It has already been a crazy week. We are getting kids with more significant mental health issues. One of my kids is beginning to have nightmares about all the people he has shot. Another, who with a friend held off a swat team, (and consequently his friend was shot and killed), will face adult charges. He has on-going nightmares, and fears about what will happen to his life. It is so draining... and unfortunate! This ia a hard job, and I see my staff burning out...and angry. It is all to be expected! I need to support them. They feel their work environment is out of control, and this effects their personal lives...and mine as well. The kids have a whole bucketful of mental health problems. Many times, their mothers were drinking/drugging while they were pregnant, so the kid is born a "crack baby" or a kid w FAS. It is stressful, to figure out how to help these kids, to keep them from assaulting other kids or staff, or killing themselves...and then to give them treatment. Interestingly enough, we get few Autistic kids. Maybe they do not have the violence in their lives. Certainly, they are not the "gang" type kids, and they are not diagnosed as being Conduct Disorder or Anti-social Personalities. We do get some kids with the Aspergers Spectrum Disorders, but they have substance abuse issues, and an ADHD diagnosis to boot. We are usually treating the ADHD and the substance abuse at this point as the Aspergers is a less pronounced problem. On the other hand, Thanksgiving is coming up, and the kids and staff are looking forward to that. I will be on call that whole week, AGAIN, but will manage somehow! In my personal life, I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving. It will be the first time in many years when my siblings will all be together for this event. This has got to bring joy into my mother's life. I will bring my camera, and we will take LOTS of photos.