Site Visit

I had my site visit yesterday with my field supervisor an field professor yesterday. The site visit occurs every semester to ensure everyone one is happy, the student is learning, the agency is pleased with student’s work, etc.It was a little late in the semester because my field professor is behind.

It went well, and I am so pleased that I have a caring, understanding and knowledgeable field supervisor. (I really lucked out with my 2 placements, let me tell you!) I let my professor know that I am engaged with 4 individual clients - one teen, two children and one adult - and that I am dabbling with play therapy, CBT, strengths perspective and case management. I also facilitate one children's group and co-facilitate the other. As for macro, I’ve attended some community events around Domestic Violence, and did some internal trainings on child development and trauma-based care. I plan to kick up the macro next semester, and see some court proceedings. I plan to attend the local Domestic Violence council meeting on Tuesday too. I really like macro work and want to get as much as I can out of it.

That’s my update! Now, off to finish a presentation…

Miscellaneous news from school/internship.

One month in and I’m doing ok. I lucked out with my professors because the other group of students have tons of more work. I don’t mind lots of assignments but what I mind is time management and getting them all done and done well.

The internship is going well. I’m learning a lot. I feel a tad overwhelmed because I am there for 2 10-hour days only. However, group takes up 2.5 hours each day (planning and facilitating), and I have gotten 2 clients – which is AWESOME! But, I have to write individual and group case notes, and I must keep up with them because they can get out of hand if I don’t. I just don’t feel like I have enough time to prepare myself for my individual meetings (one child and one adolescent) and do other things I need to do. It will all work out, but I really hate feeling rushed, especially now that I have clients. This is my first experience with individual meetings and while I haven’t felt too nervous since I’m just trying to get to know them at this point, I’m still clueless and want to really focus on being a good therapist and asking the right questions, etc. AND, building rapport with the teen. She is nice and sweet and talks, but it’s all superficial at this point and I really want to help her understand her emotions. She needs someone to talk to...

My child client is so very open and genuine. I’ve been working with her in group so she has gotten to know me over the past few weeks. We drew pictures of a house and tree, and she helped me draw my trees. She is very nice and shares well. We talked about bullying, and why she needs to speak up if someone is bothering her. She told me that she stuck up for her friend on the playground. I told her she was very brave, but next time, she should get a teacher so that she isn’t hurt in the process.

I actually got to see (well, hear, since it was over the phone) the Defense Mechanism known as Reaction Formation. This DM transforms an unacceptable impulse into the opposite. It’s a characteristic of obsessional neuroses, and I have no doubt this person is neurotic! Anywho, I reached out to a referral to set up an appointment so she can begin group therapy. Her mother answered the phone, and then handed off to the victim. She said she had no transportation, etc., and would call us back. Not 2 minutes later, my manager received a call from her mother and called me in her office. I’ve never heard such BS in my life! She went on and on about how we could never understand how much she wants her daughter to enter our program and receive services/treatment, but there is this problem, and that one, oh – and that one too. She called us “hun” a billion times, which is a tad insulting, but you have to let it slide. It is obvious this woman has controlled the identity right out of her daughter. After our suggestions of a family meeting to see if family members can take turns bringing her (and still, more excuses) we finally hung up because she would’ve never stopped. It was an interesting experience, and I feel terrible for that woman. I doubt we will ever see her. :/

So much to say, but studying calls. My Psychopathology mid-term is in a week! :O

My first group experience: The Good, The Bad, and The Whoa.

So I did my first group with children last night! I have so much to learn. *sigh* In case you didn’t know, I’m interning at a domestic violence program. The children have witnessed the violence in many different forms, and they attend group while their parents (just the victim, and I don’t say women/mothers because we have one male – it does happen!) attend group. I’ve been working with the child therapist for the last few weeks and she gave me the floor tonight. She actually left the room while we did the activity, and I think it went ok. The children are 1-6 grade, and they are at different levels of maturity. While they were being typical kids, they did complete the activity and actually talked about it afterwards. To me, that equals a win.

It is very obvious that I don’t know proper ways of getting children to settle down and behave. We do things differently in a therapeutic setting. Telling little Johnny to sit down and be quiet doesn’t work so much. I may not have as much control as the child therapist, and she certainly has an entirely different style than I, but I think I did ok. I’m alive, they’re alive. I’ll get better, right? :)

However, I met a young man tonight who I will refer to as E. He’s in 1st grade and is very troubled, as exhibited by his behavior in group. He used a few bad words, talked about Hell, and ran around the room like some sort of big cat, growling all the way! He was very agitated and certainly did not want to participate in an activity where he sat the entire time. I was told that he is going to be my first client, and I must say, I am nervous as heck! We will be using the playroom, where he will likely get our his anger and frustration and wild-childness. I do think this young man is in desperate need of someone to pay attention to him, to tell him that he is special, to let him know he matters. I haven’t read his file yet, but I bet it’s a doozy.

I am also going to start working with an adolescent girl (I will refer to her as Y) who has siblings in the program, as well. In fact, her 2 younger siblings are in one of the child groups, and they journaled about some ugly stuff happening with big sis. She has been inappropriately dealing with her anger lately and we want to find out what's beneath the anger. The adolescent group facilitators says she doesn’t speak much in group, so hopefully I can gain her trust and give her an outlet.

---

I met with my supervisor today and she really put things into perspective for me. I’ve never had a therapy session yet, so I feel at a real disadvantage about providing it! However, she said some things that make so much sense and eased up my anxiety a tad. She said the most important thing about therapy is the human connection. The relationship. She said just be human to human, be present and actively listen. Don't worry about what theory or model l should be following - that comes with experience. Just listen, and be genuine. She also added that she still gets nervous 15 years later but said working through that fear is what will make me grow…

And I will try to fix you.

