Story People

Good morning and happy Saturday to ya!!

Are you familiar with Story People? I get the story of the day emailed to me and just spent some time reading through them from this past week. It's fun. I have one in my home office from my momma that I love. I'm pretty sure it was either a birthday gift or a graduation gift. Anyway, they have some wonderfully themed prints that are appropriate for social workers so I wanted to share!! I'd really like to get one for my work office, I just have to decide which one! (You can click on the image for more info.)

"If you hold on to the handle, she said, it's easier to maintain the illusion of control. But it's more fun if you just let the wind carry you." 

"I don't think of it as working for world peace, he said. I think of it as just trying to get along in a really big strange family." 

"Deciding everything is falling into place perfectly as long as you don't get too picky about what you mean by place. Or perfectly."

These are a few of my other favorites: 1, 2, 3

What are your thoughts?

Oh btw, happy social worker month!! :)

Morning Meditation

Good morning! Yesterday I purchased a new daily devotional. This past Friday, my coworker shared the daily passage with me as we have been chatting about our work and life stressors recently. I could see the calm and peace that the timely daily message gave her.

I haven't really shared much about my faith here, but am feeling moved to share today. I have pushed my faith aside in priority over the last few years. Whenever I make it a priority I always find a comfort and a sense of familiarity that brings me peace. Work (the social work connection!) has brought me so much stress recently that I am again turning to what I know for peace.

This brings me to today's devotional. "..When you feel anxious, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving Me out of the picture. The remedy is simple: Fix your eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen.. Each day is a precious gift from My Father. How ridiculous to grasp for future gifts when today's is set before you! Receive today's gift gratefully, unwrapping it tenderly and delving into its depths. As you savor this gift, you find Me."

This incorporates a familiar passage from 2 Corinthians 4. After reading the daily devotional I read the corresponding chapter in the Bible. What brings me more hope and comfort this morning is this, "Therefore do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16)."

What a blessing to be reminded that we are being renewed each day. This reminds me again to be present.

I hope you are able to turn to what brings you peace on this Sunday to find renewal before the hectic and crazy work begins again tomorrow.

Thanks for listening.

Honesty

So I'm just gonna say it.. I've been in a funk lately. I know it's the result of a lot of things going on, but I'm having a hard time shaking it! It's frustrating for me to be a social worker and in a counselor role and think "Dang I could use some counseling!" I know there is nothing wrong with asking for help and believe that some of the most effective counselors and social workers are in therapy themselves.. however.

As social workers we are called to help people and it can be annoying when we are the ones that need help and we can't fix it ourselves. The sometimes crazier thing is knowing what you should be doing and not doing it. Definitely a learning experience and one that provides some perspective into our client's lives... ya know that empathy thing.

Last week I led a group on attitudes and beliefs and it looked into irrational thinking and our internal critic. One of the discussion questions was something to the effect of "How would you tell someone else that their thinking on X topic was irrational?" Basically getting to the point that it is much easier for us to tell others how to fix something than for us to see the solution to our own problem - even if it is the same problem! Not mind blowing, or a new idea, certainly. The "plank in your own eye" bible verse comes to mind..

When my clients answer a question I sometimes follow up with "So - taking that a step further..." to gather more information and to help them connect the dots on what they've just identified. Asking my own self this, I find myself thinking.. 1) I've identified a problem. 2) I know many different solutions and techniques for said problem. 3) I'm choosing not to do any of these solutions. 4) Therefore I'm choosing to live with the problem and suffer.

Hmm. How about them apples!

One of my coworkers identifies this cycle in his groups - "I do this --> This Happens --> I suffer." And "I don't do this --> That doesn't happen --> I don't suffer."

To me the use of the word suffer is so thought provoking. I usually think of suffering in terms of someone who is dealing with a terrible amount that I can hardly fathom. To picture myself in this cycle and think that I may be getting in the way of my own happiness by not doing something more productive is.. well.. insanity.

And on that note I'm going to make myself do some yoga before the day is over. Cheers!

Growing Pains

Source

Before I started my new job I posted something on facebook about how I don't like being the new kid at work. A former coworker commented and shared "the growing pains only last so long." At the time I was encouraged and hopeful that it would be a smooth transition.

