Happy Holidays to all my Fellow Social Workers!

Sorry I've been a little late posting.  I meant to update my blog at Christmas but alas with all my time off relaxing, it's slipped away from me.  However, there is still New Years so I am wishing all my readers all the best for 2013 - which includes health, career and relationships!

Since we are only a couple of days until 2013, now is a perfect time to reflect on the last year.
 
Mine was mixed - the start was not good, nor the middle, but I feel like I made up for it at the end.  I had a major health and career crisis which caught me completely off guard.  And it battered my self worth and self esteem pretty badly.  I had to get real with myself about my abilities and what I could handle.  I learnt the pain of having people doubt me.  I had a lot of guilt about my health issues.  All the time, energy and sacrifice I had put into my Social Work career looked and felt like it had been for nothing.  I had to live with being labelled and as hard as it was I knew that many people were hoping I would just give in and walk away from my career.

It made me understand what our clients go through on a daily basis, journeying through a system that is rigged to have many of them fail - and worst of all, revictimize them.  I know I felt like I was being victimized.

But then after all that waiting, jumping through a million hoops that seemed to only hurt me and impede my recovery, new opportunities began to open up and I got a new job.  And surprisingly, I found that I loved it.  But I sure as hell knew that I paid my dues for it.

I made a decision once I started my new position that I didn't want to be just another employee - I wanted to stand out in my enthusiasm.  I wanted to be seen as an obvious asset to my agency.  I wanted to make an impression so that if I ever left the agency I would be remembered, and more importantly MISSED.  And although it has been less than six months since I started this job a lot of people know my name and are talking about my approach to work.  I am no longer afraid to hold in my ideas if I think they will  be of benefit to my clients or the agency.  I care a lot less about criticism and rejection because I have nothing to lose.  I enjoy my job, my clients can see that and it is also reflected in the positive atmosphere that I help to create with my coworkers.  I am not perfect - I often joke that I am the geek in my office but I am real and it has taken a long time for me to accept myself both personally and professionally.

So, where did I intend to go with this long story?  I wanted to show you how much can change in a year, from negative to positive.  Overall, my wish for you dear readers is for you to persevere and recognize your own strength in the coming year.  Oftentimes we are so focused on our clients journey's that we tend to neglect our own.  We too have amazing stories of survival and triumph in the face of great obstacles or tragedies.  Some of us may have had several hard years in challenging Social Work jobs, while others are just graduating and don't know in which direction to begin their Social Work career.  Then there are those of us struggling to juggle family lives with our jobs, facing ever increasing responsibilities at work, and a lack of understanding for the very complicated work we do.  But I don't want you to give up hope for 2013.  I want you to take all that you have dealt with, learnt and overcome in 2012 to become a stronger, more resilient version of yourself.  Aim to be a role model to your clients and your coworkers in 2013.  And more importantly, aim to be a model of courage to yourself.


As Always,

Patti

Bribe and Prejudice

As Social Workers we are trained not to receive gifts from our clients.  In many agencies this is considered unethical practice, especially when we have involuntary clients.  This is to protect clients from being taken advantage of by their workers.

Some agencies have differing opinions about what is considered a gift.  Homemade gifts such as baked goods or a card which cost very little money are accepted as to avoid offending the client.  Sometimes clients just want to genuinely thank their Social Workers and they want to give more than a verbal "thanks."

The reverse happened to me today.  I wanted to give my clients Christmas cards as a sign of good will, however a co-worker told me immediately that it is not allowed at our agency.  Now, my role is definitely not front line child intervention anymore and my clients have great boundaries so I believe they would generally be surprised and delighted with a Christmas card (and not read too much into it).  I don't consider a Christmas card a gift, but I suppose there must be a rule about giving anything to clients in the big agency I work for.  And to be honest I was going to make sure that none of the cards had the word Christmas in them anyways, since I am not particularly religious.

Sigh. I am always looking for inventive ways to develop my professional relationship with my clients, but I suppose this time I have just become a victim to the opposite motion of bribery in the workplace!

Being Positive in an Ever-Negative World

I remember how I was as a Social Worker in my previous positions - just trying to get by and keep my head above water.  I tried to be supportive to my clients and co-workers but there wasn't a lot to be positive about.  Many decisions I had to make and follow through on as a front line Child Welfare worker was not positive.  I had a lot of responsibility and I would constantly worry, hoping that the children on my caseload would remain safe.  I felt older than I was - actually, a lot older.

In many ways a large part of who I was was taken over by my job.  There was little room for creativity, imagination or independence.  There were also a lot of people that I had to answer to: supervisors, management, parents, children, foster parents, extended family, teacher's, principals, support workers, lawyers, judges and so on.  Everyone had their own vested interest and it was hard to always have someone disappointed or angry at me.

