Long time, No write.

I’ve severely neglected this poor blog. I am feeling re-energized because I recently moved to a new state and landed a position with a national agency with an evidenced-based program to

KEEP KIDS IN SCHOOL!

Win!

I will be working under a 3-year grant for Communities in Schools, a national agency “works within the public school system, determining student needs and establishing relationships with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers, and parent and volunteer organizations to provide needed resources.” I will be a Site Coordinator in a middle school, providing at-risk youth and their families with encouragement, resources and support to empower the kids to remain in school. I will be stepping outside of my comfort zone for some of the job responsibilities, but all that means is I will grow and mature in my career. So, I will get through the nerves and come out a better social worker. Win for all.

I am also taking my Master Social Worker examination at the end of the month. I took the ASWB practice exam and received 121 out of 150 correct. I feel extremely good about that, seeing as how you only need to get 107 correct.

BIG SMILES!

Also, if anyone knows of any good blogs for school social work, dropout prevention, that kinda thing, I would be mucho appreciative if you shared your knowledge.

-♥ SWS

Almost a month in…

My third week of seeing clients and I’m still alive. *fist pump* I will admit that I am quite enjoying the actual work with the clients, but dealing with parents can be tough. Real tough. Some parents/caretakers are resistant, even the ones that called in the referral. I won’t begin to try and understand what they are feeling, but I do my best to ensure them I’m not there to remove their kids, judge them, etc. Once I get in the door, I think they realize that, but getting into the home is the hard part…

We had a mandatory meeting at work on Friday. It was Cultural Heritage day so we got learn about each other’s backgrounds. They also invited some people from the UM Eye Institute to talk about working with deaf children. They taught us the science behind hearing problems, the kind of devices to assist with hearing, auditory verbal therapy, etc. I especially find cochlear implants to be quite incredible. We also talked about Deaf culture, and the very different opinions found within this population. It was quite interesting!

Now, on to the interesting topic. One of my cases is a 16 year old girl who was diagnosed with Undersocialized Conduct Disorder, Aggressive Type. The biopyschosocial also talked about some reported psychosis. When I met with the teen for the first time, she was quite fascinating and a bit scary in her perception/attitude. She does not like school and does her schoolwork only when she feels like it. She likes to fight with people and has no interest in friends. She socially isolates, sits in her bedroom alone and talks to herself. She reported hearing command hallucinations, "random" voices that make her laugh and sometimes tell her to do "dangerous things", like fight and do drugs. She denied any drug use or any thoughts/commands of self-harm. She also mentioned going to her boyfriend’s house and just sitting in the front room alone. I noticed she had psychomotor agitation as she constantly used her hands during the session. She made little eye contact with me and giggled to self occasionally. Her affect was pretty blunt but her mood was normal.

She lacks compassion for her younger siblings, as evidenced by her statement "I hate them" as she broke their crayons. She reported that she loves her mother, and when asked if she ever tells her mother: “I don’t tell anyone I love them.” She doesn’t follow rules, and I’m serious when I say this, she could give a bleep about anyone or anything. I encouraged her to be honest and gave her feedback on her interaction with her mother and siblings. She constantly reminded me that she does what she wants to, not what anyone tells her. I praised her substance-free choices and validated her report of hallucinations. I did not challenge them. I tested her insight and her judgment, and I think both are pretty poor. One great thing is that she is willing to comply with treatment/medication. I gave her mother the contact information for a pysch eval, and if she hasn’t called when I go back Tuesday, we’ll call together. She needs one, stat!

I’m praying she isn’t developing Schizophrenia. I, of course, am not licensed or an expert, by any means, but doesn’t it sound like it? She’s having both positive (hallucinations/psychomotor agitation) and negative (blunted/flat affect, lack of interest, social isolation) symptoms. I read through the biopyschosocial and mother reported depression with psychosis and drug use on her end, but no mental illness that she’s aware of on dad’s end. I know there’s a strong genetic component. I think you have a 10% chance of developing it of one parent has it, and a 50% if both parents have it. But, what if mom’s diagnosis was wrong and she’s actually Schizoaffective? That would put her in the spectrum. Mom also used crack/marijuana for many years, so the child could have some prenatal factors, like stress, malnutrition, infection. And she was born in the Spring. Research shows that viral exposure in utero can up your chances of developing Schizophrenia. And then there is the environment piece. Living in an urban environment, social isolation, poor housing, family dysfunction and childhood exposure to trauma are all risk factors.

