Hello Class, although I do enjoy winters and I am looking forward to our snow storm, I wanted to remind everyone that spring will soon be here. This spring time shot can serve as a metaphor for one's future career as it will certainly be blooming and taking shape over the next couple of years.
Along those lines, please respond to the following questions within the same post.
1. What role(s) in social work do you see yourself doing once you leave UNH? Perhaps this is not formed and you have a few ideas. Briefly share along with any questions, hopes, fears, etc. that you have.
2. Share how/what you identify with in the Gelman and Lloyd article. How is your level of anxiety going into second term, or anticipating next year's placement?
Please post a comment to at least three classmates after reading theirs. Be sure to include everyone and remember, BREVITY, try to be succinct in your thoughts, as you might be in a classroom discussion. Sorry to miss everyone tomorrow, but we will be back for next week.
My thoughts on your comments below.
First, thanks to all for your thoughtful posts. The pleasure of working with Social Work graduate students is the level of engagement you all bring to your learning and work. As you all saw, there were a number of themes on the career end from continuing training to reach a focused goal to seeing other possibilities of interest. I think you are all right on as there is no one way of moving through your career. Someone noted the varied jobs of the faculty. While I started off with specific goals of working clinically, the policy arena opened up for me as I entered a management position in my late twenties and realized I enjoyed the organizational and macro-level work. I also did not necessarily see myself as becoming a researcher as well, but that too caught hold. The one thing that did help along the way was once I had a goal, I researched it and the varied ways of getting there, in other words, I tried to become an expert on the position. So...what's the take home, allow your interests to drive you and certainly allow for time to discover your interests if you are not sure. There is no rule for needing to know what you want to do with your whole life (or latter half of life for some of us). I recently suggested to a student who was graduating to just get any job and to buy more time to make a decision on their early career path. Times are a changing with employment and many will have multiple careers over the course of their life. One other thing to know your classmates will be your colleagues and connections for years to come!
Ahh anxiety. I love that many of you noted that anxiety is important and that within anxiety is excitement. It is both a wonderful and at times debilitating experience. I'm glad to hear many are settling in as compared with the first weeks of school and placement. Anxiety alerts us to novel stimuli and so it is expected at some level whenever we encounter new experiences. We would all be dead without it! Anxiety is also very personal as we all come into the world with a unique set of genetics predisposed to more or less anxiety and then raised in families that can heighten or lessen our experience of the world. At the root of a lot of anxiety, at least within the social work field are fears of shame and humiliation, that we will be exposed for all that we don't know. While it takes time, I suggest working to allow permission for not knowing and getting comfortable acknowledging it. I am o.k. with saying to clients and students, "I don't know, but I wold really like to figure that out". It relieves much anxiety and allows the brain more power to reflect rather than getting caught up in hiding one's not knowing. After all, you can't know what you don't know. This also models for clients the just feeling of not knowing and seeking help or support.
O.K., just a few my thoughts. I hope you are catching a break with the snow storms. See you all next week!
1.) Although I am still not certain what I would like to do following graduation, I am beginning to think that I would like to be part of an organization that focuses on macro practice with some opportunities for micro practice as well. I have been working with older adults, most who have some form of illness or disability and I would like to be part of the changing care needs for older adults and/or individuals with disabilities. As the baby boomer population moves into retirement, I think there will be an increasing need for diverse services for older adults and a need to address the issues of depression and dementia with these individuals. I also think there will be an increased need for assisting individuals to age in place, as many of the older generation prefer to remain in their homes for as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteBut, I am interested in so many different areas of social work that I plan to keep my options open. I think that I would be content working with any population or type of practice as long as the organization I work with focuses on a strengths perspective, uses strong ethics, and is progressive in its practice methods. I also often daydream of starting a non-profit organization at some point in my career and I could go on and on about my ideas for who and what the non-profit would benefit, but I think it is far too grandiose of a thought at this point in my career. Although I am still very up in the air with where I am heading, I am certain that I will eventually arrive at exactly where I am supposed to be.
