YAHOOO!

I passed my licensing exam! I am now a

Licensed Master Social Worker!

I am beyond proud and a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The next step is clinical licensure, but that is in the future and I’m not even sure I want to do it at this point. Let me enjoy this 3-year macro/mezzo/micro mixture of a job and then I will rethink my options.

As far as the job, it is going great but it’s been slow getting information from the school personnel to do the needs assessment. I have had great meetings with some people already and they have given me great insight! I’m meeting with the principal Monday to go over the referral process for my individual clients. I can’t wait to start working with them and their families to uncover needs and assist the families so that the child can focus on school!

-♥ SWS

My principal cares!

I visited the middle school that I will be partnering with today and met with the principal. What a fantastic man! He was actually prepared to discuss his needs/wants with me and the executive director of my agency. He was PREPARED. Yea, major winnage, right there.

{Flickr: yourdoku}

He told me his ideas, and I’m on board with all of them:

• Help collect and analyze data: This idea will need to be further explored as it might not fall within my job scope.
• Coordinate volunteer activities: Yes, this is way important. He mentioned needing volunteers for chaperoning, events, helping students with projects, etc.
• Start a psycho-educational group: Student’s get a flex hour 4 days a week. Some use it for tutoring and behavioral things, while other use it to participate in extracurriculars. The principal would like me to start a group and get kids talking, learning how to communicate and feel comfortable doing it. I AM SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE!
• Staff Development: He would like me to think of some things I can help the staff learn, or train them on. I am thinking of possibly putting together a training regarding how social and environmental issues can cause problems in the academic setting. Some might not understand how these issues can heavily influence a child’s ability to focus, etc.
• Positive Behavior Intervention: This school implements a system where the students who have had referrals must check-in or out with a staff member each day, to hold them accountable and to build relationships. Mr. Principal wants me to take on a group of these kids.
• Case Management for the at-risk kids
• Building relationships with agencies to bring resources to the students and families

As I type this blog post, I was blind copied on an email from Mr. Dedicated Principal to the faculty and staff:

As indicated in our September Leadership Team Minutes; we have been awarded a grant through Communities in Schools to fund additional Support Staff.

We are extremely pleased to introduce Mrs. SWS as our new CIS Site-Coordinator. Mrs. SWS brings a wealth of experience and knowledge working with adolescent populations, as well as family systems. Her major strengths include effective communication, documentation, attention to detail, organization, planning, and multi-tasking. Her past experience includes 8+ years of administrative support and project coordination.

We’re confident that Mrs. SWS will work collaboratively with our faculty and staff to enhance our school.  Welcome Mrs. SWS !

AWESOME. Anywho…I start Monday!

-♥SWS

“We don’t have a youth problem in America…

we have an adult problem.” –Bill Milliken, The Last Dropout

I’m currently reading this book in preparation for my new job. Bill Milliken is the founder of Communities in Schools, and I am so inspired and motivated by his words. I feel strongly about his quote above. He spoke it during The Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future on April 30, 1997. Here is the entire snippet from the book:

“All my life I’ve tried to do everything I could to be an advocate for young people and their needs. If you want to know what I’ve learned, here it is: We don’t have a youth problem in America – we have an adult problem..I’ve never been trained as a teacher. I don’t know how to give a course on male/female relations, or black/white/brown relations, or anything like that. But I can tell you, I’ve seen kids start to eat together in a school cafeteria where whites and blacks weren’t sitting at the same table because they saw adults coming together who happened to be black and white and brown, male and female, eating together and caring about one another. Kids learn from what they see, not just what they’re taught. We can talk about values, but if we’re not living them out, it won’t matter. You can’t give away what you don’t have. If we don’t care about each other – if we don’t have community – how can we expect young people to do any better?”

Um, YES! Preach it, sir. I really could not agree more with his thoughts on this topic. We can teach kids about things until we are blue in the face, but we, adults, have to model the behaviors, too. We cannot expect children to just run with a bunch of book knowledge, especially if they witness adults doing things differently. Adults hold so much power and personally, any and every moment we are around young people needs to be a teachable moment, in some form or another.

Make it count.

-♥SWS

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

Major Breakthrough.

Wow. My head is still spinning from my experience today. Being new to the field, I haven't had too many "woah" experiences yet, but today...I woah'd.

I have a teenage client who has been with my agency for years. I'm actually her 4th therapist this year. Her parent's rights were terminated and her guardian isn't the most pleasant of creatures. I am not surprised she doesn't want to talk to anyone. Why should she trust adults?