What do you think?

-SWS

Resources:

• http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophrenia/index.shtml
• http://www.schizophrenia.com/hypo.php
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/schizophrenia/DS00196

Success!

I'm in!

I met with my field placement supervisor at the family violence agency. She was great and I know I will enjoy working with her. She is the head therapist of the small program, which is housed in an agency that provides a myriad of services (forensic interviewing for sexually abused children, residential treatment center, etc). She has been with the agency for 9 years and also has a private practice. She runs the adult groups, and does individual therapy, as well.

The child therapist will most likely be my task supervisor. She uses play and sand therapy. I will be working closely with her, and really can't wait to see these techniques in action. M is a Victim's Advocate. I will have the opportunity to shadow her, which is beyond amazing. I would absolutely love such a job, but I really have no legal knowledge. Lots to learn! G. asked me to familiarize myself with the cycle of violence of the Summer.

I will do bio-psycho-socials, intake meetings, maybe even help develop treatment plans. I will observe groups for adults and adolescents of domestic violence. I will participate in play/sand therapy with children. I will see court cases surrounding domestic violence. I will most definitely see the effects of domestic violence on all family members, but I am not a stranger to those. I told G. my family has been plagued by violence for many generations. Although my mom stopped the cycle, I have seen the humiliation, torment and pain it has caused most of my family. I am not close to many of my family members, for reasons I can't really explain, but they are the biggest reason I want to pursue a career in Social Work. It has been excruciating to witness the the crap my family has endured. I think I've pushed myself away from them all because of the drama, but I wish now I would've been more hands-on. Maybe I could have helped, even a little.


I plan to rock the hell out of this experience. :) This next (and FINAL) school year will be tough, but I am ready.

My next field placement

On the bus ride back from Tallahassee, I got a call from one of our field placement staff. She wanted to speak with me about a possible match for my next placement. I mentioned to her that I was interested in working with victims of domestic violence and/or their children (play therapy, etc). She told me about an agency that provides group counseling to victims of family violence, and also provides childcare for the children during meeting times (play therapy). This service provides:

• Crisis Intervention, safety planning and assessment of family needs
  
• Linkages with shelters, relocation and/or other community resources
  
• Therapeutic support groups for adult victims, their teens and young children
  
• Childcare available for children under six during group sessions
  
• Meals for children prior to group and limited transportation available
  
• Individual therapy for adult victims and their children
  
• Support and advocacy in dealing with the criminal justice system - court appearances, restraining orders, etc.

• Assist with Victims’ Compensation claims and Address Confidentiality Program
  
• A program that provides therapeutic art activities to children & teens. The program is working on a film project to promote healthy relationships and keeping kids gang-free.
  
• A program that allows teens to enhance self esteem, team building skills and to promote healthy lifestyles through gardening

• Collaboration with other agencies to promote healthy teen relationships to prevent intimate partner violence.

I would definitely love to work with teens. They hold group sessions on Tues/Weed evenings, so I would definitely be working those nights. Thankfully, my classes are Mon nights and Thursday afternoons. At this time, that is all I know. I am supposed to talk with another field placement staff member early next week, since she works very closely with the agency and knows a lot more about it.

While I am not afraid of learning, I feel completely unprepared to do any sort of group counseling, or individual therapy, for that matter! I feel at a disadvantage because 1) I don't have any therapeutic experience, and 2) My field placement this past year was not clinical in the same way that these types of programs are, and 2) I only had one group experience. I may try to see if I can attend some groups in the community this summer, and do some reading myself...

Social Justice Challenge for March: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

The Social Justice Challenge for March is one I’m familiar with. I am concentrating on Children and Families in my Social Work program, and I also come from a family rampant with both forms of violence.

