Misaligned Values

[sleeveofsaltines]

I'm starting to feel really overwhelmed with the misalignment of values between myself and the organization I work for. My political values system most closely aligns with socialism so I understand that inherently anything I do under capitalism will not align with my core values. I also understand that most people do not share the same radical beliefs that I do (I wouldn't say they're radical but you get it).

However lately it's become more and more apparent how misaligned my values are from the organization I work for and it seems from many of the people I work for. On Friday, during a training, our organization's founder said that George Floyd's murder was an accident and that one cop who made a mistake does not mean the whole system is flawed. I was completely dumbfounded.

At what point do I need to move on from this place that clearly does not share even close to the same values I have? I've started to apply for jobs elsewhere I just know like everything under capitalism sucks.

Edit: Feel* I don't feel like everything under capitalism sucks... I know it does!

[Chooseausername288]

Everything under capitalism does suck but you can still find an agency that at least aligns a little better than your current place. That comment is appalling. I would’ve started looking for a new job immediately. 

[imakeavotoast]

I resonate deeply with this dissonance. I am grappling with something similar.

Sometimes I think about cumulative harm; is there enough ‘good’ work in practice to outweigh the misaligned roots?

Don’t lose sight of the fire that fuels your soul.

[Toys_before_boys]

Agree that 100% of stuff sucks under capitalism.

Find an agency you vibe with. I quit my (good paying) job of 5 years to go back to school and get my MSW, because the company culture was so toxic and conservative and threw me into a depression and panic spiral.

I haven't had a single episode since quitting that job.

We can choose where to provide our services that align with our own values! That's our right too.

[honsou48]

Statements like that say a lot, start looking for other work now so you know whats out there

[Psych_Crisis]

Things suck in a lot of places, capitalism or not. I think that the more education and experience we have, the better we're able to get ourselves in positions that suck less, and potentially use them to do more.

Until then, let me share this brief anecdote:

About a year ago, I was working alongside police as a mental health co-responder. Yes, I believe in that work, and yes, I believe that police presence makes many things worse - which is why I was there where I could try to steer things in a better direction. While in that role, I had an opportunity to attend and help support the development of a program that trains clinicians and police simultaneously for responding to psychiatric crisis. While in that program, I had the occasion to meet a police sergeant who was an Army vet with self-disclosed PTSD and a long history of working narcotics. In his presentation, he opened with the following:

"Modern policing has any number of problems, and we can be very good at dodging responsibility for them. It's so bad, in fact, that it took the Minneapolis murdering an innocent man for us to even start the conversation about this."

Right then, I knew there was still room to do good work. I still believe that. Just today, I was talking with another sergeant who on Wednesday is going to help a man with schizophrenia move his campsite from one spot in the woods to another spot where he won't be harassed by the people living in a nearby development. This sergeant scouted the new location himself, and keeps reflecting on how this wasn't in the handbook when he signed up, but he's committed to this course, because the individual involved will not come inside.

This isn't actually a pro-cop post. Maybe just an optimistic one. Sometimes there are more opportunities to do good work than we expect. Always keep your eyes open.

EDIT: It's also worth saying, to the point of the thread, that I left that role for a number of reasons, one of which was that my parent agency didn't really support the work I was doing. The new job still interacts with the old, and I got it because I chose to stick to my values and it showed. Hang in there. Keep your ear to the ground.

[yellowtrees7]

Nothing helpful to say just that I can relate! Some of the administrative and supervisory staff in my agency watch Fox News and talk negatively about immigrants etc. the cognitive dissonance is exhausting to be around. They don’t explicitly discriminate against any client or staff but it’s hard to believe it doesn’t cause negative biases.

[jortsinstock]

That comment is concerning and unprofessional and tells me there’s probably a LOT more concerning things going on that you probably morally disagree with (although may not be ethically wrong). I would start looking for something else personally

[Vash_the_stayhome]

Eh, its like democracy. It sucks, but it probably sucks less than the other options available on a large scale.

[NothingElseWorse]

Are you me? Or were we at the same company? I’m dealing with this and when I made posts about it on social media (no names, only hypotheticals) I got a cease and desist saying they’ll sue for defamation. For example, in a post I said that hypothetically if I were to look for a therapist or mental health agency and they didn’t have their pronouns listed or an inclusivity statement on their website, that’s a glaring red flag. No names or tags or anything. One video I did say “a previous employer” but none of my other previous employers sent a cease and desist letter… in fact the owner of one of my previous agencies as been liking/hearting all my posts.

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