Take This Job And..., 2

In the hierarchy of the organization that employs me I occupy the bottom rung.  Peer Support Workers are still often treated like glorified volunteers who are paid an honorarium (we are actually paid way below living wage, just a little above minimum) and that most of us are, if not still suffering from mental health symptoms, then are considered still not entirely well.  We are often patronized and our work regarded as unimportant.  Some of this has changed and I find that a number of my highly paid co-workers actually know us better now and respect and value the quality of our work and contribution.  The last ones to come on board unfortunately but unsurprisingly are the psychiatrists, but psychiatrists as we all know usually think they are god.  God with a very, very small g.

Still I am not considered a full participant in any of the four sites where I work.  Most of the staff meetings (in one site, all of them) are closed to me, even though I am under the same oath of confidentiality and continuing care as the rest of my co-workers.  Neither do I have free access to my worksites.  A student recreational therapist who is going to be there for six weeks is still given a key card.  I have to ring the doorbell to get in.  Every single time.

If I happen to be occupying a room or space in order to get my work done and another worker wants the space then I am expected to immediately cede that space.  If I am needing space to which I have already been assigned and a higher ranking co-worker is already there, even if she or he is not using the space for important work then I am still expected to wait until he or she is good and ready to allow me to use the space at his or her pleasure and if I am not able to finish my work then I will get blamed for it.

I am sick of this.  This degrading and chronic dynamic has worn me down over the years.  Fortunately most of my co-workers and supervisors are aware of this and bend over backwards to try to make things easier and tolerable to me.  Still, the only way the situation is going to be made tolerable will be when it changes, when I and other peer support workers are paid a decent and living wage and when we are no longer treated as professional inferiors doing work of less value than our highly paid colleagues.

I am not optimistic.