Now that I am in a different place professionally I see that I was just not meant to be the constant "bearer of bad news."  I don't always want to be expecting the worst and I don't always want to be the bad guy.  And I wanted to be honest to my co-workers, clients, supervisors and management about who I was.  I was tired of being a generic, personality-less worker.  I realized that 1/3 of my life would be spent at work and I wanted that time to be an extension of who I was during the other 2/3 of the time.

So I began to talk with a more authentic speech, using less jargon and using more realistic language with my clients.  I also gave myself permission to laugh and laugh with my clients.  I brightened up my office and my hair.

I am unappologetically happy and I take every opportunity I can to have fun and make sure my co-workers are having just as good of a time as myself.  There are still busy days, tiring days, and it does take some effort, but being positive sustains others and it helps to give them hope.  You just don't know who you could impact with this attitude, and that is what Social Work is about, positively impacting others.

Update to my Readers

It's been over four months since I have last written a blog post.  I thought I was done with the Social Work Diaries, but I guess it was not done with me!  I was just informed this week that my blog has almost two thousand views - the last time I checked it was more like a couple hundred!

And so this person who informed me thought I owed my readers an update on where I am in my Social Work career.  I could not help but agree.

I had to move for this new position which meant selling and also packing a lot of my belongings.  To be honest, about half of my stuff was in boxes anyway since there were several times that I thought I would just move back home because my career situation was so uncertain.  Anyway, within a couple of weeks I had bought a modest home and delved into reinventing my Social Work career yet again.

My expectations for this new job was not very high.  I just wanted a better Social Work job than the last ones I had.  Each day when there was not a new crisis to overcome, I was amazed.  I felt like I was in cloud nine!  I genuinely felt like I was helping my clients and that overall I was in a positive work environment.

I am sure there were a few snickers from the people who have known me since the start of my Social Work career.  Here goes Patti with yet another change!  But I kept my head held high and I had a positive attitude. I did't have a choice but to move forward.

For the first days and weeks I was still surprised that I liked my new job.  I didn't get that sinking feeling in my stomach or my head warning me I was in the wrong area of Social Work.  And whenever conflict arose with clients I had already dealt with much worse in the past so it was easily for me to handle these situations. Also, I admitted my strengths and my challenges to my co-workers and my boss.  Finally, I felt like I was being treated like a normal person, and not a Social Work superhero!

As I said before in my last post, my current position does not relate to Social Work 100%.  However, I use many of the skills I gained while obtaining my Social Work degree and working as a front-line Social Worker.  I have great people skills and I am unafraid when the going get's tough - as long as it's not too tough!

As there are many types of people, there are also many types of Social Work personalities - and positions available to them.  I don't know if some of my former co-workers were waiting for me to say that the other Social Work jobs I had in the past were too much for me.  It's true, they were stressful and challenging jobs but they are too much for many people and it was not worth the price of being exhausted all the time, being multi-tasked to death or having my safety put at risk.  To be honest, now when I talk to those guys I think they are a little envious when they see how stress-free I am.  And sure, I do have a wonderful job now but I had to go through many negative experiences to get it.  I figure in a way, I earned this position and I'm exactly where I'm meant to be.

And as for the future of this blog...I do have topics that come to mind occasionally so now that I am more settled in my life I have the time to write posts - just not everyday as I used to!

Lastly, for all the Social Workers hanging on by a thread out there.  A job is never worth losing your sanity, health or relationships over.  You can only be the best Social Worker you can be when you are in a job you feel comfortable in.  It may take many, many attempts before you find the right fit.  And it doesn't matter if you don't take the traditional Social Work career path as every one else: intervention, front-line, casework, or dealing with high risk clients.  The world always needs kind and determined workers no matter what area of Social Work they are in.

Goodbye Post

This is my final blog post.  I know I haven't had it for very long but I knew that this might be the case.  It was kind of my pet project while I was going through a career transition.

And good news my readers, the transition has finally come to an end and I am now in a non-front line social work position!  I really didn't know how my job search was going to end - if I was going to continue in the field or not, but this opportunity came up and I decided to grab it.  After all the social work experience I have gained it feels like I can easily handle this job and the people I am going to be working with sound great.

I have paid my dues in crazy stressful and sometimes dangerous social work jobs.  Looking back I think having those jobs has given me some good perspective and will help me to better appreciate my new job.  I learnt what roles I am comfortable with and I am confident now that I will not be put in situations that go against my values or personality, and that's a good feeling!  It is a lower paying job, however of course there are going to be trade offs.  I am willing to accept mine.

I could not have continued through this long and arduous journey without the support from former colleagues and family.  This field can snap at your self esteem and confidence and there will be more times than you can count that you want to give in or give up.  I never thought I could find a job that would meet my needs but after a lot of searching and luck it seems like it's going to be a good fit.  So then my advice is if you are in a similar situation to the one I was in, continue to think outside the box and look at non-traditional social work jobs.  Push for what you want.  I found that along the way people wanted me to compromise but in the end I'm glad I didn't.  As a result I know that my physical, emotional and mental health is not going to suffer.