2.) My anxiety going into this semester is significantly less than it was at the start of the fall semester. I have formed a routine around my internship and classes that is comfortable and familiar, however, there are times that my anxiety does peak. When reading the Gelman and Lloyd (2008) article I could identify with the 68% of students in their study who experienced anxiety related to feeling that they lack the skills necessary to work with clients. I am currently leading a group at my placement and although it has gone fairly well, there have been moments that I was unsure what to say or how to move the conversation along. I also experience these feelings when working on a difficult issue with a resident, such as family issues or a sensitive topic such as a death in their family. I have been working on trying to acknowledge that anxiety when it occurs. I focus on keeping it at bay while working with the client and come back to it later in process recordings and in supervision. That is when I reflect on how I will respond or react the next time I am in a similar situation.
I also identify with the 47% of the respondents in the Gelman and Lloyd article who reported being concerned that they were feeling overwhelmed. Although I am working through my degree in the extended program, I have a full plate and often become overwhelmed with everything I have to accomplish. I really enjoy the work I am doing but at times I get caught up in the anxiety of everything that I have to do, especially when a ten page paper is looming.
I can relate to anxiety being significantly decreased after my first internship. Like Jen, I now am fully aware of what van internship entails so I am less nervous and fearful about the unknown.
DeleteI also have spikes of anxiety from time to time. I believe it's a natural part of life. The fight or flight instincts kick in from way back when our ancestors were running from mountain lions. Today, instead of mountain lions, there are people who are in need of help, which can be just as terrifying, if not more :)
Hi Jen,
DeleteI think it is great that you plan to integrate micro and macro practice into your work. I think that it is so important to have skills in both as each area affects the other in so many ways. I would love to hear more about your dream of creating a non-profit! I also find so much value in a strengths based approach in clinical work. Last semester definitely felt overwhelming at times but I agree with you that settling into a routine has supported in relieving a lot of my anxiety this semester. Good luck!
Jen,
DeleteI completely agree with what you said about establishing a routine. This semester feels much more manageable because we have our internships managed and there are fewer new things to get anxious about!
I also felt anxious about working with the clients - mostly because my site is a completely different population than I am used to. I felt unqualified to work with refugee students because I have no experience or understanding of what they've been through. I think a certain degree of anxiety is healthy - it motivates us to learn more!
Best of luck this semester and continuing the journey of figuring out your place in the large world of Social Work!
Hi Jen
DeleteI can relate to so much of what you wrote. I also am not sure where I want to be when I graduate. There are so many options in the field and it can be overwhelming. I also know how hard it is to juggle school, family and work! I often find myself struck with panic that I cannot get everything done, especially that 10 page paper!
1. My ultimate goal is to become a licensed drug and alcohol counselor and one day own my own practice. I love working in the field of recovery because of the ability to witness and experience the miracle of individuals ending their alcoholic suffering. I have previously worked with convicts in prison in regards to addiction rehabilitation. I have also spent time in hospitals interacting with adolescents interested in recovery. I currently work in a homeless shelter in Portsmouth which also gives me plenty of access to work with residents suffering with substance abuse disorders. My hopes are that I will be placed into a substance abuse setting for this upcoming year in order to further my knowledge and experience working in the recovery community.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I am so passionate about working in the recovery field is because I am a person in long-term recovery and what that means to me is that I have been free from any substance for 4 years. This does not necessarily make me more qualified than anyone else who wishes to work in the recovery field, it only means that my love for this work is something I hold near and dear to me.
2.My anxiety level is very low while entering into my next placement. I have been working in social work settings for a long time now so entering into new social work environments are common practice for me. I do hold a small amount of nervousness during my first day of work, which is a natural occurrence, however. Gelman and Lloyd (2008) state that, "some level of anxiety is expected given the complex nature of field learning, and this anxiety often has positive connotations of excitement and anticipation, and should be harnessed to enhance learning." I believe that pain and stress are both great motivators in life and drive people out of their comfort zone which challenges us. Most of my greatest moments of learning has happened during chaotic points of my life.