I have officially been at my job for a little over 2 months.. and as of my paycheck last Friday I have a whopping 4 hours of PTO to show for it!! The past 2 weeks have been quite the learning experience.

Two Mondays ago was absolutely terrible. It was all I could do to make it to my car at the end of the night and not cry! I'm serious!! On Monday and Tuesday I work 12-9pm to accommodate for clients that work during the day and need to come to groups at night. I had an evaluation at 3:00pm which lasted 2 hrs and 15 min instead of the scheduled 1.5 hrs. I was late for my 5:00 appointment and had to apologize to him and explain that despite his efforts of catching the bus to meet with me we would need to reschedule. Then I had to lead a 2 hr group at 5:30. I met with a client after group, and couldn't catch my breath until 8pm, still not having had dinner! AHHHH! Later in the week I spoke to my supervisor and we are rearranging my Mondays so I don't have that scheduled evaluation right before group so I at least have a chance to take my 1 hr lunch break!

In addition to that crazy Monday schedule, I had to kick 2 people out of group that night! 1 person was sleeping and one person was texting, and those are 2 automatic things that will get you kicked out! So that was exciting.. Then that Thursday during group I had to kick someone out because they looked high! All new experiences. Thursday evening two weeks ago I decided to stay an hour late to get caught up on things (Monday really messed up my week big time!) and left work and my car stopped working on my way home!! Thankfully my husband wasn't working that night and was able to come keep me company (and provide a warm car! brr!!) while we waited for the AAA tow truck. I found out this past Tuesday that my car needs a new engine and the cost will be over what my car is worth! SO! We are car shopping!

THEN this past Thursday I found out something that should have been included in my work process that I hadn't been doing. Sadly it was checking with insurance for pre-certification and approval! Well it was missed the entire time that I had been meeting with my client, so there is the potential that our agency will have to lose that $1,000+ because of this mistake. Dang.

Based on the format of the orientation process I knew that I would learn from mistakes... but goodness. That  was an expensive mistake to learn!!! I filled out an appeal and faxed 45 pages to the insurance company last Friday, so I'm still crossing my fingers for a positive outcome.. but I'm still written up! Oy.

So that - in a nutshell - has been my two weeks. I'm trying to stay positive and think forward to when another 2 months have gone by and how much more I will know.. but that is going to take some patience and perhaps a little perseverance!

It has been interesting to learn about my coworkers and their boundaries. Some coworkers always take their 1 hr lunch break, a lot work through lunch, and others come in before their shift and get caught up on work. I'm trying to find the balance that works for me. Since I can't leave early if I work through lunch like at my last job (bummer!) I have to decide if it's more beneficial to me to have an hour where I don't do work things, or eat and work through lunch so I'm not as far behind. Sadly our location is a little out of town, so I can't just get up and go to Target on lunch or run necessary errands. If we were closer to things I'd be more inclined to leave and clear my mind. So far (apart from crazy days when I don't get to eat until I'm home) I've found that it reduces my stress to get things done during lunch so I don't have as much hanging over my head. Once I have a full case load I may welcome the break!

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! What are some of your work boundaries?

Mindfulness

Yesterday at work I had some down time and was able to read through my work emails - you know those emails that are forwards from your boss from different organizations that have really good information but are so lengthy that you put them aside until later? Yup.

This particular excerpt is from "Tips and Topics" and seems particularly relevant:

"Remember when you started a new job, questioning your competence?  Am I doing the right thing?  The more you stressed about achieving the right outcome, the less you were present in the moment to actually notice what you were doing.  The result?  Getting tangled up, more anxious, only proving to yourself your level of incompetence.  As a practice, Mindfulness changes your view of a mistake- it's a new discovery, not something to beat yourself up with.   You have learned something about yourself;  that learning guides you to do something differently next time.  So stay present and notice in the moment what you are doing or thinking.  Make new discoveries!"

I feel like lately I question my competence on a daily basis! What a wonderful reminder to be present and learn from these "new discoveries". On this Tuesday may you embrace the learning and stay present in your daily work whether you have been at your job for 4 weeks or 4 years.

