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[H2O Man]

49. Very interesting.

In the years I worked in mental health, there were periods where I was "shared staff" one afternoon per week at the county's Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services. (I found that name outdated.) That was primarily with MICA clients, including group sessions. When I started at the MHC, there were not good relationships between us and ADAS, and my being assigned as shared staff was part of the director of community services' plan to increase coordination.

Anyhow. At the clinic, I encountered people who were court ordered for evaluation, but who resented any type of treatment. The idea of AA being "religious" was extremely rare, though it did pop up in a few curious cases. The general complaint was individuals claiming they didn't have a choice, and that they were the rugged individuals who liked to decide for themselves what they would do.

I always pointed out that they had this option. They could decide that they would not accept treatment and spend some time in county jail, and once incarcerated, decide if they wanted to see me once a week. Or they could decide treatment outside of jail was better. It made no difference to me. And not a single one picked jail, though quite a few would end up incarcerated within a year. They were generally those who did not carry through with AA.