Gelman and Lloyd (2008) does warn the readers about the danger of exhibiting too much anxiety, however. "The small percentage (only 2% in this study) of students who may not be managing well would require monitoring and additional support."
-Jason Snook-
Hi Jason!
DeleteI think it is really cool that you can bring your own personal experiences with you into the field. I believe that will likely be invaluable and help you immensely when it comes to relating to clients. You will be able to understand it from a different perspective that many other clinicians. I think it is really amazing that you have been able to turn those experiences around and use them to heal yourself and help others. Kudos!
I also wish I had your confidence about moving into the next placement. Although, perhaps that just goes to show that it comes with time.
Hi Jason,
DeleteI agree that some anxiety can be a positive experience and is necessary for learning. If we never move out of our comfort zone, how will we evolve and allow room for growth? There can be so much value in doing the very thing that you are afraid of. I also agree with Ashley and want to applaud you for your bravery in turning your own experiences into those that may serve to support others. Thanks so much for sharing and good luck in your ventures!
Hey Jason,
DeleteI respect and admire you disclosing some of your own journey as to how you arrived at wanting to help others. Whether or not you believe your own work in sobriety makes you more qualified, I would assume some others whom you are working with will inevitably perceive it that way. I would embrace it!
I couldn't agree more with your perception on anxiety. Too often anxiety is only lumped with other mental health words with negative connotation. Anxiety can be a positive, healthy, and natural occurrence. I often make that a point and use it as an opportunity to provide psychoeducation to clients.
This is my second attempt at publishing a comment! I wrote out the first one and tried to publish it, and it just disappeared... So let's try this again. Perhaps more briefly this time.
ReplyDelete1. My ultimate goal is to be an attorney, and to work primarily in that capacity and not as a social worker. I believe that my social work field experience will be invaluable moving forward though because currently I work with children in the foster care system, and it is my intention to be an attorney for DCYF. None of the attorneys at DCYF ever go out into the field and see what it is like for those struggling families on a daily basis. To be able to bring that experience into the courtroom with me, will allow me to see through a different lens and hopefully better enable me to help the families.
2. I related with many things in the Gelman and Lloyd article, but especially the bit about feeling unqualified, and having anxiety around that. I believed that by the time I was actually permitted to work with clients, I would feel more comfortable. However, even after 6 years of college, I usually still unqualified. Often, I find that I have little to no knowledge of the problems my clients are facing.
Overall, I am excited to move into the next semester. I really love working with all of my clients and feel that I have some good rapport going with all three of them. However, I am not excited to be returning to the same agency. I have gotten caught up in what my previous field instructor labeled "agency politics" and it has made the entire internship more challenging and anxiety provoking. I cannot wait to do more with my clients, but I will be happy when my work with this agency is over.
Hi Ashley,
DeleteI think that your unique experience and ability to look at your work through a social work lens is such a valuable tool to have. You will be able to offer a different perspective and insight to all those you work with that will truly enhance the work. I can relate in feeling unqualified, regardless of the years of schooling. I often find myself asking "What have I learned?". I think that this is why our internships are so important, because regardless of what we learn in the classroom, much knowledge of value will come with experience.
Hi Ashley,
DeleteThat surprises me that NONE of the attorneys at DCYF ever spend time in the field! I am far from admitting that I understand much about law, but I suppose with a social work background, it would seem natural that an attorney would want to experience, even briefly, how their clients live and what their lives look like. I think combining your social work experience with law will undoubtedly strengthen your ability to support families and see through different lenses, as you put it. I admire that you have a specific plan and ultimate professional goal to reach!
Ashley,
DeleteI love your vision of combining your law degree and social work! I really admire the goal to connect more with the clients and inform your legal practice with your social work skills. I think you are going to be the next Erin Brokovich! :) You go girl
Agency politics are never easy, and it's unfortunate when it detracts from client work (not saying that yours is!). Keep your head up!