• What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of domestic violence and child abuse? My family, and my clients. Children, women, men. Humanity.
• What does domestic violence and child abuse mean to you personally? I come from a family with multiple generations of abuse. My maternal grandfather was beat with chains. He in turn ruled his house with an iron fist – literally. The abuse, in some form, has trickled down throughout my family. Half of the women in my family have endured domestic violence relationships, multiple times. I am not sure how I escaped all of this. Some of it was personal choice, some of it was having a mother who made different choices. Now, my mother wasn’t perfect. I mostly remember her ridiculous temper (very common character trait in my family) and her 5’ tall self scared the crud out of me growing up. But, she loved me so deeply. So unconditionally. I think that makes the difference.
• What is your current knowledge of domestic violence and child abuse? I am not all knowing, but I’m learning a lot about it. I do know that is prevalent, and while we strive to make changes in how people handle personal turmoil/conflict/stress/anxiety, it is a VERY difficult thing to eradicate. Some of it's learned, some of it's personal choice. Some of it's not knowing how to handle situations properly.
• Are you aware of the resources available for men, women and children who find themselves in domestic violence and child abuse situations? In my area, yes. There are also multiple internet resources, which lead to local resources.
• Have you chosen a book or resource to read for this month? I desperately want to read Push, but I don’t own the book yet. I’ve seen The Burning Bed and The Color Purple, but never read the books. I am going to check out http://www.breakthecycle.org/, because I would ultimately like to work with adolescents on these very issues.
• Take some time and think about what potential action steps you could take. (I’ll have a post dedicated to this shortly). Continue working with my clients, and educate those around me as much as possible.

Theory, Theory. Everywhere.

So I've been doing research for a Family Systems Theory paper I have to write. We have to pick a presenting problem, either real or made up, in our own family. We need to do a bio-psycho-social assessment, apply different family system theories, create interventions, etc. I always struggle with writing - it does not come easy for me. However, the research part is where I excel. I wanted to be a Research Librarian for years (still have that passion, actually).

So, I have to find some theorists. I discovered Dr. Murray Bowen, who developed his own theory, aptly named Bowen theory. He focused on 8 concepts in his research. The most important aspect to his theory is called the Differentiation of Self, which really makes a ton of sense. Differentiation is when an individual is able to separate their thoughts from their feelings. A person of undifferentiated status feels so intensely that they hardly ever distinguish their thoughts from their feelings, and therefore, are incapable of thinking objectively. On the other hand, a differentiated person can balance the two, as they are able to resist being overwhelmed by their strong emotions and remain objective. An undifferentiated person reacts emotionally because they have no autonomous identity - they can't separate themselves from their family. On the contrary, a differentiated person has an established identity and is confident in their ability to think/act for themselves. The less developed a person's "self," the more impact others have on his functioning and the more he tries to control, actively or passively, the functioning of others. Bowen said "People with a poorly differentiated "self" depend so heavily on the acceptance and approval of others that either they quickly adjust what they think, say, and do to please others or they dogmatically proclaim what others should be like and pressure them to conform." Voilà! I think this says a lot about people who are able to think critically about their situation/environment and question it. They form their own identity by believing in their own thoughts and opinions, and not just follow along in the footsteps of others. I think this concept is fascinating.

Virginia Satir developed a concept regarding self-esteem. It is no secret that communication is the key to any relationship. Does you think a person with low self-esteem speaks up often, expressed their opinions, and communicates their concerns? Most likely not. As expected, Satir pointed out that a person with low self-esteem will likely be ineffective at communicating. Thus, increasing an individual's self-esteem would help the family system better communicate thoughts and feelings. Voilà!

Anywho - off to work on the paper.

Next semester...

How fun!I may get to lead a baby interaction play group with our adoptive parents and their new babies! I need to look through this really interesting book on how to stimulate your baby and help develop their motor and sensory skills, and pull out some exercises. We may do it around Valentine's Day and name the class something like "How to love your baby." We also might invite some teenage mothers from our Mentoring program, which I am so excited about. Pregnant Teens/Teenage mothers are a population I would like to work with. I would actually like to work in preventing that to happen (I love prevention programming, but not sure how well it works or how much it's supported) but working with the young girls to enrich their lives and give them a better outlook is just as good.