I want to thank all of my readers from across the globe for reading my blog.  I know you didn't always comment but I understand since I am usually shy on blogs and message boards and rarely comment myself.  I am going to keep all my past posts online and if they continue to inform new or burnt out social workers then my original goal was accomplished!

Take Care,

Patti

Workplace Intimidation and the Social Worker

I am sorry that I haven`t written for over a week but I have been busy with work related things and it hasn`t left me with much time to write.

This topic has come up for me recently.  I decided to write about it because I want others to know that they are not alone if they too are experiencing intimidation or workplace bullying.

I have recently been informed that my social work abilities had been questioned by someone at my agency.  I don`t think that the person who said this meant for me to find out but I did.  When I discovered these comments I was confused, frustrated, upset and felt a huge blow to my self esteem.  I thought I had been doing a pretty good job and none of these comments had been brought to my attention during any supervisory meetings or informal chats with my supervisor or any higher ups.  So as a result, I felt betrayed.  I also felt that my reputation and character had been assassinated.  All of my hard work, my years of education now felt meaningless.  I was very angry at this person for saying these things, and angry at the agency itself because I had dedicated myself to that job, often at the cost of my personal life and this is what I got in return.

I don`t know why we can`t give as much consideration to our employees as we give to our clients in the field of social work.  I know that these issues exist in many organisations but on the front line we especially need the support of our coworkers, supervisors and management.  I suppose I am so disappointed because I have always carried myself at work with dignity and respect towards others and it`s disheartening when you don`t get it back.

So then let`s discuss options if you are in this situation like me.  First, document EVERYTHING!  You will need this if the issue is brought to your union or management.  You can arrange for a meeting with the person  who said these things but speak to your supervisor first to make them aware of the situation (if they were not the ones making the disrespectful and damaging comments).  See what you can do to get this off your personal record if it is included in your file.  Have it documented there that you did not agree with the comments.  Try not to get upset when speaking to the person as you want to remain professional.  Just because they are acting inappropriate does not mean that you should as well.  Take the higher ground.  Don`t quit if you feel you are being intimidated, seek support of your union for next steps and do not discuss the situation with fellow coworkers since you don`t want a lot of rumours flying around - it only makes things worse.

The person who made these comments about me has a lot of power and I am in the middle of a career transition so I have to be careful.  Once I am settled I am going to address this issue with the person.  They need to know that just because an employee is kind, does not mean you can take advantage of them.  I am going to stand up for myself, which is a hard lesson I have had to learn.

The Unemployed Social Worker

I have seen a lot of discussion on the internet about social workers, especially in the United States, having a hard time finding social work jobs.  Exceptionally vulnerable people include: new graduates because of lack of experience, older workers because of age discrimination, workers who have had several jobs in a short amount of time, and those with gaps on their resume.  It also may take you longer to find a job if you are trying to break into a new area of social work since you have to prove to potential employers you have what it takes to do the job.

Then there are the overqualified social workers in support roles since that is the only position they can get in their area, or which fits their schedule if they have a family.

Pay ranges significantly between non-profits and more government controlled agencies.  You may be unemployed because all you see are low paying social work jobs and you want to hold out for a job that will put you in a better position to support yourself.  I don't blame you, as long as you have the money to tide yourself over.  I have seen many interesting and rewarding social work jobs advertised, however when I looked at the salary I couldn't believe it.  Some start as low as $9 and don't go up much further from there!  I would love to be altruistic and take the job, however, I like many other people I know have bills to pay!  To me this underscores how little social workers are valued by some agencies or how low their funding is that they have to pay their considerably educated employees close to minimum wage.

The only advice I can give to someone who is unemployed is this:

• See if you qualify for unemployment insurance
• Do not quit your current job unless you have substantial savings or have another job lined up!
• Go in person to agencies that you are interested in to introduce yourself, making it known you would like to work there
• Network with other social workers to see if there are any openings at their agency or any other openings they know about 
• Take part time or casual work in the field if you are desperate and continue to look for full time work in the meantime
• Try not to get too down on yourself if it's taking longer than you thought

Finally, all of us will be in this position at one point or another.  We will feel like we are at a cross roads with not many options.  Listen to your heart and use every connection you have.  Eventually the situation has to get better.

Changing Your Area of Social Work Practise

As this image demonstrates there are several areas that a social worker can work in.  And sometimes the area you start in is not the one you finish in.

However, what most people won't tell you is just how important your first social work jobs are.  They set the foundation of your career and if you decide to change directions, many potential employers may not think you are qualified to be working in a different area of social work.

I know it's ridiculous because as social workers we have many transferable skills and many of our techniques and experiences can translate well into working with other groups.  However, many job postings are so black and white that they want you to PROVE you have direct experience with that population.

So what is a social worker to do if they realize they want to move on to a new area?  First, try volunteering, or working either casually or part time in that area if you can.  Take a lower position even if that means getting your foot in the door and starting from the bottom.  Also, maybe you can transfer within your agency so that at least you will have a similar job title as the one you want in your new area.

