Wednesday, February 11, 2009
3/19/09
Today is the first day of spring break, and I wanted to interview a social worker for my Government class project. I interviewed Janice Johnson at Concern to ask about the economy's effect on the field of social work. She was in the middle of several crises while I was intervieweing her, so she needed to keep popping out of the room to get things straightenned. The whole office seemed especially tense today, I could feel it. I tried to ask as much as possible with the precious little time she could afford today, but it got to the point where I felt uncomfortable in the office. 'I'm in their way' I thought. I asked one last question and then felt it was time for me to leave, so I said goodbye and thanked her for her time. I feel happy I could get this interview, because it will bring a Social Work perspective to the economic crisis into my government class, a perspective which I am sure I am the only one who looked into. Most people looked into businesses to see how they are suffering financially. The thought of giving this presentation makes me feel excited.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday 2/3/09
I'm not sure if this blog is going to come up for the people who are already following me on my weight loss blog, but if it does just let me know and I will make it private. I don't want to clog up your blog-stream type thing with non-weight loss related stuff. Then again if you don't mind and would like to read about my experiences, I will keep it public. Basically, I'm doing service for a children & youth organization and need to document my experiences, what I'm thinking and how I am feeling during my visits. The purpose of the assignment is to make a distinction between my feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and to become more self-aware while deciding whether or not I like this type of placement.
Tuesday was my first day of service at the agency. When I walked into the office it seemed inviting, there were plaques on the wall with the mission statement, a few green plants, and a small radio playing soft music. The receptionist was nice, and I wasn't waiting very long. The supervisor came to get me, and then gave me a tour of the office. I was introduced to all of the case workers who all seemed very friendly, I felt happy and excited. The supervisor answered some questions I had about the field and her relationships with clients, how she dealt with it, the rewards that came out of this work.. I know that my work has to be satisfying to me, and that it has to be aligned with my core values. I felt very comfortable and connected with the supervisor. I was given a briefing on the rules of the office in terms of conduct and dress. I need to get some nice shoes and slacks this weekend.
After all the introductions, I went with a case worker to a home visit. This home was that of a foster mother, she had two children of her own as well as two foster children. When I walked in I felt strange. I am not used to being in an environment for children. There were toys everywhere, the house smelled like dogs and urine. I felt a little uncomfortable. I took little steps around the kids to find a spot on the couch. One of the children had MR and autism, and that was something else I was unfamiliar with. I wasn't sure how to act about that. I just nodded and said 'OK' when she told me that. The woman seemed agitated, and who wouldn't with four children, ranging in age from 2 to 7. She was also cheery. There were two flat screen televisions playing two separate movies, and the whole environment seemed chaotic, but under control. The caseworker and her got updated with some ongoing issues related to the foster children, which I was left out on because I didn't know the whole stories. I just observed the children and sat quietly. At one point, the mother pulled cotton out of the MR child's mouth. She then proceeded to explain that he has an eating disorder called Pica (pai-kah), in which people eat non food items. The cotton had come from the boy's diaper. At that moment I felt repulsed and my stomach turned, but I'm certain that I kept a straight face. I had never heard of Pica before, and I know it's important to empathize with the mother. I didn't know how to act or what to say. Another of the children, the youngest one had a bruise on his chest that the caseworker wanted to check out. I can tell how much she loves children, how she talked to him, picked him up, and tickled him. The bruise was very small, and she didn't think much of it. Her knowledge of development and of children in general was very impressive. Part of her job is to monitor the childrens' development.
The visit was finished and we then came back to the agency.
Tuesday was my first day of service at the agency. When I walked into the office it seemed inviting, there were plaques on the wall with the mission statement, a few green plants, and a small radio playing soft music. The receptionist was nice, and I wasn't waiting very long. The supervisor came to get me, and then gave me a tour of the office. I was introduced to all of the case workers who all seemed very friendly, I felt happy and excited. The supervisor answered some questions I had about the field and her relationships with clients, how she dealt with it, the rewards that came out of this work.. I know that my work has to be satisfying to me, and that it has to be aligned with my core values. I felt very comfortable and connected with the supervisor. I was given a briefing on the rules of the office in terms of conduct and dress. I need to get some nice shoes and slacks this weekend.
After all the introductions, I went with a case worker to a home visit. This home was that of a foster mother, she had two children of her own as well as two foster children. When I walked in I felt strange. I am not used to being in an environment for children. There were toys everywhere, the house smelled like dogs and urine. I felt a little uncomfortable. I took little steps around the kids to find a spot on the couch. One of the children had MR and autism, and that was something else I was unfamiliar with. I wasn't sure how to act about that. I just nodded and said 'OK' when she told me that. The woman seemed agitated, and who wouldn't with four children, ranging in age from 2 to 7. She was also cheery. There were two flat screen televisions playing two separate movies, and the whole environment seemed chaotic, but under control. The caseworker and her got updated with some ongoing issues related to the foster children, which I was left out on because I didn't know the whole stories. I just observed the children and sat quietly. At one point, the mother pulled cotton out of the MR child's mouth. She then proceeded to explain that he has an eating disorder called Pica (pai-kah), in which people eat non food items. The cotton had come from the boy's diaper. At that moment I felt repulsed and my stomach turned, but I'm certain that I kept a straight face. I had never heard of Pica before, and I know it's important to empathize with the mother. I didn't know how to act or what to say. Another of the children, the youngest one had a bruise on his chest that the caseworker wanted to check out. I can tell how much she loves children, how she talked to him, picked him up, and tickled him. The bruise was very small, and she didn't think much of it. Her knowledge of development and of children in general was very impressive. Part of her job is to monitor the childrens' development.
The visit was finished and we then came back to the agency.
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