I'm rambling now. Just did a major scrub down on my condo. I even cleaned the baseboards! It really needed it since I only cleaned surfaces during this last hellish semester. However, I did get my A in Practice w/ Individuals and my Satisfactory mark for Field! Woot!

NOW - it is time to enjoy my month off. Hubsand I are outta here next Friday for vacation and family time. Yay for Family, Friends, cold weather, traveling, good food and lots 'o fun!

Finals are a' comin.

Well, I guess I should say Final because I only have one. 73 questions, mind you. It shouldn't be that bad: I'm taking a break from making my study guide now, and I am meeting with my cohort this Saturday for a study session. These are VERY helpful.

This Saturday is also a party at my internship for the adoptive families and foster children. I was going to teach dances, but some logistical issues have prevented that from happening, so I will be helping with a Cranium-type game. Should be loads of fun for the kiddies.

Tomorrow, I will be presenting my internship agency to a Women's Clinic, along with my supervisor. She wants me to talk about the History of the organization, as well as the Safe Haven Law. I am a terrible public speaker (mainly because of my nerves!) but I've done it before and lived, so I just need to deal. It is part of being a professional.

Other than that, I'm too busy to write lately. 2 weeks left and I will be FREE for a month. Well, at least from school/internship. I am leaving my Graduate Assistantship, as well, which really sucks (I've made some close friends there and they pay my tuition!) but it must be done. I am not a robot/super hero and need a BREAK! Working 3 part-time jobs plus school is a bit much. I also want to put more into my internship next semester. And, I plan to start full-time next school year so I can finish in 3 years instead of . I've never, ever gone to college full-time and I'm a bit freaked out. :/

I will still have my at-home job, for as long as they need me. Hopefully that doesn't go away too soon. It will not be a pretty day in this household when we're both not working. We already struggle. I'm trying to figure out how to SAVE some flippin money when we go grocery shopping. We go to a farmer's market for produce, which is AMAZING. We come away with loads of fresh fruits/veggies for under $20. We spend roughly $100/week on food though. Hubs and I have big appetites and we gain weight easily. Therefore, we do our best to eat fresh foods, lean meats and whole wheat products. This is way more expensive to do than just buying all the boxed crap.

Any suggestions out there in blog land? I would be a crazy-frugal-coupon-crazed-deal-seeker if I had the time!

"I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring." ~Liz Armbruste

Yesterday, I had the most enjoyable experience at my internship. I finally got to meet a family that adopted internationally. This family, who I will call the Jones, adopted a sibling group of 3 from Ethiopia. Before I met the family, I was able to watch a documentary that they were in regarding adopting from another country. It was so beautiful to see this family (The Jones and 2 of their adult bio sons) meet their new children/siblings. (Mr. Jones actually made the trip prior to this and had already met the children.) The Jones went through a reputable agency and even met Birth mom (B.M.) when they went to the country to pick up their children. She is very ill and can no longer care for them. B.M. was featured in the documentary and let me tell you, I was amazed at the strength of this woman. She was so composed and strong. However, a smile never crossed her face, and her eyes showed the depth of her pain. Supervir was crying and I had a few tears drip down my face. That type of thing is never easy to witness, no matter what situation the B.M. is in. B.M. and Mrs. Jones hugged one another and it was the most powerful thing to watch. B.M. is ever grateful that her children are being cared for and will likely live to old age, but it was the epitome of a bitter-sweet moment, if that even describes it at all. :(

Now, on to the FUN PART! I got to meet the children! I shall call them Amare (boy), age 3; Desta (girl), age 5; and big brother Bekele, age 6. The Jones kept their ethnic names (which are REALLY cool/cute, I wish I could tell you) and gave them American middle names. They were obviously already used to their names so changing them would have made the transition more difficult. However, I must first say that I was AMAZED at how quickly these children have transitioned into their new life. They've only been here 3 months and I would never be able to tell that they weren't born here. They only thing that gives it away is their cute little accent. :)


