Small Town Problems
As someone who has spent the majority of their life living and working in rural Maine, Burgard's (2013) article about the ethical dilemmas surrounding small-town practice really resonated with me. I saw these issues play out in real-time during my year of service with AmeriCorps VISTA working with the Penobscot Nation on Indian Island. Google, 2018. The reservation occupies a very small portion of land (about 22 square miles) and there are approximately 600 tribal members who call Indian Island their home (US Census Bureau, 2010). My experiences there showed me how truly interconnected that community is. Due to the fact that I was a volunteer in the Human Services Department, I had the opportunity to get to know many of the clinicians working on the Island. I saw many of them serving individuals that they had known all of their lives. On Indian Island, you either have a direct relationship with someone or you have a direct r...