things

We were chatting and he told me that he had already raised an enormous amount of money for this same charity over the past two years. In fact in 2009 he was the single largest fundraiser in the country (www.team100k.org). I was impressed and thought about how grateful the charity must have been for his efforts. He told me that in neither of the last two years did he even receive an email to say ‘thank you’! Can you believe it? I mean how much time and effort would be involved in sending a simple ‘thank you’ in appreciation of the immense commitment and significant sacrifice of time and resources?

Howie's Ordeal: Crisis Management and Planning in Advance for Potentially Suicidal Children

The ordeal of an eleven-year old on a visit home, and his subsequent threats and attempts at suicide suggest measures that can be taken to handle the crisis and to prepare for similar crises in the future. The complex, hour-by-hour events after Howies return to the residential center are detailed, emphasizing the need for coordination among staff, as well as among the agencies involved in care and treatment of disturbed children.