A Most Challenging Job

The counselor and the Police Department

Photo by Matt Popovich on Unsplash

I have said that taking care of Dan during his struggle with dementia was the most challenging job of my life - and it was. My second most demanding - but also most rewarding - job was working for a police department and having the opportunity to develop a counseling program for school children.

After I graduated with a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology, a police department hired me to teach drug education in the local schools as part of a grant.

When I started working at the PD - officers laughed. They wondered what I was doing there. In truth, it was an unusual relationship - particularly in the 1980’s.

I was a middle-aged woman from the Midwest who had never been in a police department and knew nothing about drugs other than that people drank alcohol and smoked marijuana. Then, I worked for an organization where almost everyone wore a gun, and I was teaching drug education to kids. Go figure!

An officer took me to a local“head shop” and showed me what a bong and cocaine looked like - I had no idea.

As I taught the classes, kids would ask questions like “my Mom is on the pipe, what should I do?” or “my brother sells weed, should I tell my Dad?” I realized they had no one to talk to - no counselor.

So, I presented a program to the department - to provide counseling for kids in the schools. The staff was leery but said, “We’ll give it three months.” The program lasted for ten years, and I supervised dozens of intern counselors before leaving.

Over the years, I think officers came to respect what I offered, and I remain friends with many of them today.

Working for the PD was challenging. But, oh - the experiences, the learning, and the opportunities. I had to learn to shoot a gun to pass a course. I even bought one and practiced, but it didn’t help. I couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.

While there were many memorable experiences, one was attending a police officer’s funeral: he was shot and killed in the line of duty. It was the most impressive ceremony I’ve ever participated in - standing at attention with 100s of officers paying our respects to this young man.

The hardest part of the job was being a 50-year-old white female city service officer working in a minority neighborhood. The adults and children - didn’t trust me. I had to work hard to gain their confidence.

I left the PD after ten years, but I’m eternally grateful for the opportunities I had there. It was an amazing experience.

If you want to contribute to my work,  consider donating to the Alzheimer’s Association. This link takes you to their website. The choice is yours.