Back at it!!

source

Y'all I have some wonderful news to share!! I have a job! As a social worker!! Yahoo!! This is such a huge blessing because I was starting to feel very discouraged about the job market and even put in an application at the Gap, a bridal salon, and various administrative assistant positions. I really didn't want to leave the social work field, but felt like I needed to start working again! God's timing is good!

I interviewed last Wednesday and was offered the job on Friday! I will be working as a drug and alcohol rehab counselor and I start orientation on Monday! I am very excited! While I won't know many of the specifics until after orientation, I'm just really excited about this job and what lies ahead!!!

Today I had to go in for a pre-employment drug test and while I was there waiting (and waiting..) I met another new employee for the same agency! That was fun - and random!

Since my summer "uniform" has been work out clothes and jean shorts I really need to go through my closest, get things organized and make a trip to Good Will! When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? Any tips??

Did you hear the news??

Toms Ballet Flats arrive Feb. 1 according to the email I received today!! Anyone else SUPER excited????

Clearly the perfect social work shoe, next to Birkenstocks! ;)

Belated

Happy new year!!! I'm hope your year is off to a great start! I have the day off and am still in my pjs enjoying the day with the husband. We made cinnamon apple pancakes with chocolate chips for breakfast and are enjoying some football this afternoon! Tonight we're going on a double date with my brother and his girlfriend. A perfect day indeed.

On a number of occasions over the past few weeks I had thoughts of blogging but it never happened. So I'll do a quick recap/ update bullet style!

• I had the opportunity to wear my bed bug suit for the first time. I warned my client ahead of time that I'd look like a white monster. Fortunately I did not see any bed bugs and my client took it surprisingly well. Phew.
• Our agency is getting a new computer system and I'm on the committee that is working on the software and finding all the bugs before "go live" date. It has been a really interesting yet time consuming project. The especially neat thing has been working with other coworkers and our manager and supervisor to customize the software to fit our needs! I love getting to brainstorm and share ideas on something that will impact our agency for the next few years - until the next software comes along! :)
• Husband and I went to NYC for a weekend in December. We had been planning a getaway to New York around the holidays even before he deployed to Iraq. It was a quick and busy weekend that was absolutely magical! I'd highly recommend going around the holidays if you ever have a chance!

Cab ride into the city from the airport

Pretty, eh?

• I've read 2 of the 3 books in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series. The first book took a little patience to get into, but I was quickly hooked! I finished The Girl Who Played With Fire this morning and just purchased the last one on husband's Kindle! I was worried about how disturbing the first book would be based on everything I had heard - and expected something along the lines of Precious. There were some rough spots definitely, but it was hardly the majority of the book. Have you read the books?
• Lastly - for now at least - Social Work Couture's 1 year birthday was 12/30! So happy belated birthday to us! We're still a baby in comparison to other blogs, but I feel like I've learned a lot so far about blogging and Photoshop and hope to post more regularly in 2012! Thanks for following us!

Magic Wand

The first day back after time off is always hard! On one hand I felt energized and somewhat ready to get back, but 10 voice mails and a hyper hospital social worker took a lot of energy out of me!! Here's the thing - social work is stressful enough, but trying to do everything and pretend like you really do own that magic social work wand does not help anything! I promise I've not entered my crusty stage yet (and keep telling myself that if/ when I do it's time to move on), but I realize there is only so much one person can do. So there.

Source

Now on to some exciting news! But first, some background. The agency I work for has been going through a lot of changes - many policy changes, stress with budget cuts, increased work load etc etc. Needless to say, a lot of people have "opted out" so to speak and have left the agency. Fortunately they've been able to hire some new staff. Well readers, I have been chosen to be a job coach / mentor for one of our new employees! Being a job coach is something I've wanted to do since I started with the agency, so I'm thrilled to finally have this opportunity! Our agency has a 6 month mentorship period for new staff and it's pretty intense, but a great way to orient new staff and help give them wings! I get to do this!!! Y'all!!! I'm pumped.

Today was day one although my "trainee" has training all day today and tomorrow so the real fun won't begin until Wednesday! Giddyup! It's just exciting to be able to share my positive energy and love for the job with someone so they can hopefully beat the stress of the current environment, stay awhile, and make a difference in our client's lives. And maybe- just maybe, she'll know where I can find that magic social work wand.

