THE SICK HOSPITAL

8/10/2019 THE SICK HOSPITAL

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THE SICK HOSPITALTHE STRUGGLES OF A PROFESSIONAL

COUNSELOR AGAINST DISCRIMINATIONAND POOR DELIVERY OF SERVICES FROM

A SICK ADMINISTRATION IN A SICK

HOSPITAL By: Jose Centeno, MSHS

A BOOK

RECOMMENDED

TO COUNSELORS,

SOC !ORKERS,

HOSPITAL


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ADMINISTRATORS OR SUPERVISORS AND ALL !HO

!ORK IN THE ADDICTION REHABILITATION FIELD

CITY"STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERMENTS"FUNDING

SOURCES AND POLICY MAKERS ALL HAS A STAKE IN

BECAUSETHIS IS A MATTER OF NATIONAL INTEREST###

PREAMBLE

Based on the fact that Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counseling is a very

stressful job by its own nature, mostly due to the facts and issues that the

addict brings to the Counselor in the counseling session, therefore I strongly

believe that the Counselor does not need unnecessary additional stress from

bullying administrators or supervisors

!n the contrary, a good Administrator or "upervisor shall help in the

reduction of the stress with good supervision and support to help with

difficult cases to avoid the burnout or resignation of counselors# this done in

a professional manner, with respect But because most of the time I did not

receive that professionalism and respect from administrators and supervisors


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during my $% years wor&ing as a Counselor, plus as a way to warn and

prevent those interested or new in the field from fall into apathy or do

displacement on the patient or client when they get stress from the

bullying administrators or supervisors, it is that I decided to share with

you my e'perience as a Counselor at my last job at ()* "IC+ )!"I(A-

But if you do not have the s&ills to handle the stress without doing

displacement on the patient or client, then you should start loo&ing for a job

in another field After my e'periences, I am totally convinced that not

everybody can be an Addiction Counselor but the same is true for

Administrators and "upervisors in the field A person can be in the title

because was referred by a politician, family or person.s/ in the chain of

higher administration but most of these $%nnot &e'(o') %s e*&e$te+#(hose

are the wor&ers that will feel fragile and threatened, they will not defend the

client or patient, themselves, nor the profession when upper paychec&collectors who are in a top position start giving them blind orders that they

do &now that sometimes are unprofessional, unethical, illegal or conducive

to fraud But because of the way and manner they got the title .most of the

times do not meet the 0ualifications/ they are inhibited from 0uestioning the

bad orders given to them and then they e'pect that the Counselor regardless

of the illegality comply with the order because it was given by higher

administration It is very rare that a Counselor who has wor&ed or is

wor&ing in a big organi1ation or hospital with many chains of commands

hasn2t gone through this I highly recommend that when the orders are

unethical, unprofessional, illegal or conducive to fraud, yo -%.e to t%/e %

st%n+ %s % P'o(ess0on%1Counselor .or "upervisor, Administrator/ and be

willing and able to address the situation, confront them, refuse to comply

with the wrong doing being as&ed3 (o do this you have to become a ris&

ta&er to deal with the retaliation or you may choose to go along with the

bad orders given and become a robot Counselor, an accomplice in the

wrong doing3 (o give you a real e'ample4 (here is a patient that is not

attending, telephone calls were made, letters were sent, but the patient

refused to attend or did not respond, the Counselor submit the case forclosing but the Administrator of the clinic refused to close it because senses

are low (he Counselor was being forced or coerced to &eep phantom cases

open 5hat would you do6 7ou s-%11 'e(se#(his is what my 8entor, Dr

"utton, taught me4 (hey threw me out 2t I to1+ t-e) t-e t't-#3


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(o some .not to all/ paychec& collectors of ()* "IC+ )!"I(A- is