I have found my experience working with children and youth to be limiting when I have applied for other positions.  I have been told I have no experience with seniors and so on when I know I can do the core of that job.

So what other alternatives do you have then?  I suggest remaining persistent if you want to enter a new area of social work.  Get as much experience as you can, any way you can in that area and take relevant courses if it will give you a leg up.

And don't believe you will be stuck in one area of social work forever.  I have met many social workers who have eventually transitioned into new areas and are all the more happier and fulfilled because of it.

Should You Move into Management?

After every social worker has gained a few years experience, this question always comes up.  It's especially true if the agency you work for constantly has work opportunities.  


Traditionally, for most social work supervisor jobs I've seen, they are looking at three to five years experience and for some, a masters in social work degree is required.


Before I started my first social work job, I was convinced that I would take this route - moving up the supervisory chain.  However, once I saw the level of responsibility required I had second thoughts.  I did not want to have to work through EVERY lunch, and have to take home work with me on evenings and weekends.  They also deal with the most challenging clients while at the same time possibly carrying their own files (yikes!).  They are often stuck in the middle between trying to advocate for their employees and pushing for more productivity (aka miracles!) at the request of upper management.  In either case, their hands are often tied.  They might have to teach training courses and are often expected to push new initiatives on already overburdened employees.


There are many supervisors and managers I have seen that rarely take vacations and as a result of stress have gained physical/mental ailments.  Most times there are little supervisory training programs and the new supervisor or manager has to learn these skills on the job.  Their hands are also in many different pots, like dealing with HR issues if it effects one of their employees, having to be on agency committees, and they might have a more direct role in liaising with the community in regards to social work issues.


I don't have any advice either way whether or not you should move into management.  I only recommend that you think about it very carefully.  Take a look at the workload of your supervisor and ask yourself if you truly believe you can handle it.  Remember, once you move up the ladder, it is much harder to move back down.

Whistle Blowing and the Social Worker

This is a sensitive topic to social workers as many of us will come across times in our careers when we will be faced to whistle against blow unsafe or unethical practises to our management, union or social work board.

It can be particularly damaging to a social worker's safety if they whistle blow in an environment where they depend on other staff to protect them i.e. corrections.  Also, there is the emotional isolation that comes from whistle blowing whereby other social workers do not trust you or wonder why you had to "rock the boat."  But like in every profession there are good social workers and there are bad ones.  There are also good supervisors and bad supervisors.  Oftentimes we are given directives that we must follow through on that we do not agree with, but if they go against primary social work ethics and safe practise then we have a right to voice our concerns to the proper bodies.

Sadly, I have witnessed things in my social work career which I believe were highly unethical.  However, it was often my word against another social worker's and I believed that my concerns would not be taken seriously.  Some social workers are just get jaded after so many years in the field and they may not see that their behaviour is mentally or emotionally abusive to their clients.  And oftentimes management is just happy that the position is filled with a somewhat capable body that they do not reprimand these employees.  Older styles of management might also support this approach to clients which could be offensive to more newly trained social workers.

And oftentimes the fallout to our coworkers could be so tremendous that we do not want to take on the responsibility of "ratting them out."  This is especially true if you work in an environment that rarely tries to rectify the issue.  As you can imagine, it can become a tense situation if the issue is never resolved and that coworker thinks you "have it out for them."

In regards to what you should do if you are ever found in a situation where you feel something unethical is happening at your job, I recommend first speaking to your supervisor or management if they are supportive.  You might also want to consult with your union about appropriate reporting steps you must take.  If you truly believe something criminal is happening, you MUST go to the police, even if your management does not support this.  Also, alert your social work board if you are a member of an association since they have their own internal investigation process against complaints.

Deciding to Come Out as a Social Worker-

You must be wondering what the heck this picture has to do with the title of this blog, but don't worry I will explain it later on.

There seems to be a divide among social workers about whether or not they should reveal their "professional" title or if they should just go by their job title such as counsellor, case manager, investigator, mental health therapist, child/youth worker, program assistant, case aide, determiner of eligibility, outreach worker and so on.


Some people have shame in being labelled a social worker because of our not so clean professional past.  However, in the last couple of decades we are demonstrating a more inclusive process with our clients and we try to make joint decision when we can based on their wishes.

Then there is the other group (which I fall into) that when asked what they do, they say I am a social worker.  It  can come up in a variety of situations, if I happen to meet someone who seems in distress with family issues and asks for any suggestions, emergency accidents where I can provide emotional support to those hurt (like in the above picture) or if someone makes an uninformed comment about an area of of social work which I have knowledge about and which I can speak to.  Overall, I feel it is my duty to put a positive face to the name of social worker, especially if these people have had negative experiences with social workers in the past.  It also helps to demystify the profession as people will ask me what I really do in my job.  You might also get criticisms about others in the profession but you can just apologise for that situation and say that we all have different personalities and strengths - however, I will NEVER condone unethical actions by a social worker.

