Crunch Time

The purpose of this weeks blog is to vent about crunch time and issues regarding social justice.  I had some catch up work to do and finally finished my learning agreement.  I spoke to my supervisor about internship two weeks ago and still have heard nothing back- such a slow process that is out of my control and I dont really want to feel like a pest.  With the book report due next week and only having one chapter read is pushing me into overload.  I still have two competency journals due for 555, the case study for 540, and the book report in this class.

On a celebratory note we almost made it through another semester!!  I am so proud to be on this journey with you all.  You all are so great and to think I almost had to drop this semester.  I was saddened by the news of Karin not being able to continue her teaching, I enjoyed her class, the flow of it and the work load was just right.  We were able to witness how they are also not immune to bureaucratic rules within organizations.  I am glad she shared that with us because it helped me to understand things are not always within our limits of control.

Which leads to my next problem I faced this week on the job.  Without going into great detail, my job as a social worker lead me to assist two clients in finding housing.  Recently both clients were off conservator-ship and wanted to find independent housing.  Both clients have stable history of two years at a room and board.  One client was denied due to not being able to provide proof of the year she was homeless.  They asked her for documentation of where she stayed or if she could find someone to write a note stating they saw her living homeless.  The other client was not denied but needed to call each hospital she stayed to verify her residence.  She stayed at four different psychiatric care facilities. She learned that some hospitals will not release information to apartment complexes. These are just a few of the issues our clients face with regard to social justice in finding adequate housing.  Landlords have the right to say no to whoever they want and when they know our clients have mental illness they do not want to work with them.  They create barriers and make up lies to not rent to them.  I plan this week to visit the rights advocate about this matter to see if there are laws in regards to confidentiality.

Realizations

This week has been an interesting week to say the least.  I have received my first two clients as well as some road blocks. I was given a few clients who are placed in the next county, this was not a surprise being that I am the new social worker.  However, their needs include moving out of their current place and into independent living and as I completed my research on housing, I realized I was already doomed. After the meeting, everyone suggested I only visit these clients less than once a week.  I am not sure how to approach parts of this job.  I thought the mission was to spend time with clients in the field but, at the same time everyone seems resistant of this idea.  I feel like an over achiever at times as well as the only one committed to the well-being of clients, although I know this is not true. In reflection, my expectations of the duties of the job are conflicting with my peers ideas of the way case management has been in the past.  I had a conversation with my superior as she stopped in to ask me how I was doing.  Without throwing anyone under the bus, I simply asked how much time were we supposed to be spending with the clients.  She stated since she came on as Clinical Supervisor she reduced the caseload to under ten and would like more intensive services be provided.  I shared with her that I was unsure this was the teams philosophy.  She then assured me  I had the right idea and the rest would have to come around sooner or later.    

I am realizing many things about my new position and the agency I work for.  Many people are showing great resistance to change as well as the recovery model we are striving for.  I am also realizing there is a big difference in care and how we approach our jobs based on our educational level.  Half of my co-workers have past work experience in psych-hospitals with no formal education and the other half are MFT's.  The approaches are all quite different, the MFT's would like to be somewhere where they can practice therapy and the older Social Workers are resistant to change. I am realizing the STAR team caseload consists with clients who are very ill and have been on and off conservator ship for not being able to care for themselves. Overall, I feel we are dedicated to helping our clients but we all go about it in different ways.  I can appreciate this as long as they will appreciate my way is also different than theirs.