Ashley,
DeleteHow wonderful that you are incorporating field social work into your law practice! You will certainly be better qualified to truly help your clients. From getting to know you in class last semester you seem to have great advocacy skills and your ability to assess not only your clients but those you are working with seemed to be spot on. Although you may at times feel that you do not have adequate skills
... I have to continue in a new post, internet is down and I am using my phone to post which is proving to be a challenge.
DeleteAs I was saying, although you may at times feel that you are unqualified you come across as very knowledgable and perceptive in assessing how you can advocate for your clients. I think you will go on to do very well and help many individuals. Remember, fake it til' you make it, you definitely have all the skills you need.
1.) Upon beginning my profession career as a social worker I see myself practicing clinical work in an outpatient setting. I hope to work towards licensure and eventually enter into a private practice. I have had the opportunity to gain some experience in the field working as a counselor with at-risk youth and have come to value and appreciate the work. Due to limited experience working with the population, I am interested in doing more clinical work with the adults. I believe that working in an environment that I am the most unfamiliar with will greatly enhance my educational experience as well as support in narrowing my focus in the field.
ReplyDelete2.) I identified with several of the findings in the Gelman and Lloyd (2008) article surrounding pre-placement anxiety. In regards to concerns related to field placement, I identified with the 70% of students who were afraid that they lack necessary skills and experience to work in their assigned setting. Upon entering into my internship position at Crotched Mountain Rehab, I felt a significant amount of anxiety around lacking the skills needed for the position. I felt totally unqualified to take on the responsibility of “doing therapy” with clients and put pressure on myself that I should go into the experience knowing just what to do. Spending time at my internship site helped to ease my anxiety about having it all figured out and allowed for new learning experiences. I feel that a certain amount of anxiety can actually be a useful tool for learning. Having experience in the field setting, I feel that I will be able to enter into my second year placement with significantly less anxiety.
Hi Sam!
DeleteI think it's great how your two answers tie in together with one another so well. I see you have identified what population you have worked with already (go team Becket!), and then you identified a population you haven't worked with as much and want to push yourself to do so.
You seem to believe and are pursuing the concept that pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone will expose you to new experiences and the ability to grow, despite your acknowledgement that you have anxiety around not possessing necessary skills. Keep that attitude and outlook, i know you are going to do great things!
Sam,
DeleteI love your quotes around "doing therapy"! I have been feeling the same thing. I think we come in with these idealized views of what doing therapy is, or what social work even is and it's hard to manage those expectations and really see that it is doable! I feel like part of the orientation should be a discussion about those expectations and doing some sort of myths-facts exercise about social work and working with clients.
I also feel the same way about using anxiety as a tool for learning. I know for me it helps motivate me to seek out new information to decrease my anxiety. I'm a nerd at heart and love doing research and gathering information (though would never consider a career in research).
Sam,
DeleteYour future plans sound great and it is excellent that you have a clear focus but are still open to experiences that are unfamiliar to you. I also agree that it is anxiety provoking to sit with a client and feel that we should always know exactly how to help. Although along the way we do realize that we won't always have the correct practice skills for every individual/situation, I like Julia's idea of a orientation type prep to help with the myths of therapy
Sam-
DeleteI think you will be great in private practice setting, you have such a great attitude tword’s everything and can really see clients trusting you. I totally agree with working outside your comfort zone. Otherwise we will never know ourselves truly :-)
Hey Sam,
DeleteI completely agree about the identifying with the 70% of individuals in the article. I do too! You are not alone. I love that you want to work at a clinical level and eventually start a private practice. You are genuine and kind, and I think you are going to make an amazing clinician.
1.) I am not sure if it is my own viewpoint and personality, but with my current experience and placement—which has all been from the same agency since 2011—I think I have spent more time identifying what I don’t want to do after school. While I am very grateful to have gained the experience I have, I do not see myself being happy working full time on an in-home community based support team. I have been exposed to many different types of clientele, geographic regions, and supported families with wide arrays of barriers and difficulties in their lives, but the work can be exhausting! I have seen coworkers come and go, leaving due to burnout and supporting them in expressing their own concerns with how intensive work inevitably creeps into their personal lives and challenges even those who pride themselves with the strictest of boundaries.