more important 0uantity than 0uality and to loo& good to the eyes of higher

administration and to the "urveyor .to whom counselors were forbidden to

tal& unless approached by him or her, and prior to the date of the survey t-ey

s&ent )%ny -o's te%$-0n4 t-e $onse1o's 5-%t t-e S'.eyo' )%y %s/

%n+ 5-%t o' -o5 to %ns5e'#6 In most programs the "anitation Crew

.the group of supervisors and administrators/ in charge of the revision,

correction or elimination of anything written in the patient files that 7)%y

not 1oo/ 4oo+ to t-e S'.eyo'3, this done most of the times 50t-ot t-e

&'esen$e %n+ %&&'o.%1 o( t-e &e'son o' Conse1o' 5-o +o$)ente+

5-%t -%+ t'%ns&0'e+ 0n t-e sess0on# THAT IS FALSIFICATION OF

PATIENTS8 RECORDS###999 Do not &%'t0$0&%te 0n 0t#.5henever I was

as&ed for it I refused3/

999I'on0$%11y t-0s 0s t-e $-%'4e t-ey se+ to (0'e )e 5-en I 'e(se+ to sto& s04n0n4 )y n%)e 50t- t-e0n0t0%1s o( % ne5 t0t1e t-%t 5%s 40.en to )e 2y t-e)se1.es %n+ I -%+ s04ne+ %n+ %$$e&te+ 0t, %n+ t-%t

t-ey 7se 0t 0nte'$-%n4e%21e 50t- t-e A++0$t0on Conse1o' t0t1e3: HCPPA He%1t- C%'e P'o4'%)

P1%nne' An%1yst6 T-e &'o21e) 4ot 5o'se 5-en )%ny )ont-s 1%te' I $1%0)e+ 'et'o%$t0.e1y t-e s%1%'y

o( t-e ne5 40.en t0t1e %n+ t-ey 'e(se+ It 5%s t-en 5-en t-ey 5%nte+ )e to 740.e 2%$/ t-e t0t1e %n+

sto& s04n0n4 50t- 0t 2e$%se 0t 5%s % )0st%/e ('o) A+)0n0st'%t0on3 He'e 5%s )y Un0on8s 'es&onse:

7A+)0n0st'%t0on $%n +o 5-%te.e' t-ey 5%nt36

It is a fact that most of the patients or clients that go to a hospital or

program see&ing treatment, e'hibit or carry with them some psychiatric

disturbances and symptoms in addition to their addictive disorder (his could

be pic&ed up by a well trained Counselor who then I suggest that

)e or "he should get oriented by the Diagnostic "tatistic 8anual and itcould serve not only as part of the diagnosis but as a foundation for

treatment But of course, this is assuming that the program is aimed to meet

the needs of the patient, client or customer as opposed to use them %n+ t-e

Conse1o'to meet the needs of the program or the aychec& Collectors It

is also very important to 'e$o4n0;e t-e n%t'e o( t-e


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to 0)&ose %t-o'0ty###6 It happened to me, it has happened to others, it may

happen to you But if you are a rofessional Counselor I recommend to you

that if it happens to you, do not be afraid, and if you are is !+, I

understand, but +o not %$$e&t s$- /0n+ o( s&e'.0s0on, address it to higher

authority without yelling or using foul language, 5'0te % )e)o to $'e%te %

'e$o'+.administrators do not li&e that this &ind of issues be in the records

and most of the time they will be more prompted to correct their conduct or

the problem/

(herefore, based on what was discussed in the paragraph above, I believe

that the rofessional Counselor must be 50110n4 to se -0s o' -e' o5n

3

.8r re;Chosen/ (hen he assigned 8r re;Chosen to supervise me )e

had a H04- S$-oo1 D0&1o)%and no B%$-e1o' o' M%ste' De4'eebut yet hewas found the 0ualified one, % ?%10(0e+ He%1t-$%'e P'o(ess0on%13, 7%

?HP3 st%te+ 0n 5'0t0n4 2y t-e De&%'t)ent8s D0'e$to'36as compared to

me and my credentials t-%t 0n$1+e t-e 'e=0'e+ $'e+ent0%1s (o' t-e

&os0t0on: B%$-e1o' %n+ M%ste'8s De4'ee &1s ot-e' A+.%n$e St+0es 0n

In+0.0+%1 Psy$-o1o4y But yet I was found 7not =%10(0e+ (o' t-e

&os0t0on3####)ow would you feel in such a situation6 5hat would you have


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done6 !h 8y


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fluent in "panish and *nglish languages At the final stage of the hiring