Ethics

It has been forever since I've posted an outfit picture! Being sick just doesn't make a girl feel cute! I had to share this cute pumpkin guy though - it's a little hard to tell but he's wearing an Alabama football helmet AND he's filled with Halloween candy!

The details - tank: Old Navy; cardigan: J Crew outlet; pants: Express; pumpkin basket

This morning we had our required 3 hr training on ethics for licensure renewal! What a great refresher! I'm still hung up on one thing though - apparently in the state of Ohio, 5 years after termination of the client-social worker relationship, a social worker can have a sexual relationship with a client (gross.) - however, a social worker can never agree to a social gathering with a client, ex-client or client's family at any time!

What makes sense about that? I get that meeting for tea or going to a family party for a client is inappropriate, but to "allow" a sexual relationship after 5 years? asfaiopwuera!?! I still hear my professor saying "Once a client ALWAYS a client." ..Thoughts?

Workiversary!

Happy 1 year work anniversary to me! No I did not come in to work today to cheering, balloons, and a cookie cake. Not even an "attagirl" or a pat on the back. I guess my manager forgot to pencil in my work-iversary. But that's ok folks, my mom made me dinner and even baked cookies. Moms are the best!

I'm not sure if it's the weather (rain), or recovering from a busy weekend, but I'm pooped! Time to change into comfy comfies (although this outfit is pretty darn close!) and watch Food Network!

The details - skirt - NY&C outlet (new this weekend!), top: Target clearance last year (similar), jacket: Gap, necklace: Banana Republic outlet (new this weekend!), bracelets: Charming Charlie and .. no clue - purchased for sorority dance, belt: Limited, shoes: Toms (not pictured)

Happy hump day, readers!

Social Work Lessons

The details- top: Target (look familiar?), pants: Express editor (similar), belt: probably TJ Maxx?, bangles and ring: The Limited, cuff: Mimis, nail polish: Essie Fiji

Work has been really good this week! Great reminders for why I am a social worker, and a lesson on patience. And now I'm going to share. Enjoy! ;)

Yesterday I had a visit with an older woman (not unusual, as most of my clients are.. older women). Her husband passed away in March, and she's been having a rough time adjusting to living alone, as you can imagine! She told me about how a couple of weeks ago a man came to her door insisting he come into her house and look at here recent Duke energy statement to see if she qualified for a discount(!!!!!). Fortunately, my client felt this was suspicious, told the man "no", shut the door and called her neighbor who called the cops. It makes me sick every time I hear about one of these situations where my clients and other older adults are so close to being taken advantage of!

The same client then told me about how she was microwaving a potato for herself and it caught on fire (the culprit - a plastic plate)! My client unplugged the microwave and the fire went out. She then carried the potato out to the trash can and it caught on fire again!  Fortunately she is just fine and was able to put out the fire with water.  Another praise is she smelled the smoke! My client has very poor vision and this could have easily ended very poorly. This sweet lady is doing remarkably well all considering! This visit was a great reminder for why I do what I do, and the importance of being an advocate for our clients!

This afternoon, I had a visit for a new client referral. I set up the appointment yesterday and as I typically do, asked if she had had any recent trouble with bed bugs, to which she said no. I get a call today saying she wants to cancel the visit because she was upset that I had asked her about bed bugs! I explained, as I did yesterday, that while I hate asking, I have to ask to take proper precautions as I don't want to "bring anything to her, or take anything away from her." I apologized for offending her and asked if it was still ok if I came out. My client then said "well I'm probably not eligible".. which I accessed, and she was, and then she said "well I probably can't afford it". You get the picture.

She really didn't want me to come! I was able to answer all of her concerns and excuses and she finally agreed that it was ok for me to come out, but warned that she was "a little bit of a hoarder" (that "little bit" always raises a red flag!). At any rate, the visit was delightful, she was no more a hoarder than I am (..I'm not) and she will soon be receiving services which will help keep her independent and at home!

Would it have been easy to spare myself a 20 min phone conversation? Sure, but that's not what social work is all about. Good reminders!

...Time for some tea.

