The Recipe for a Good Social Worker

I love to cook and am always looking for a good new recipe. However, after scouring Pinterest, I was unable to come up with the recipe for a good social worker.  Being rather creative and comfortable in the kitchen I decided to make my own recipe and here is what I came up with:

Equal parts: 

Knowledge (of yourself, your clientele and your community) 

Values (clear in your own yet respectful of those of others) 

Skills (communication, flexibility and crisis management) 

Combine until smooth.
 
This is the basic recipe and I do not suggest altering that portion.  However, additional ingredients typically add a more complex and better flavor.  I always suggest adding: 

Sense of humor

Thick skin 

Supportive work environment 

Balance 

Also to be added per your personal taste: 

Sarcasm 

Colorful language 

One last tip: Do not overcook!  Every social worker must beware of burn out!!

This old dog.....

As I navigate this journey through graduate school, I am continuing to struggle with the writing piece.  In an effort to continue to learn and grow, I am taking stock of my process. 

Historically I have completed my writing in the “dangerous method” style that Louise Dunlap speaks of.  The dangerous method of writing being one in which all attempts are made to create a perfect product the first time through.  This means writing and rewriting and correcting and editing as I go; painfully sitting in front of my computer practically beating my head on my desk during periods of writer’s block.  With that, I made a conscious decision to step outside of my comfort zone and change my process.  I just went for it.  I started writing what Dunlap refers to as a “mad draft” in which I wrote down my thoughts, as jumbled as they were.  I made no effort to organize them.  My intent was to write down the various points and thoughts that resonated with me throughout the readings.  Again, I just went for it.

Awkward.  That’s how it felt.  In particular I found it hard to leave typos.  Seeing the squiggly red lines throughout my writing and leaving them there was physically painful.  Okay, a few times I did go back and correct them purely out of instinct. 

What I did enjoy about the mad draft process was inserting “XXXXX” when I was thinking of a specific quote that I wanted to insert.  Rather than stalling my creative process to flip through the reading, I simply made a note of where it would be going.  Additionally, when I wasn’t able to write a clear thought I would also write “XXXXX” so that I could easily come back to it.

When I finished my mad draft I was done.  I did not go back and do any editing or make any corrections.  I walked away.  I came back to it the next day and was able to rework and edit without frustration.  Then I let it go for another day.  On the third day I was able to create a finished product without any tears or anger.

I guess this old dog can learn some new tricks…

Is it worth it??

In recent days I have added a new role to the list of many that I already have.  I will call this one: Guilt Ridden Parent.  As a result of graduate school, the schedule of my family has had to change quite a bit.  My husband works 6pm-6am, so in order to participate in live class sessions and also to complete homework, we have had to hire a nanny to come to our home to help care for our two kids.
This has had a direct impact on my 3 year old.  In the last month she has displayed an incredible amount of aggression towards the other kids in her preschool class.  Today we have a school meeting in which a mental health professional will be present to discuss a "treatment plan" for my daughter.  Did I mention that she is three??  The grades of my 11 year old have begun to slip as a result of my decreased time spent doing school work with him.
I made the decision to go back to school for my family.  However, is the resulting damage worth it?  The guilt I feel is overwhelming.  Is this a phase or am I helping to create long term damage?
As I am weighing this out, I am also thinking about the $40,000 that graduate school is going to cost coupled with the dismal at best communication with instructors.  I am paying just as much as on campus students, but they get a few hours a week of time with instructors.  I can hardly get an email.  It is only week 5 of 182 weeks. 
I am going to school to enhance my lifelong desire to have a positive impact on the lives of children yet my own children are being negatively impacted.  The irony isn't lost on me. 

A refugee camp? Is this for real?

The disabled Carnival Cruise ship is being compared to a refugee camp.  Really?  That is a valid comparison?  I feel like that is an insult to refugees worldwide.  I’m sure that sleeping on couches rather than in cabins was inconvenient.  I bet it sucked waiting in long lines for food.  HOWEVER, they had couches to sleep on and food to eat.  A luxury that many inside and outside the US do not have.  We have become such an entitled people!!  The cruise line is refunding the cost of the cruise, giving them another cruise as well as $500 cash, yet, that isn’t good enough.  I can’t wait to see the law suits start flying just so I can get a glimpse of the financial payout for the pain and suffering of having to share cell phone chargers!!  The atrocity!!  Certainly their experiences are right up there with that of the other tragedies of our country such as the slave trade and the Trail of Tears.  If I have to endure any more coverage of the cruise ship “survivors” I may gouge out my own eyes.

 

What I have to say is important, dammit!!
As I mentioned previously I'm not a big fan of journaling or writing my thoughts down. I can write a report based on factual information for days. No problem. Give me a topic that I have passion for and knowledge about. Nailed it. However, when it comes to my "feelings" about things, I'm not one to share. That's not true, actually. My closest friends would tell you that. Clarification: I don't like to share with people I don't know. It brings a sense of vulnerability, and who likes feeling that way??
In an effort to embrace this process, I completed a free writing exercise from Undoing the Silence by Louise Dunlap. If I wasn't clear about it already, this is something I do not enjoy doing (writing or exercising, hahaha).
I did the affirmations exercise and used the statement "What I Have to Say is Important to Many People". I found that about half of what I wrote validated that. I do have knowledge and experience to share with others. The other half of what I wrote focused on the importance of listening and discerning when listening or speaking is best.
My final thought through the process was that I joke around. A lot. Does that help or hurt me when I have something of value to say? Am I taken seriously?

This is my first blog.  Really, I mean my very first blog. I have never even read a blog. I'm not sure if that will give me an advantage or a disadvantage going into this. I will say, I am not thrilled at the prospect. Journaling is not, and has never been, something that I have taken an interest in.  Therefore, I intend to use this blog in a manner that reflects my life and my experiences as a social worker. With that, I plan to bring the grit that is social work. In what other profession are you required to tell a young child that they will never see their parents again? I often long for a job in which I say things like, "I have a grande white mocha for Patrick." As I proceed in this blogging process, I feel that it is only fair that I issue a warning that I will also bring with me a twisted sense of humor that helps me to cope with devastating and heartbreaking events that are a part of the child welfare system. A scathing letter to the editor (me) regarding inappropriate content will not be necessary.  Thanks in advance for your cooperation.