process I was given a form and re0uested to sign it Because the form stated

that I agree to be hired as a rovisional instead of as a ermanent

wor&er, I decided to sign it but left the effective date space blan& until I

could do further investigation 8y investigation showed that if I accepted to

be hired in such a rovisional capacity they could fire me at any time and I

would have no rights to claim (herefore on the starting date they had

assigned .?%;?;@/ I did not show up because I had a job as ermanent

although the pay was less But they needed to fill the vacant and I met their

re0uirements .e'cept the rovisional capacity or status/ and they called

me at my job to in0uire the reasons for me not to show up to wor& with

them After I e'plained the reason to the Director of the !utpatient

Department of (he "ic& )ospital, later she called me bac& and told me4

Come down, we will hire you as a ermanent wor&er I left my job and

based on the promise of (he "ic& )ospital I started wor&ing with them Butthey &ept the rovisional form that was invalidated by the Initial

Appointment form where I was hired as ermanent, and they used it to

deny me promotions In other words, t-ey 'et%10%te+ %4%0nst )e s0n$e t-e

2e40nn0n4 o( )y


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Un0.e's0ty o' Co11e4e De4'eeow you, the reader, &now why I rejected

such &ind of supervision6 If the person was in that position when you are

hired is one thing, but to compete with that person and you to be found not

0ualified for the position and be put under the supervision of the person

without the re0uired credentials but yet the administration found the

un0ualified applicant the 0ualified one, that is other thing333 I don2t &now

what it should be to you, but to me that is B1%t%nt D0s$'0)0n%t0on###

I thin& that after you read further my real e'perience stories, many of you

may not believe me, some may even call me a liar, but there are some who

will not do that4 (hose who went through the e'perience and wor&ed or still

wor&ing at (he "ic& )ospital And because this boo& is based on real

e'perience, and I do not &now the impact it may have on innocent wor&ers,

the names of the persons has been changed Any coincidence with a person

having this name then is not the person acting or described in this boo&)ave fun, enjoy it, but over everything4 -earn from it on how to treat other

fellow human beings .cowor&ers, clients, patients, all those below the chain

of command in this or other wor& setting or field/


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)owever, because of the nature of the job itself, the stress and situations

that evolves from it, but mainly because we are dealing with human lives

and we cannot ignore the big impact on society of the activities associated

with the Alcohol and Drug Addiction .homelessness, unemployment, crime

and assassinations, health problems and death due sometimes to overdose

plus some others .the list is big/, therefore I ta&e leave to claim a

responsibility from the following sources .or others that the readers or the

proper authorities may come up with/ to reduce and eventually eliminate

some, most or all the problems addressed here .and others that I may have

missed/ for the good of "ociety and ation or Country )ere are the sources

who shall have responsibility to provo&e the needed changes or that may

have a sta&e in the case4

?;9nited "tates of America

$;9nited "tates Congress

>;9nited "tates CourtsF;9nited "tates Department of Eustice

G;9nited "tates -aborH*mployment Departments

;9nited "tates Department of )ealth

;9nited "tates Department of )uman "ervices

;9nited "tates "tate and City Colleges and 9niversities

@;9nited "tates !ther elated DepartmentsHDivisions6

NOTE: It 0s not eno4- (o' t-ese so'$es on1y to %ss04n so)e )0110ons o(

+o11%'s to &'o4'%)s 50t-ot % &'o&e' (o11o5 & on t-e t010;%t0on o( t-e)oney %n+ t-e se'.0$es &'o.0+e+ T-%t 0)&'o&e' o' 1%$/ o( (o11o5 & 0s

5-%t -%s %11o5e+ %+)0n0st'%t0ons o( )%ny &'o4'%)s to $o))0t t-e

%t'o$0t0es t-%t I -%.e 5'0tten -e'e %n+ ot-e's e*&e'0en$e+ 2y ot-e'

Conse1o's o' He%1t- C%'e 5o'/e's 0n t-e s%)e Hos&0t%1 o' 0n %ny ot-e'