Dinner with the girls

I just love Thursday! It's so close to the weekend which gives me just the boost I need to get up and go to work another day! Also, I water my plants on Thursday, so that's fun! ;)

Tonight I got together with some lovely ladies from high school! We don't see each other often, but it's always nice to catch up! I had the most delicious salad! It was a spinach salad with bacon (how bad could it be?!), candied walnuts, thinly sliced apples, and goat cheese, served with apple sherry vinaigrette! I added grilled chicken for a little extra protein! Yum, yum, yum! I will probably dream about this salad. For real.

So I didn't wear these shorts to work (swap the shorts for a black skirt + belt) but I was too pooped when I got home to take pictures then, so you have my dinner with the girls outfit! Please excuse my tired looking eyes.. long week!

Somebody wanted to pose again!

 

The details - tee: Lands End Canvas, shorts: Doncaster thanks to mom's sample sale discount!, shoes: Nature "Pax" Flats, jewelry: Limited bangles, Mimi's cuff, Charming Charlie earrings

I had a couple of social work firsts this week! I had a client's spouse insist that he play the piano and sing a song for me before I left. Very sweet and charming, even if his vocals wouldn't land him on American Idol! That same afternoon a client's son insisted that he give me a snack of diabetic ice cream, blue berries and melon. I tried to decline multiple times, but after he put it in a bowl and handed it to me it was hard to say no. Very uncomfortable for me, especially since I always decline food and drink at my client's houses (nothing against them, but these sort of policies are made for a reason!). I'm still here, so no harm done, just awkward at the time!

I'm going to see the last Harry Potter movie this weekend with family, so am catching up on the last four movie I've missed! Harry Potter filled weekend!! Have you seen the new movie??

Self Care in a Toxic World!!!

The name of the game is taking care of yourself, because you are going to live long enough to wish you had.
~ Grace Mirabella

So most of you are probably wondering where in the world have I been??? Well for starters I have moved back to the good ole' south. While I loved my time in D.C., I realized that at the end of the day I am just not cut out for the big city :)  I was fortunate to be able to return to my previous internship and am a counselor for Bradford Health Services.  Bradford Health Services provides all of the substance abuse treatment for Tuscaloosa County Drug Court so I guess my unoffical title would be "drug court counselor." While I love my job and am thrilled to be back in the south, change can be very very hard!
While I was in D.C., I was typically working an average of 50-60 hours a week.   I don't know if any of you struggle with setting healthy boundaries, but I will be the first to admit that I am working on creating a healthy worklife on a daily basis.  I could say that it was the stress of my job in DC that caused me to work so much, but now I find myself working crazy hours at my new job which results in me forgetting to take care of the most important person.... JULIE!

We learn about the importance of self care in school, but what does that really mean??? Well I figured it was only appropriate for my first blog back to try and explore some ideas of what we can do to take care of ourselves in this toxic toxic world...

  Self Care is about giving yourself the gift of wellness. In this life we only have one body, and how we treat this temple reflects on our overall happiness and well being, not to mention our life span and immediate health. Using products that are made from natural materials, exercising regularly, and taking time off to relax and de-stress are all ways in which we can care for ourselves and ensure that our temple is clean, strong, and worthy of receiving all the blessings that come with a healthy mind, body and spirit.

*Yoga:  Within the past year I have developed an obsession with yoga.  If I can do it ANYONE can!  I am extremely uncoordinated and super ADD, but find that yoga helps in a number of ways. 

Yoga includes breathing, meditation, and exercises, called postures or poses, that stretch the body. You can do yoga to help you relax.

The goals of yoga include improved physical and mental health, as well as "oneness" with a higher being, the self, or some form of higher awareness.

Click on this link to find a yoga studio or instructor near you!  I promise you won't regret it!
www.yogafinder.com/
* Also here's a fun fact.... If you live in Birmingham, Al they have started offering Yoga at Railroad Park.  I am dieing to try it! If you've been to Railroad Park you know how awesome it is, but can you imagine being able to do Yoga there?? Doesn't that sound fabulous?  Here's where you can find more information www.railroadpark.org/calendar.php

Now I leave you with an article that was published in Health Magazine by the lovely Mariska Hargitay. 

Mariska Hargitay's Self-Care Tips

Television and film star Mariska Hargitay shares tips for healthy eating and living.

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No matter how busy you get, making time to care for yourself—mind, body, and spirit—is a must. Here are a few of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit actress Mariska Hargitay secrets.