This semester I am taking Psychopathology in Clinical Practice. If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I am not interested in Clinical Practice at this point. I would much rather be on the services or macro side of Social Work, although I am quite aware that counseling skills are needed across the board. That being said, I have yet to experience a mental health setting so I could very well change my mind. In fact, I will be in a clinical setting at my Domestic Violence internship. I will mainly be working with the children who have witnessed the abuse. The victims and their children will no doubt exhibit a myriad of issues. Maybe I will end up enjoy this setting…who knows. I will admit that I am uber excited to experience Play Therapy. :)

Anyway, in our first class of Psychopathology, the professor played the video below, which looks to remove the stigma that mental illness receives. I know all about this stigma, as I come from a family entrenched in abuse and mental disorders. It has never been easy for any of them to ask for help, or to even accept their situation. A lot of it is pride, not accepting their reality, etc. But, a lot of it is related to the stigma surrounding these disorders, I’m sure.

Take a moment to watch the video and reflect on how you feel about mental health disorders. You can help fight the stigma that these people have unfairly hanging over their heads.

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you 

I am starting my FINAL year of Graduate School today!

I am entering my final year of graduate studies in Social Work! I’ve decided to go full-time my last year so I can finish up start a family. So, that means 4 classes (12 hours/wk) and 20 hrs/wk of internship. Of course, this doesn’t include the countless hours spent reading textbooks (my psychopathology textbook is over 1500 pgs long!!), writing papers/presentations and studying for horrible exams.

Fall Semester courses:

• Psychopathology (SCARY!)


• Advanced Evaluation (MORE SCARY!)


• Advanced Practice with Children and Adolescents (Excited for this class)


• Field Practicum (Not a strenuous course)

In addition to my courses, I will be interning in a Domestic Violence program. I think I will mainly be working with the children, but I definitely have the opportunity to engage in the full spectrum of services. To save on study/reading/writing time, I decided to do 2 – 10 hour days. I am freaked out about this, but I’m sure the days will go by fast, and then I will come home and crash hard.

Mon-Thurs is jam PACKED. 6 hours of classes (until 10 PM!) Mondays, back-to-back 10-hour days at internship on Tues/Wed, then 6 hours of classes on Thurs. I will no doubt be a ZOMBIE!

I’ve also taken on a position in the Social Work Student Association. I am the Communications and Marketing Chair, which means I run the Blog, Facebook page, email communications, etc. It’s a strength of mine, which is why I was asked to take it on. :) I look forward to it, honestly. We have a fantastic team of people and we are going have some stellar professional development and community service events. All good for my future in Social Work.

Ciao!

Fall Semester!

Oh boy, am I ever in for a wild, crazy ride this coming school year. I've decided to do my last year of grad school full-time! I've never gone to school full-time and I am very nervous about taking on 4 grad-level classes and 20 hours of internship. I no longer work, which is a major help, but that just leads to my anxiety and stress over our finances. (Neither of us is working and doing school full-time.) However, it is what it is and we will get through it, somehow, someway...


Fall is going to be interesting. I will have class on Mondays and Thursdays for 6 hours.

• Psychopathology in Clinical Practice
• Advanced Evaluation for Social Work Practice (MORE Research - ugh!)
• Advanced Theory Practice with Children and Adolescents
• Advanced Field Instruction

My internship in Domestic Violence is going to be Tuesdays and Wednesdays for 10 hours! I decided to do the two 10 hours days so I could nip it in the bud and have more time for school work. 

Looks like Mon - Thurs I will likely be a Zombie...

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...

Education Update

I only have one more assignment left to do this semester, even though the semester isn't over until end of April. It is a group project that is due 3/23. We have to create a proposal to start a new counseling group. We were assigned "Substance Abuse" and after listening to some real concerns a classmate observes in the field, we decided to concentrate on building cultural competency in the substance abuse/recovery population. I've been working on it here and there, and hope to finish it up this week. My partner does not work like me (I'm very prepared, she is pressure prompted) so it has been challenging for me. She will do her part though - I am not worried about that. I just want to be done already. However, we should wrap it up this week so I can create the presentation this weekend. Then we have to figure out who says what.

I also don't have to take my only mid-term since I'm participating in Lobby Day, which is on April 5and 6. So stoked! My internship in Private Adoption will be over in FOUR WEEKS! I am very sad to leave the agency, but more importantly, I'm very sad I will no longer work with my supervisor. She has been a wonderful teacher, and I am so appreciative of her. :)

The Summer/Fall schedule just came out. Aside from my London trip this Summer, looks like I will be able to take Child Welfare, which is one of my 2 needed electives for the Child Welfare Certificate. This course examines the issues of professional practice in child welfare that will enable students to bring skills and knowledge to their practice in assessing and intervening in situations of abuse and neglect involving children and families.

Looks like my Fall classes will be on Wed/Thurs. Here are the core classes I will be taking:

• Advanced Theory and Practice with Children and Adolescents: Focuses on the application of theories, concepts, and principles in direct treatment of children and adolescents.
• Psychopathology in Clinical Practice: This course focuses on the dysfunctional aspects of human behavior and personality. (SO NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CLASS!)
• Advanced Evaluation for Social Work Practice: Designed to provide students with advanced knowledge and skills in research methods emphasizing the evaluation and analysis of clinical social work services and programs. (Ugh - more research.)
• Field Seminar

Still haven't been contacted re: my next internship. I have to wait until all the Title-IV people are placed, just like last time. It is SO nerve racking. I do not want to be placed in an agency I have no interest in...*sigh*