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!