Take time for TLC. Set aside an hour a week for a mini “spa day.” (And don’t spend the time beating yourself up about how you don’t make time for yourself. TLC, remember?) Take a warm bath, light a beautiful candle. A little indulgence will go a long way.

Eat well. It’s about a balanced diet. And for me, it’s also about a little extra dark chocolate. They call it “the healthy chocolate.” No, seriously. A girl’s gotta leave room for chocolate, right?


Listen to your body. Make sure you’re finding the right balance of work, exercise, rest, and play.


Discover your creative self. Start a journal, paint a picture, grab your camera. And the best part is, you don’t even have to show any of it to anybody. Creative expression feeds your spirit, not some person looking over your shoulder telling you to paint faster.


Find your passion. I’m passionate about the Joyful Heart Foundation. The hearts we open, and the incredible people we encounter—these are the roots of inspiration for me.


Close your eyes and breathe. In the midst of the chaos, there’s a calm, healthy, and joyful self in there that may just need a little air.


Laugh. There’s just nothing better for the soul.

 It feels good to be back down south and back home to my roots! Now if I can only follow my own self care advice.... Have a fabulous holiday weekend!

I'm so hard core.

Last night I had the craziest dream and had to share! Y'all I'm such a hard core social worker, I even have social work dreams!  In my dream I was saving a girl from being kidnapped! A lady drove up to this little girl, demanding to know her social security number (???) and was planning on stealing her identity! (I know this of course, because in my dream I turn into Tina, social worker, mind reader!) Never fear, Tina to the rescue! I demanded to know WHY she needed this information, and picked the girl up and SAVED her from potential awfulness! ...That is all I remember. The end.

Guess my subconscious wanted me to "take kids away" after all!

 Took a few pics before meeting the mother-in-law for happy hour!

Hope you have a lovely weekend planned!

Mani, Pedi and Me

I had a couple GLORIOUS days off last week and deemed these days "Claire-Only Days."  I decided that I wanted to relax and pamper myself.  I finally used my mani and pedi groupon, which I had been looking forward to! I was relaxed to the max...ahhhh!  I walked in and was asked if I wanted to upgrade for $5 to a Shellac manicure.  Immediately, I thought of Tina's post about her good experience with her manicure.  I'm only 5 days into my manicure and am loving it so far.  It is possible that Tina and I may have gotten the same color, I guess that's why we are friends with good taste :) 

I feel so revived after my days off.  I realized how much I do for others and sometimes forget myself.  I feel selfish when I focus on my needs.  After going to work this year with a fever and an extreme allergic reaction (puffy face and all) and attempting to work (but being sent home) I've really been thinking about my actions.  It's ok to be "selfish" sometimes.  As a social worker, how can you help others when you can't help yourself?  If I don't take care of myself, I will probably burn out in the next few years.  I love my job and do not want that to happen.  We have our yearly reviews coming up and I will be using this dilemma as something I need to work on next year.  Shouldn't be too hard, right?  I have sick days, I should use them when I'm sick...this is logical thinking, I think I can do it!  We all have our things we are working on to be better people and better social workers, what are you working on?

In other news:

Wyatt Update:
15 weeks
15 lbs
The sweetest puppy that I miss terribly during work, but when I get home his nub is wagging and booty is shakin'!  It makes everything that happened in the day OK!

Weekend unwind

Good morning social workers and friends of social workers!!

These past 2 weeks have been rather hectic for me at work! I would like to blame the full moon for part of it. And the other part - well, my supervisor tells me after some time my clients will start to "flare up" at the same time. Does this have any similarity to women menstruating at the same time? cause that's what it reminds me of. And that's strange. Whatever it is, we've had a lot of flare ups!!

This brings me to my next thought: this is in fact a social work blog. And while we're pretty wonderful at covering all topics, there has been little focus on what started it all - our passion for social work!!

So folks, when you've had a stressful week whether it's because you are a social worker, or any human being that has stress, how do you unwind?

Personally, if I can have a "free" Saturday morning, that makes me feel golden. Sleeping in until 8:00, slowly drinking my coffee while blogging, with food network on in the background makes me feel like a normal person again!

We all have stress and in order to survive this profession (or life) we need to take some time and become..normal again.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!