The quote goes like this…
“Recession is another word for “exposure.” For business owners, this market exposes your actions, people, systems, and hearts.” – Gary Williams
Like many of you, this season has exposed the areas of our lives that need growth and reflection, but it has also exposed the areas of our lives that we cherish deeply. As we have navigated the challenges brought to us by COVID, our values have become more and more evident, such as the safety of our clients and staff, our ability to provide support to maintain stability through connection, and our team.
Oh my goodness…we love our HITH team and the heart they put into serving our clients!
Initially, it started off with the most essential needs first: focusing on the safety of staff and clients. We were confident that as the situation progressed, solutions would evolve and we’d continue finding ways to stay connected and meeting the needs of our community. And that’s exactly what happened. As we put the spotlight on the value of caring for each other, there was joy in witnessing the amount of heart poured into the effort given by everyone.
Our staff navigated these new waters and faced each challenge in unique ways. As the founders of Help in the Home, it was apparent that each person was doing their best and reaching out to the team for help and support when needed. Needs were met with grace and understanding, because willing to be vulnerable in a work space is a huge honor all on its own for us. The exceptional ways that our staff pivoted also allowed us to offer a whole new stream of services that we did not have before: a virtual subscription with different zoom meetings that clients could join.
And then there’s our community members and clients. The gratitude we have received from families and clients for the exceptional support has been invaluable and kept us going on hard days. Our community members have dealt with such a huge change in their lives better than anyone could have anticipated and in the process have learned new skills that have allowed them to participate virtually each step of the way. And we’re particularly humbled by the grace that our clients have given us as we’ve made mistakes while learning with them week-in and week-out.
Last but not least, there’s our network of Professional Mental Health Providers. This time has given us an unexpected gift of getting to know each other better and deepen our relationship over our shared values. As peers that serve the same client base in different ways, being there to listen when either one of us is seeking connection or needing encouragement is just one way we’ve promoted self-care. Perhaps, one of the most memorable parts of this quarantine has been our weekly virtual self-care events titled “Conscious Ungathering” – specifically created for mental health providers and front-line workers within the mental health space.
Yet again, another example of innovation born of necessity that has exposed the heart of our community and extended network.
We have learned that it is possible to maintain social connection even when maintaining physical distance from others.
We have discovered that virtual groups are an excellent way to provide 1:1 support, even beyond the pandemic.
We have fallen in deeper awe of our clients and staff and seen the exceptional resilience they embody.
And, for those that need a gentle reminder, we’ve learned that it’s okay to say, “I need to take a mental health day”, because if nothing else, there’s a team here ready to support them too.