ReplyDeleteI am increasingly intrigued by macro and policy work, as it was truly a novel concept to me as I entered graduate school, and slowly I am discovering how it is implemented and practiced in different ways. Also, as I am a dual degree student with Adventure Therapy as a specific practice in my Kinesiology degree, I am enthusiastic to incorporate this into whatever type of practice I continue to pursue after school. Whether that is in a position specifically focusing on adventure therapy (e.g. in a wilderness program or on a ropes course) or in a more traditional social work position where I am allowed to incorporate my own practice I do not know.
2.) I would say it is ironic how my anxiety has shifted from the first semester to the second. As I have shared, I am in the same agency I have been since 2011. In the spring of 2011, I began as an undergraduate intern through UNH and was eventually hired full time upon graduation. This internship has placed me in a leadership position and places more responsibilities and pressure upon me. As I imagine one would assume hearing this, I had minimal anxiety with my supervision and supervisor relationship entering the first semester. I had known my supervisor for some time and actually went out of my way to ask her if she would be willing to accept that role with me—knowing her style would balance well between supporting me and challenging me for personal and professional growth. My anxiety was with the 70% of students who shared that they did not posses necessary skills. I knew I would make mistakes, but I also felt supported and was reminded that mistakes present an opportunity to grow and learn.
As I shared last week in class, it has transpired that my (now former) supervisor, whom I hold in high regard with respect, was demoted and is now leaving the agency due to conflicts with other administration team members. I have found out this week that other team members are following her as well. I had no choice in the matter, and now I am being assigned a new supervisor, who has a different style and outlook. The irony I speak of is exemplified in that this semester, I am now anxious about my supervision, where as in other placements I would imagine students are at a point in which they may feel as though they are or have solidified a stronger relationship with a supervisor by this point. I am now in a position where I need to begin establishing a new relationship with this supervisor, as a student entering their first semester typically would.
David,
DeleteYou were thrown a bit of a curve ball at a time I am sure you were not expecting. However, from listening to you in class I am sure you will rise to the challenge and finish the semester strong. I do understand your anxiety though and I am sure I would feel the same way. I think you have the skills and knowledge to still get the most out of your placement. I also think it is great that you are interested in macro social work and policy. I also am very interested in these areas of social work and think that there is much work to be done to improve our services to our clients and the systems they live in. I wish you luck with your placement but know you will do just fine, sometimes bumps in the road bring us the greatest learning.
David,
DeleteI think knowing what you don't want to do is just as important as knowing what you want to do. Whatever career path you do decide to take whether it be at the macro level or micro level with the use of Adventure Therapy your knowledge of working in diverse settings will improve your practice. What I have taken in thus far in our studies is that there is not too many social workers who have worked one population or one setting throughout their career. Your work at your current agency, the skills you learn from your dual degree, and your passion for macro work will all combined to hopefully steer you in the direction of your ultimate goal.
I hope you are able to adapt to the new circumstances at your placement and get through these few months with confidence. I look forward to hearing your stories from your placement in future classes.
Hey Dave,
DeleteI thank you for your honesty! I am also very aware of the rate of burn out within the field of social work and it is something that I fear as well. I think it is awesome that you are aware that you may not be happy continuing within your current line of work. Sometimes, even when you are great at something, it may not be what you want. With that said, I'm sure that you will continue to learn and focus on what makes you happy in the field in order to avoid burn out. I would love to chat more about macro level things, as I am still learning about it as well, and it is what I want to focus on.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1.After I graduate with my MSW degree from the University of New Hampshire, I hope to have many roles as a social worker throughout my career. My ultimate goal is to return to a VA Medical Center or branch clinic (Vet Center or CBOC) to provide outpatient counseling and therapy to veterans and active duty members with trauma, specifically Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Substance Abuse issues. When I first started the program, I had this very specific career goal in mind. Unfortunately, upon graduation this is probably not going to be the case. Actually, now that I am in the second semester of both classes and my internship, I almost don’t want to come out and jump right into counseling our military at that level. I would like to understand the VA/military system better, resources that are available within the VA and in the community, and continue to develop my social work skills before doing counseling and therapy. Even though I hope being working at the VA, I would like to initially take a different role, such as a case manager for OIF/OEF (Operation Iraq Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom) veterans or a medical social worker in the hospital, to continue to gain skills and get my supervisory hours for my license. My hopes are to one day be able to achieve my ultimate goal of becoming a therapist for soldiers with trauma and substance abuse issues. An obvious fear I have is not placing a job within the VA system, but I am hopeful to place a job in the social work field in order to gain experience to one day continue my career at the VA.