&'o4'%)### I +0+ not 5'0te -e'e t-e /0n+ o( 'es&ons02010ty t-%t e%$- o(

t-e %2o.e )ent0one+ +e&%'t)ents -%s 2t t-e 'e%+e' $%n t-0n/ %n+

)%/e t-e) 'e$o))en+%t0ons Co11e4es %n+ Un0.e's0t0es $%n %s/ t-e

st+ents to 72'%0nsto')3 %n+ s-%'e 50t- t-e $1%ss t-e /0n+ o(

'es&ons02010ty %n+ -o5 t-ese +e&%'t)ents $%n -e1& e10)0n%te %n+ o'

%11e.0%te t-e &'o21e)s %++'esse+

age;$F;


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denied certain services and ironically the rogram vision "tatement says4

atients will be treated regardless of the source of pay, but what is written

is one thing and their behavior is other It is written a clause against

Discrimination but again their behavior tells other thing :or e'ample4

emember the case mentioned earlier where the patient was denied

admission because his lac& of *nglish -anguage "&ills6 5ell here is their

behavior telling the other thing4 (he )ispanic was rejected but they admitted

a ussian that did not &now *nglish and they d0+ not -%.e % Conse1o'

t-%t s&e%/s Rss0%n t-ey +0+ t-e s%)e 50t- Po10s- &%t0ents6 T-%t 0s

o&en not -0++en6 DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE OR

NATIONAL ORIGIN 5-0$- 0s &'o-020te+ 2y Fe+e'%1 L%5### 5hat

would you do on such a situation6 5ell, here is what I did4 I confronted

them with the list that I had documented of discriminatory instances against

)ispanics, their negligence in hiring a "panish "pea&ing Counselor in the

"hort (erm ehab and for many years they have used it as an e'cuse to denyservices to the "panish "pea&ing only population 5ould you li&e to &now

their response to this one6 !h3, 7eah333 )ere it is34 8r Centeno, you are

being transferred to the Admission 9nit

(hey hurt my feelings, now I reali1ed that there is an already established

pattern from administration to solve the problem by transferring out the

complainant (hey have poor &nowledge of the Administration of )uman

esources4 (here they have now a Counselor with a Bachelor Degree, a

8aster Degree, Advance "tudies in sychotherapy and years of e'perience

wor&ing in the field, they have him now sitting on a chair filling out the

admissions forms333 But I shall tell you, the readers, the real truth4 All this

was done to &eep me 0uite and for them to cover up and continue

discrimination333 I &now, as a reader, it may be hard for you to swallow this#

but the following facts may bring light to you about my reasoning 8r Dic&;

In, the Director, was not the Director until Dr :in resigned and they were

"tate 5or&ers because (he "ic& )ospital instead of providing the Addiction

"ervices itself, it had an affiliation with the "tate until years later when that

changed and all the "tate 5or&ers were made City 5or&ers (his said,

here is the beef rior to 8r Dic&;In becoming the Director, the "panish

"pea&ing patients attending the Incomprehensive !utpatient Clinic was veryhigh in numbers (hey had > )ispanic counselors But the newly assigned

Director was a disgrace for the program333 !ne of the counselors was

enticed to retire .later she applied for a part time but was rejected/, another

decided to resign because he had enoughJhere, you already &now what

happened to me and I was transferred, there was on1y one H0s&%n0$

A++0$t0on Conse1o' 1e(t 0n t-e &'o4'%) o' $10n0$## BUT THE


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DIRECTOR !ANTED ALL THE HISPANIC COUNSELORS OUT###

)e promoted a Counselor to 8ahell2s position .9nit Administrator/# the

constant massive resignations of wor&ers forced her out Bt t-e ne5

A+)0n0st'%to' 5%s no 2ette' %n+ %$$o'+0n4 to %1)ost e.e'y2o+y %'on+

%n+ )y S&e'.0so' too: 7I +on8t /no5 5-y -e 5%s &t 0n t-%t &os0t0on

2e$%se 5e %11 /no5 -e 0s $'%;y3#

But here was the agenda behind that promotion4 )e was instructed to get rid

of the last "panish "pea&ing Counselor in the !utpatient Clinic333 )e as&ed

me as&ed me for help plus he filed a complaint with the **!C .big deal,

judging by his and my e'perience/, the 9nion was &a&i .the

epresentative was too often observed washing the car of the Director, and

he too was an Addiction Counselor lus the 9nion )ead0uarters refused to

answer a


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Be$%se t-e D0s$'0)0n%t0on, 0( yo 'e%+ & to -e'e s-%11 %1'e%+y