You really have to take into consideration the situation you are in before you reveal whether or not you are a social worker.  If you feel you will be at risk of abuse then don't say anything but if you feel like you have a great teaching opportunity then I say go for it!

Is It Really Worth Going to Social Work Grad School?

First off, I want to wish everyone a belated Happy Canada Day for all of our Canadian readers.  I also want to say happy three month anniversary for the blog which is this close to 300 views.  My last post was supposed to be a celebration of this, however I couldn't include it due to some technical difficulties.  But I am continuing to work on the issue.

Moving on, I often get asked by others in the field (and members of my own family!) if I will be doing a master's in social work.

Back in the good old days when I was doing my undergrad in social work it was all a part of "The Plan."  I would get excellent grades, work for a couple of years and then pursue my masters in social work.  Then I entered the field and everything changed.

First off, the agency I worked for had a sequential pay system based on seniority and NOT education, so getting my masters quickly was no longer imperative.  Also, it was often only the higher up supervisors and managers that had a masters degree in social work.  And seeing how much responsibility they had I decided that I likely would not make moving up into the upper echelons of management my goal.  For the most part, I liked not having to take home paperwork in the evenings and on weekends.  And I liked that I would never have to be on call 24/7.


Secondly, as I continued to gain more experience and looked beyond the agency I was looking for, I realized that many counseling and hospital positions required a masters degree in social work.  But when I looked more deeply into the job descriptions it seemed that with an increase in education I would also have a serious increase in responsibilities.  I felt like I could handle just about enough politics and responsibility in my current front line roles and felt that I did not need the added stress!

Thirdly, I looked at getting a master's in social work degree as a pure educational opportunity.  However, I could not commit to the two years even though it was only part time and online.  I just didn't feel like I had the energy to commit to all those assignments and exams after a long and stressful day of work.  I would pretty much have to put work on hold for a year or two to complete the program full time and since I was still new to my career I did not want to risk losing any momentum.

Fourthly, I figured I had one more big degree/diploma program in me to finish until I called it quits with higher education (not counting professional and required educational development programs).  Plus, the master's degree is expensive and it has a somewhat lengthy admission process depending on which school you are applying to.  I already have many years of post secondary education, some of it more useful than others, so I wanted to make my last leap into education count.  However, I was not feeling the pull to get a master's degree in social work.  I thought that I would feel overwhelmed even doing it part time and it would purely be a professional move, not a personal one.  Also, where I am living now there are fewer education requirements for social workers so I know that it was not 100% necessary for me to get my master's to receive a good position.

I have read many discussion posts where people jump into a master's degree in social work, and here are some reasons why:

• They have no experience in social work and their undergrad degree is in a totally unrelated field.  But they feel they "might" like social work and they really want a masters degree in something so they go for a masters in social work.
• They are disgrunted with social work in their current position and feel like getting a masters in social work will give them more job opportunities.  This is true, however you have to look at your current feelings about social work before diving into an expensive grad program.  Maybe it's the field entirely that you are getting tired of and in that case, a masters in social work will not help you.
• They go right from an undergrad to a masters degree in social work, hoping that they can finish their education all at once.  Yet, they do not take a break in between to see how much they even like this field.  Many people change career trajectories after their first degree so it's good to give yourself time to grow to ensure you are remaining on the same path you started on.
• Your employer really wants you to move into a management position but they say that you need a master's degree first.  You must ask yourself, is moving into management something you really want to do?  If so, then it's fine to get a masters degree for this reason.  If you are seriously not interested in moving up the ladder into management then I highly suggest having a discussion with all interest parties about YOUR career goals.
• Your agency offers tuition reiumbursement so you feel that you MUST take them up on this deal.  But be careful, do you really feel at this time that you can juggle work, school and family life?  If so, then I say go for it!  If not, then maybe you should put your masters on hold for a while until you can do some more planning.

Overall, deciding on whether or not you should go for your master's degree in social work is not only a professional decision that you need to make, but a personal one as well.  You have to make sure you can handle the workload and you have to talk to people who will be impacted by your decision to go to school.  Is your family alright with you spending extra hours away from home, and what about a reduction in income if you are going to school full time?  Also, does your work support you in getting your master's?  Will they be flexible about giving you time off to do your assignments and exams?  Are they interested in having the latest social work theories practiced at their agency, or are they closed to new ideas and may feel threatened by your new knowledge?  You really have to evaluate your situation carefully but I do know it's possible to achieve your masters in social work if you truly desire it!

Inspiring Letter to Social Workers

A Letter of Thanks to All Social Workers in the World

-by SequoiaProject on Jun 1, 2010

Dear Social Workers,

The work you do matters. On the days when you are burnt out, and questioning if it does, take a few moments to read this letter.

