Hating my job tonight

So we all have days when our job is not sunshine and roses.  Sigh.  But I hate my job tonight. Today one of the residents where I work had a mental health crisis.  This resulted in the person making a choice to behave in a way that could be interpreted as threatening and involved a weapon.  In reality it was pretty clear to me at the scene that he was really intent on self harm and looking for a way to cry out for help. Thus taking the crisis to the admin area where I work.  At no time did anyone get hurt and the weapon was removed from h is possession without incident. The police were called and he will hopefully have the help he needs to stabalize.

But the incident will cause my employer to take steps that will impact detrimentally on this person.  I understand that they are not taking this course lightly and that showing up in an office with a weapon is never a great thing.  It isn't exactly the first time I have dealt with this in my 30 years of employment though so I am pretty unflappable.  LOL  I suggested a couple of alternatives to their more drastic steps and they will not be implemented.

I know my company is doing what they need to do from a business standpoint, but my heart hurts for this person and their family.  Mental illness is a tough tough thing to deal with.  In my biological family I have several people with significant mental health issues.  There have been attempts at self harm. There have been hospitalizations. 

 My daughter Fiona deals with mental health issues that in many ways are similar to this young person's.  I worry that someday there will not be someone there who can talk her down and will instead take her down.  Who will not see the pain and see only a threat.  I wish as a society we were brave enough to choose the road of compassion more often.