/no5, sto&&e+ 2een s2t1e %n+ 2e$%)e 21%t%nt1y o&en, I 5'ote to t-e

Fe+e'%1 Go.e'n)ent %s/0n4 (o' -e1& 2t I +0+ not 4et %n %ns5e',


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t-e'e(o'e I 5%s (o'$e+ o' -%1e+ to $o't 2y 2ot-, t-e e)&1oye' %n+ t-e

4o.e'n)ent To $o.e' t-e)se1.es 0n $o't t-ey -%+ &'o)ote+ )e

50t-ot te110n4 )e to % t0t1e t-%t %$$o'+0n4 to t-e) 70s se+

0nte'$-%n4e%21e 50t- t-e A++0$t0on Conse1o' T0t1e3 !0t- t-e e*$e&t0on

t-%t t-e s%1%'y 5%s %1)ost +o21e### I s04ne+ )y Ann%1 E.%1%t0on

50t- t-e ne5 t0t1e 0t 5%s t-e'e 5-e'e I not0$e+ t-%t )%ny )ont-s 1%te'

%n+ st%'te+ t-en to s04n 50t- t-e 0n0t0%1s o( t-e ne5 t0t1e: SHCPPA

Sen0o' He%1t-$%'e P'o4'%) P1%nne' An%1yst6 T-e'e 5%s no &'o21e)

%n+ 5-en ot-e' 5o'/e's %s/e+ )e %2ot 0t, I to1+ t-e) t-e s%)e t-0n4

t-%t yo %'e 'e%+0n4 -e'e Bt one +%y +'0n4 % T'e%t)ent Te%)

Meet0n4 I .o0$e+ )y 0ntent0on to $1%0) t-e +0((e'en$e o( t-e s%1%'y

'et'o%$t0.e1y M' A.est'; $%11e+ D' E14%11o$%1.o 5-o 5%s t-e Do$to's8

S&e'.0so' to 5-o) I 4%.e )%ny )e)os +enon$0n4 t-e )%1&'%$t0$e o(

+o$to's %n+ n'ses 'e(s0n4 to 'e%+ %n+ +o$)ent t-e PPD Res1ts on

o$$%s0ons 0t 5%s )e, %t t-e t0)e o( t-e 'e(e''%1, 5-o +0s$o.e'e+ t-%t t-e&%t0ent -%+ teste+ &os0t0.e on t2e'$1os0s### An+ 0t 5%s )e 5-o t-en

-%+ to &'ess (o' % 'e(e''%1 to t-e C-est R%ys C10n0$ (o' $1e%'%n$e %n+

o' t'e%t)ent o( t-e &%t0ent###6 no5 -e 5%s )%+e t-e 7De&%'t)ent8s

D0'e$to'3 %not-e' one6 %n+ -e %s/e+ (o' % )eet0n4 50t- )e In t-e

)eet0n4 -e $1%0)e+ t-%t 7t-e &'o)ot0on 5%s % )0st%/e3, 7%n+ yo +0+

not 4et %n o((0$0%1 1ette' ('o) H)%n Reso'$es3 I %ns5e'e+ -0) t-%t

too )%ny )0st%/es %n+ 0n


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D0s$'0)0n%t0on (0e1+: P1e%se, s-%'e t-0s 2oo/ 50t- t-e)### I( yo o' t-ey

5o1+ 10/e to /no5 )o'e %2ot t-e sto'y 50t- s&&o't0.e e.0+en$e t-en

.0s0t 555s$'02+$o)%n+ se%'$- (o' 7THE HIDDEN CASE3 %n+ 7THE

EVIDENCE REVIE! OF THE HIDDEN CASE3 T-e'e yo 5011 'e%+

5-%t -%&&ene+, 5-%t I +0+, 5-e'e I 5ent %(te' 2een %2se+ 2y t-e

syste)8s syste)s###

(o those wor&ing in the field4 Be "trong, Be

Documents

THE SICK HOSPITAL