I was 12-years old when I first met Dale. I was lost in a world of institutions and dormitories for the last few years. The reasons why I didn’t understand. At the time I thought I was broken and no good. I later learned it was my home that was broken. My father was an abusive alcoholic and kept his entire family in a constant state of fear. My mother ran out on the family when I was 3. The county became involved when schools noticed behavior problems. A decision was made to put me into the institutions that could maybe help.

Dale explained to me that he was a social worker, and that he promised to help find a regular home an family for me. I liked that idea! I had no clue what a ‘social worker’ was but he seemed really kind. I also didn’t know what a regular home or family was like either. There was a side of me that wished him luck in finding this home. I was convinced that nobody really cared.

Dale kept his word. It took a little while but I’ll never forget our driving away from the huge and cold institution I had been at. The place meant well but it was no place to grow up. I remember, to this day, how much faith and trust I had in Dale. I didn’t want to show him these things because I was used to disappointment and rejection. I played the tough kid role and acted like it didn’t matter. It did though. The ‘tough’ kid act was a defensive wall I had learned to put up, so I could pretend nothing could hurt me.

The foster home he introduced me to became the home he promised. I wish I could say that life suddenly became easier but it didn’t. I, again, had trouble in school and in this new home. What I did have though were people around me who really cared. I pushed the envelope all the way too. I was convinced that if I acted up bad enough Dale would give up on me and the family would send me away. It was my way of testing and seeing if these things would happen.

This was over 35 years ago. I just talked with him on the phone a few weeks back. He has retired and was preparing to move to a new town. He and his wife wanted to be closer to a daughter (who was soon to have triplets). He called simply to share what his new address was and phone number. I know his wife and have watched his children have little ones of their own. Never in personal ways but always being kept up to date on their lives. I hope they will someday read this and know it is their father I am writing about.

The next time you are questioning whether your work matters believe that it does. He never judged me or was mean. His voice was the only compassionate sound I heard, during some of my darkest and confusing hours of my young life. We did not always get along and agree on things either. When I became an adult he helped guide me as a friend. I did not understand, at 18, why he could no longer have the same contact with me, but as the years passed we simply became friends. So the next time little Johnny has you pulling your hair out, questioning everything, read this simple letter. You do make a difference. Please forward this to every social worker you know.

Sincerely,

A once lost child.

The Sequoia Project

Protecting Your Physical Health as a Social Worker

Just as important as protecting your mental health is ensuring that you are meeting your physical health needs as a social worker.

Many physical complaints are caused by stress in the field of social work.  Tense shoulders and neck are some indicators that you might be feeling a lot of stress.  Social workers also might have somatic complaints such as a sore or uneasy stomach which are indicators of internalizing the go-go-go nature of the job and the often lack of control we have.

Sitting at a computer for long periods of time could cause eye strain, headaches, migraines, or carpel tunnel syndrome.  One solution to this problem is to take regular breaks away from your desk.  Also, try and break up the day between paperwork and home visits which will give you more exercise than just sitting at your desk all day and relief if you usually spend days at a time on the road.

Taking regular meal breaks is also important and it might mean saying no to things that can wait until after you have had your lunch.  It's unhealthy for you to skip meals and just live off coffee or pop to get you through the day.  I always suggest to people to have a stash of healthy snacks at the office for when hunger strikes, and to always have something handy in your purse/bag in case you are away from the office for significant periods of time and there is no place to get food.

Getting enough rest to combat physical symptoms of a stressful job is also helpful.  Try not to nap as soon as you get home, even if you are exhausted.  Go to bed an hour or two early if you are truly that tired so that you can sleep through the night.  Try to avoid reading/watching the news before bed or exposing yourself to anything stressful since it will make it hard for you to fall asleep.  If you are a social worker that tends to wake up in the night thinking about things you need to do tomorrow, keep a piece of paper handy by your bed to write down notes so that you can get it off your mind and go back to sleep.  If you have had a particularly upsetting day writing in a journal might be helpful to get your feelings out since holding them in is NEVER a good idea.  And if there are times that you work late into the night or have to get up extra early for work, try to replace the sleep that you lost as soon as possible or else waking up in the morning is going to get really hard in just a short amount of time.

Doing relaxing yoga or attending a gym can also bring about a release of physical tension.  It might help to settle your body and mind after a stressful day of work so that you can spend the evening relaxed.  It can also create additional social opportunities for you.

Lastly, make sure you take off time that is owed to you.  This could include banked overtime hours or vacation time.  The work is always going to be there and there is no perfect time to take a vacation.  Your clients will always be angry that you're "leaving them" and your boss is always going to wonder how all the work is going to get finished while you are away, both will survive.  However, you won't, at least physically. of you don't give yourself occasional breaks from the unrelenting pace of social work.

Protecting Your Mental Health as a Social Worker

I have be where this woman is at.  She looks tired, stressed, lost and confused and those are not good places to be.

I have met many social workers who are now on depression and anxiety medication as a result of their jobs.  They seem to be in an endless cycle of burnout and stress whereby their symptoms only get exasperated by not enough down time at work and bosses who either ignore the problem or don't care.