Bekele is only 6 but he was practically the parent of his 2 siblings since he was 4. He had to feed and bathe them as their mother could not. Needless to say, this young man is a leader in ever since of the word. The Jones described his transition from a parental figure to a sibling as wondrous. To see him roll around on the floor with little Amare was quite surprising (especially to Amare!) because these things did not happen back in Ethiopia. He had a sort of emotional breakdown at some point and they let him cry, so he knows it is ok to cry. I assume he had to keep all of these emotions inside in Ethiopia. Bekele is in first grade, is very outgoing, talks really fast (his English is great but if he gets going, he starts to blur it with Amharic, his native tongue), and loves soccer. :)


Desta is SO CUTE! She barely said 2 words but she is such a pretty little thing. (She and Amare look so much a like, and a lot like B.M. but I think Bekele looks very different from them.) Desta has adjusted well but she is still very sensitive to her parents leaving. When were done with the visit, the Jones walked us to the door and Desta said "Mommy, no go!" and ran to her and threw her arms around her legs. It was very touching and shows the trauma these children have experienced in their life. Mrs. Jones said she had a meltdown at the dinner table one night when she would not eat her vegetables. Typical toddler. She was also given a princess dress (Cinderella, of course) which she wore to a princess birthday party. Well, her birthday just passed and she got up that morning and immediately put on her princess dress. I think she associates birthdays with having to wear that dress. Too cute. She goes to Pre-K 4 mornings a week.


Amare is the youngest and so adorable! He has picked up the language the fastest, since he is the youngest. He seems very good natured and easy going, and they said he doesn't have tantrums (yet). He's social and has a great sense of humor. He didn't say much while we were there but he did show me his wonderful smile many times.


The Jones family were given MANY things - children's clothes, toys, money - by their church and community. When the children first sat down with these toys, they looked at them like "what the heck am I supposed to do with this?" They didn't have toys in Ethiopia. You know what they wanted to play with? The rocks and dirt in the backyard. That was familiar to them and they had a blast. The Jones say the children are very industrious and hardworking. The like to be productive, probably because they are used to it. Bekele likes to help Mr. Jones bag up leaves in the yard. Amare cleaned up after himself after he ate without being told.


I told the Jones that I hope they don't mind if I call them in 20 years when I'm ready to adopt from Rwanda. They asked why I would wait so long, and I told them my husband and I are incurring serious debt from school, so it will definitely have to wait. I had a side conversation with Mrs. Jones about my anti-genocide advocacy days and how I mostly want to work with refugees. That got us discussing the Lost Boys of Sudan and Human Aid workers and all of the things that I can only dream of being a part of. However, at least I can help those who resettle here. They need it too.


All in all, it was the best field experience I've had thus far, and I am very happy for this family. Those kids are very, very lucky to have this new life. They will not forget where they came from though, and have pictures of their B.M. and share stories about her. B.M. has pictures of them, as well, and will receive updates. Hopefully B.M. doesn't suffer for a long time, and I hope she is at peace with her decision.


[Rant]


The documentary also showed the dark side to adoption in a lot of countries: Human Trafficking. I was sickened to see some of the practices that these FAKE agencies do to obtain children to SELL to Americans who are completely clueless. And let me just put this out there RIGHT NOW, Christian World Adoption was shown in this video in a village, coercing parents to hand over their children. Now, I do not know anything else about this agency, other than what I witnessed on this video, but what I saw was enough. These children were FINE! Obviously, Ethiopia is not the best country in the world to live in, and the people that live here struggle in ways we can't even imagine, but these children and their families were living the typical Ethiopian life. These agencies come to these villages and persuade these people to hand over their children by telling them of the beautiful, healthy, safe lives they will live in America, never going hungry, blah blah. Ok, that IS great. I wish ALL of those people could live the way we do. The entire WORLD should be able too, but let's get realistic. The entire world can't move to the U.S., and children should remain with their families unless they are being neglected, abused, etc. These children were FINE!




Supervisor was telling me how they have discontinued international adoptions from Guatemala because women were being found dead with their stomachs cut open. PEOPLE WERE KILLING PREGNANT WOMEN WHO WERE NEAR TERM TO CUT OUT THE INFANT SO THEY COULD MAKE A PROFIT OFF THE ADOPTION OF THE BABY. Honestly, I don't think humanity can sink any lower into evil.



[/Rant]