ReplyDelete2. My anxiety about my placement goes back to the very first day I read the email that I was being placed in a hospice. Honestly, I cried for a few days and anxiously emailed the supervisor at the Concord Regional VNA for an interview. I was unaware that we could ask for another interview, so I accepted the placement. I made it essential that I make the best out of it. Just like the MSW students in the Gelman and Lloyd (2007) article, I was moderately anxious during the beginning of my first year placement. According to the article, MSW students self-reported an average of 5.8 on 1-10 scale in this study (Gelman and Lloyd, 2007). Now, that I am in the second half of my first year placement, I feel significantly less anxiety. If I were to report on a similar scale, I would report my anxiety is currently at a 3 in terms of my placement. I believe my decrease of anxiety is directly related to my first semester classes and my direct patient engagements. In addition, I have great supervision, which I believe is also related to my decrease in anxiety.
Melyssa,
DeleteI have to say, I have really enjoyed having someone else who came into the program with a specific focus like I did! I felt like coming into the program I had a specific idea of what I wanted to do and was just going through the motions of the program to get back to doing what I loved and wanted to do - did you share any of those feelings? It was somewhat frustrating, but now that I'm in the program I am absolutely immersing myself in the experience and taking as much out of it as I can. It's funny how we come in with these ideas and goals and are hit with some form of a reality check... but that is life!
Hi Melyssa
DeleteI'm impressed with your desire to work with our vets,especially PTSD. My heart always breaks when I read how poorly our country treats our men and women who come home from their tours of duty and do not get the help that they need in order to get acclimated back in the real world. I really respect that you know what your interests are and you are pursuing them. It sounds like you have changed your immediate goal of working with vets right after graduation but you still want to develop your social work skills in that organization.. I think that makes a lot of sense and will make you much more proficient in how the VA/military system operates.
Melyssa-
DeleteI think you are great! And so much fun to be in class with. I also really admire that you know what you ultimately want to do and where you want to be (at the VA) . I also like how although your career goals have changed a bit you still want to stay in the same organization. I think its really important for Vets to have people like you on their side!
1. I came into the MSW program set on continuing my work with victims of relationship and sexual violence and stalking. I have really enjoyed my work at SHARPP over the last two and a half years and have especially enjoyed working at the bigger systems level with victims helping them navigate the system and ensuring that the system is functioning the way it needs to be. I would ideally see myself continuing to do that work, but am currently reconsidering that. I am wondering if I would be better served in the future to broaden my horizons to working with people who have experienced trauma in general. I am exploring what my options would be within that perspective and am reconsidering the specificity I have maintained throughout my first semester. My current anxiety is mostly about whether I should continue my focus just on interpersonal violence, or should broaden to experiences of trauma in general.