At any social work agency I have ever worked for, we have never had guest speakers, meetings or learning opportunities to discuss our mental health - even though things like compassion fatigue, burnout and post traumatic stress disorder effects many social workers on the front line.  Since social workers are part of the group of helping professionals they require special care just like their clients.  Without proper support and recognizing the inherent mental health risks associated with this field we are doing not only a disservice to ourselves, but also our co-workers, and clients when we are not performing at our best.

Very few agencies offer designated "mental health days" so social workers use their regular sick days for mental health issues i.e. like if they just can't get out of bed that day or they are experiencing an emotional crisis.  Imagine, as social workers we try and help the most needy of people and put our heart on the line for them everyday.  Then, when we come home we are expected to handle complex emotional relationships with friends and families.  Sometimes the expectations just feel too high.

Taking a stress leave is another option if your symptoms get worse enough where you can no longer do your day to day work.  However, we often worry about stigma in the office and feel guilty about overloading our co-workers with our files when we are gone.  And usually when we return there are twice as many things we have to deal with and correct than from before we left.

Many agencies, especially child welfare agencies have been running the same way for a long time.  Budgets only allow for so many workers so it means social workers are given ever increasing workloads, which is very precarious if you work in an emergency or crisis driven area (i.e. you get NO mental breaks).

Overall the workload can be so relentless that taking time even for a bathroom break can be a challenge.  Oftentimes social workers are given empty promises that the workload will get better soon but it doesn't, or if it does the workload only lessons a little until the next emergency.

So how do social workers cope with this?  Some concede that they are working in a flawed system whereby they will never be able to do the best work possible.  They ignore clients complains about a lack of services and they do not take it personally that they are rarely available.  If you are of the other social work group then it becomes crushing how few clients you feel that you actually have time to help, and then you begin to internalize these feelings.  And if you mention your depression or anxiety with other co-workers or supervisors who have been around for a long time at the agency, you will notice many of them have become jaded and are unsympathetic to your concerns.  The most sympathy and support you will likely receive will be from new grads or other new hires.

No one can take responsibility for your mental health but you.  If you notice that your job is having a considerable negative affect on your mental health, talk to your family and doctor about it.  Seeing a counselor might help with providing you with coping techniques, but if your stress is mostly caused by work then it might be time to look at another social work job within the agency, in another field of social work, or leave the field entirely before you have lost all of your mental health resiliency.

When to Say No as a Social Worker

I don't know why but as professionals, social workers seem to have one of the hardest times saying no.  Maybe it's because we are seen as so giving, understanding, and sympathetic that both bosses and clients believe they can walk all over us.  I think not!


Many social workers, especially new to the field or new to a job agree with everything that is requested of them, which often goes against simple logic.  Social workers are expected to finish competing tasks immediately (i.e. an important meeting and a report) and work in situations which are logically unsafe.  This would include working in the late evening and completing a home visit alone in a dangerous neighbourhood with a client who is a convicted sex offender or who has been convicted of physical assault.  Sometimes having a cellphone handy just isn't enough in these situations as the worker could easily become overpowered, especially if this client has had time to "prepare" for your visit.  I have heard of several social workers who have been sexually assaulted in these types of situations, situations they NEVER should have been in in the first place.

I have had supervisors scoff at my need for safety saying they had never gotten hurt on the job but all it takes is one incident to change your life forever.  And these incidents will have a lasting affect on not only the social worker's career but also their personal life.

There is nothing wrong with standing your ground when it comes to saying no, in regards to safety or anything else.  You can always turn the tables on your supervisor/agency by saying such things as:

• I see that you want me to complete two important things at once, since I only have a limited amount of time, which task is the priority?
• You have given me several things that need to be completed in a short amount of time, I am just making you aware that I can't complete them all at once but I will finish them as soon as I can.
• I understand that I need to meet with this client, since no other worker is available to come to their home with me, I am going to schedule the visit at the office.
• I know that you want me to meet immediately with this client but I am waiting for another worker to come available so that he/she can attend with me due to safety concerns.  Do you have a problem with this?
• In the past, several coworkers have had issues with this client.  What suggestions do you have in regards to ensuring my safety when I must work with this client?
• I know that I must apprehend/intervene in this situation but I do not feel comfortable going without the police.  I understand this is an emergency situation but I need a professional there to ensure MY safety.
• You have given me a lot of tasks lately and been asking on progress reports.  I want to let you know that I am doing my best to complete them but the amount of time given to finish these tasks is just not enough for me.  What suggestions do you have to improve this situation?

A lot of time supervisors will just dump work on you and expect you to smile and somehow be a superwoman/superman and finish it in record time.  But this type of work ethic cannot last forever since it will lead to the dreaded word: BURNOUT.  You need to take care of yourself, and try and pace your day wisely since emergencies will always come up and non-emergencies will continue to get bumped down the line.  I always recommend turning it back on your supervisor to remind them that their expectations for you are not realistic as not only are you standing up for yourself, but also for your coworkers.  I can't guarantee that your supervisor won't complain about this, or wish they had hired a sheep instead of someone with their own brain but being honest is generally the right thing to do.