ReplyDelete2. The two aspects of the article that I related to the most were the statements of anxiety about one's relationship with supervisor and the concern about setting appropriate boundaries with clients (Gelman and Lloyd, 2007). At my interview coming into the program I was somewhat put off by my supervisor and left wondering how I was possibly going to be successful working with her. While that has changed somewhat, I have definitely come to realize that we have opposite ways of functioning. She operates mostly in a state of crisis - unsure of what to do when things are calm. I am used to functioning in crisis because of my work at SHARPP and sometimes feel like I have to be the one grounding her and keeping her on-task or in perspective, which is frustrating at times. I feel like in some ways she needs more of an assistant than an intern and that I spend a good amount of my time just shadowing her or following her - it is definitely not the internship I would have picked, but am making the most of it! I also have had some interesting realizations about boundaries at my agency. I am used to very strict and rigid boundaries - not giving out any personal information etc. My supervisor functions out of a model saying that you should make yourself 100% available to the clients (students) so they feel more connected to the school. She is more than happy to give families and students her personal cell phone number and say to call any time of day. I am not comfortable with that and have had a couple of sticky moments with students wanting to send me papers to proofread etc. and my not wanting to give them my personal email (there is no e-mail for the interns). These continue to be two points of concern for me, but I feel like I'm managing them and trying not to let them cause me too much anxiety. I am looking forward to having a second year placement that is more in line with my personal style and values!
Julia
DeleteI can totally relate to your comments about how you feel that you are more of an assistant than an intern! I am in the same situation and find myself shadowing her or just watching her do her job. I am also trying to making the best of the situation and learning all that I can from shadowing her and also sitting in on meetings with guidance counselors and other faculty members.
I am also considering going into trauma work, possibly working with children. You have great experience working with SHARPP as well as sexual violence, and stalking. I see you as having a great advantage if you go into general trauma because of all the work you have done in that area.
Hi Julia!
DeleteAs you already know, I really admire the work you do with victims of interpersonal violence. I think that no matter what you decide to do, you are going to help a lot of people. A mentor of mine told me the other day that I should stop stressing about what I want my first job to be or what my dream job is because the average person changes jobs "5 or more" times in their life!
I am also experiencing some boundary issues at my agency. The official policy is that we do not give out personal information to our clients (which I believe is a good one, considering we work with teens with serious behavioral issues), but no one seems to follow that. Unofficially, they all tend to give out their personal info. It makes me uncomfortable that I am supposed to text and communicate with clients from my personal phone. I don't blame you for being hesitant!
Hi Julia,
DeleteIt is so nice to hear another person having come into the program with a specific career goal as well. I have realized that all of our professors have had a multitude of jobs throughout their careers and every experience will make us well-rounded clinicians. I admire your work past and future with trauma victims whether it be relationship trauma or trauma in general.
I am shocked by your experience with boundary issues at your agency. I have the opposite problem. I feel like their are TOO MANY boundaries and you can never get anything accomplished because of the policies. I would suggest doing what you feel comfortable with. Everyone has their own style but you should stick to you values and what you feel comfortable with. I hope you get the placement you want next year!!
When I decided to go back to school for my MSW I was all set on being a drug and alcohol counselor. Now I see how many other options there are in the field and I'm not sure where I see myself. Because of my current placement, I know that I don't want to be a school outreach social worker. I see myself working in more of a clinical environment, perhaps working with children in a trauma center. I have a passion for helping children because they often don't have voices of their own. I would love to work for a cutting edge agency that works from a strengths perspective. I really want to do good work and make a difference in children's lives. Maybe I can combine my passion for drug and alcohol counseling with my passion for helping children.
ReplyDeleteThe Gelman & Lloyd article states that older students who have work and life experience have less anxiety when going into their placements. I fall into that category. I wasn't really anxious about the job itself but I was anxious about being an older student in general. I also have serious computer anxiety!!!
My placement has been challenging but I am making the best of it. I have learned how outreach social workers make things happen for at-risk families. As they say "it takes a village" and I am seeing how it all happens behind the scenes.
I am really looking forward to my second year placement. I am hoping for a clinical setting that is in the Manchester area. Commuting to Durham and Hampton Beach from Bedford has been a challenge in addition to being a single mom and working part-time.
Hi Donna!
DeleteWhen you spoke about your challenges with your placement , that was comforting because I have had a rocky start as well. I guess its good to experience certain aspect of SW so we can learn for ourselves what we want to do professionally
Hey Donna! I think it is wonderful how you have been able to focus in on what you want to do with your MSW degree. You are really making the best of your internship, and I'm hoping that you have a great placement next year, so that when you are finished with the program you feel confident and strong in your abilities as a clinician. You're warmth and kindness will contribute to your work, and you will make a wonderful clinician.
DeleteHi Donna!
ReplyDeleteI hope you get a better second year placement!
I think that you could definitely combine your interest in working with children and your interest in substance abuse. There is a lot of overlap, especially in the area of child welfare.
I can totally picture you working with kids. I think you'd be great at it.
Donna,
ReplyDeleteLet me start with..you're amazing!! I think you can definitely combined the two and work with children struggling with substance abuse issues. We treat this issue like it is an adult problem, but it is also affecting so many children's lives. I hope your next internship is closer to your home and is in something your passionate about whether it be with children, substance abuse, or both.
I am glad you are trying to find something positive out of your internship and making the best of it. If nothing else, at least you know what you do not want to do! This can just as helpful.
1.When I decided to apply for my MSW at Unh I really didn’t know what I wanted to do with my degree. After completing my BSW internship in a high school, I found my self being drawn to that population. After experiencing my current internship a community medical center, I have come to realize that schools are when I want to be. How I am going to get there is another question. At the same time I am afraid if I do not experience other populations I will have missed out on my true calling. Since the field of SW is so broad I fear that my perfect job is out there and I will pass it by.
ReplyDelete2.When filling out my second year placement I was much more narrow with what I said. I really want to be in a school and working with teens . Although the resource part of social work is a huge part I do not really enjoy this part of the profession. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a bad person , but that kind of work doesn’t get me fired up . I said this on my 2nd year form so we will see what happens. I have way less anxiety going into second term. The course work does not seem as over whelming as 1st semester, but that could also be I am more adjusted to how everything works. I am really looking forward to diving head first.
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ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to working as a macro-level social worker. I would like to be able to teach at some level as well. I am interested in macro-level work because I want to help create better situations and policies for individuals. I want to advocate for those in need. I want to be involved with macro-level work, because I have seen a lot of micro level problems that were caused by choices at a macro level. I want to combine the two, in order to help create better policies and ultimately a better organization. I love the field of social work. I would like to learn more about the different options to work at a macro-level social worker. I want to be at an organization with like-minded individuals working toward a good cause. My fear is that I am still uncertain about the population that I would like to work with. I have many interests, and I feel passionate about working with children and children with disabilities.
ReplyDeleteI can identify with the article and how many individuals were affected by anxiety related to lack of knowledge in the field. When I started in the fall, I had limited experience and exposure to the world of substance abuse. I have learned a lot over the last semester. I am hoping to face more challenges this semester in order to gain confidence in my abilities as a social worker. I definitely feel I was affected by the self-perceived lack of knowledge. I am looking forward to my placement for next year. Working through my anxieties this year, has helped me with advocating for myself and feeling more confident about my abilities.
Once I graduate from UNH I would like to work on both the micro and possibly macro level. When I had applied to UNH, my thought were around doing individual counseling. After completing the first semester and working with families who rely on agencies and public assistance, I've started thinking about the larger systems and how decisions are made and how these affect those receiving assistance. Because of this field placement, I'd like to learn more about laws and bills and how to affect change. I look forward to doing work that I feel passionate about, along with that, more immediately is the anxiety around the volume of work within 4 short months of second semester!
ReplyDeleteThe article was interesting in that I identified with the level of anxiety first semester foundation students experience. Having gone through this and getting to second semester, I feel I know a little bit more about what to expect, which definitely eases some of the anxiety. Interestingly the article also referred to older students experiencing less anxiety due to more experience, while this is partly true, I find I have a lot of anxiety having been out of school a bit longer and getting used to the newer ways of learning, especially with the use of newer technology. I am looking forward to next years placement, especially because I'll have more experience which will hopefully lead to feeling more comfortable with practicing being a social worker and I will be that much closer to graduation!