Also, in regards to your safety, no one should care more about it than yourself.  You ALWAYS have the right to say no if you feel like you are going into an unsafe situation with not enough precautions taken.  It's better to plan ahead and be safe then have your life changed forever by one dangerous encounter with a client.

Deciding Which Client Population to Work With

This is ultimately one of the most important decisions that a social worker can make regarding their career.  As students social workers usually get a first taste of what populations they are comfortable and enjoy working with during their field internships.  Or they might stumble into an area depending on the types of jobs available after graduation.

Social factors can also have an impact on which clients we work with.  Your family might have a history with the medical field, i.e. in your family there are many doctors, nurses and other health professions so you may feel comfortable carrying on with this tradition.  A family member or friend might also have had an experience with a social worker in the past and had a great experience.  This could have been your inspiration to enter the field and you might follow suit with the type of agency that the social worker worked for.

I believe that when someone decides they want to study social work they have a picture in their mind of the type of work they will be doing and where.  It could include working with veterans, children, street populations, the physically or mentally ill, seniors, those who are incarcerated and so on.  Once you actually begin working with a specific population you may decide that you love it or that it is not a good fit at all.  And if ever you begin to question why you got into the field it may help you to remember those initial feelings you had when you first decided you wanted to be a social worker.

It may take several jobs in different areas of social work until you find your niche.  I know many social workers where this has been the case.  Ignoring from family and friends, why can't you just settle down in one place? might be necessary until you finally click with a job.

Things to consider when deciding which client populations to work with include:

• Which client groups do I have experience with?  Did I enjoy those experiences?
• What areas am I naturally inclined to, the quick pace of a hospital or the steady atmosphere of a counselling centre?  Take a hard look at your personality to see what work environment best suits you.
• Are there any client populations that you just do not feel comfortable working with?  I.e., you might be concerned about your safety when working in a prison.
• Is there a client group that is just too close to you emotionally whereby you feel it would affect you negatively if you worked in that field?  I.e. a seniors home if you recently lost an older parent or relative.
• Where do you see yourself heading in your career?  Do you want to continue doing front line work or would you eventually like to work up to management?  Depending on the agency there might be limited opportunities to move up.
• What do your overall instincts tell you?  I.e. do you want to be a school social worker but know deep down that you have a hard time working with troubled youth or other professionals (teachers or administrators) that may have a hard time grasping your role?
• What are the pay and benefits like with the populations you would like to work with.  I.e. working with street populations usually includes working for a non-profit agency which may have a lower salary and limited benefits when compared to working for an institution which is entirely provincially funded.

Whatever client population you decide to work with, do lots of research first including volunteering or starting casual.  You want to make sure that you are comfortable physically, emotionally, and mentally with the type of clients that you choose to work with.

Multitasking and the Social Worker

An essential part of being a social worker is multitasking.  You are expected to juggle phone calls, emails, meetings, home visits and surprise visits to the office all with ease and grace.  You are not supposed to show frustration or tiredness for trying to keep up with the relentless pace.

Oftentimes you are supposed to keep about twenty things floating around in your head at once and if you forget a deadline, don't worry, someone will IMMEDIATELY remind you.  And believe me, your work ethic, professionalism and commitment to the job will be questioned if multitasking efficiently is not your strong suit.  Since overall: absent minded people need not apply in the field of frontline social work.

Everyone quickly develops their own system to multitask including creating reminders on your computer, writing to do lists and so on.  Once you have a system that works for you and that you are comfortable with DO NOT let others change your system because it's different from theirs.  As long as you are able to get your work done in a timely fashion stick to it.  I have seen some social workers comfortable with a ton of papers on their desk while others have them all neatly filled.

Multitasking also includes trying to schedule breaks in between meetings with clients so that you have time to check messages and handle any paperwork that needs to get done.  When you first arrive at the office, prioritise what is most important to complete that day and get those done first thing as it is inevitable that emergencies will come up during the day and derail your perfectly planned schedule.

The worst thing about multitasking is if your supervisor says you MUST attend a certain meeting, or get a report done RIGHT AWAY when you had other things scheduled.  If you honestly do not believe you can fit everything in as a result without losing your sanity then reschedule less important meetings.  It is ok and you should not feel bad about not being superwoman/superman.  It is better to have breaks during the day where you can actually breathe and think then to rush from one thing to another and appear like a chicken with it's head cut off!

And sometimes multitasking just does not work.  You may need a paper day and it is perfectly alright to let the non-emergency emails and phone calls slide.  And if someone truly needs to get a hold of you because of a pressing emergency then they will find you.  Remember, when you set boundaries for yourself regarding your time and what you can handle, not only will your coworkers respect you more, but so will your clients.