I've been working with her for weeks and we have not moved past pleasantries, if you can call them that. I've tried everything I know to do, which might not be a whole lot, but at least I gave it my all. Lots of game playing to build rapport, lots of sitting in silence, lots of random questions, lots of validating, challenging, supporting. Nothing worked.

Until today.

I decided to try art therapy, since talking is clearly not on the agenda. It's a layered feelings activity that I facilitated it in a group setting during my internship. I provided her with a feelings sheet with different expressions and the feelings they represent. I gave her 6 sheets of paper, and asked her to draw these items:

• A feeling you often show to others
• A feeling you generally keep to yourself
• A feeling you wish would go away and never return
• A feeling you like to have
• A feeling that you can live with but that challenges you
• A feeling you rarely experience and wish you could have more of

She wasn't very invested in the activity, and drew some pretty basic faces. When I asked her to explain them all, she gave short answers and shrugged her shoulders a lot. One of her faces was confused, another lonely. I started to dig a little, to try and find out about her past experience that she still has not dealt with. She was hospitalized due to self-harm, but no one has been able to find out why. She has been closed-lipped for months and months. I brought up the incident and asked if she was feeling the same way now. As the one-sided conversation progressed, she began to cry, then she became really angry and stormed out.

I think my jaw was hanging low because she has never so much as laughed, much less show anger or sadness. And in a span of minutes! I let her leave, followed her outside. I validated her pain, determined if she was feeling suicidal, etc. She was angry but didn't leave the patio. She wouldn't look me in the eye or talk, but she didn't leave either. At one point she yelled "I'm sick of you people coming in and out of my life." When I tried to get her to open up about that, she was already gone (mentally speaking).

She asked to call her guardian, and I went to alert the school officer about her status, and left a message for her guardian. I immediately called my supervisor and asked for her suggestions, and she congratulated me on this breakthrough, even though the session ended pretty ugly. I often wonder if sexual abuse is a part of the equation. While it has never been brought up, her younger sister was abused, and the statistics show it's likely to happen to siblings. This is only a theory. I could be totally off.

Anywho, my head is still spinning. It may not seem like much, but I hit a chord.

Finally.

-SWS

Resources, anyone?

Is anyone willing to share their therapeutic interventions for hyperactivity and inattention? I've heard a lot of behavior charts are good, but there is bound to better ideas.

I would also like to know if anyone has techniques for working with oppositional / aggressive children, especially techniques for they are in a moment of rage. Needless to say, I do not have much experience with these types of behaviors and have a very challenging child that I just started working with.

One last question: Behavior Management Programs that aren't points-based. Got ideas? Please share.

Much thanks.
-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

First week on the job…

Well, my first week at my new job went off without a hitch. All the employees are really nice and helpful. I spent the entire week in orientations for everything from benefits to processes to trainings. Thankfully, their processes and procedures are streamlined. Amen! I sat with my supervisor for the clinical training and process piece. She is very nice and knowledgeable. She complemented my preparation (me, prepared??? heh) and said she can tell I will catch on quickly. To say the paperwork is overwhelming is an understatement, but that is social work for ya.


We discussed ethics, privacy, compliance and the like. The HR person described some ethical issues in the past, and honestly, I am shocked at some of the choices people make. One employee had to get something signed over the weekend, so she stopped by the home with a car full of people. Um, seriously? Major HIPAA breach. Another employee had a home for rent and rented it out to his client. Yes, this is a nice gesture, but it is absolutely forbidden to enter into any sort of dual relationship with your client, during and after service.


I was assigned my first 4 clients yesterday. I have not yet made contact because I am waiting to hear from the employee I will be shadowing next week. I plan to call Monday and set up first appointments at the end of the week. I also have to do a ton of online trainings next week on-site.


As far as my clients go, what a doozy! Four males. Three of them have been treated by the agency before, two of them have a Conduct Disorder Dx, two have ADHD/Anxiety. One of them is a refugee from Africa! THAT is way amazing, for me, because it is a population I am extremely interested in working with. To say I am hella nervous about meeting these people next week is putting it mildly…


-SWS

A Movie Review: Reviving Ophelia

I heard about this movie through BreakTheCycle.org whom I follow on Twitter. This organization aims to educate teens on dating violence and empower them to make their own decisions. Reviving Ophelia aired on Lifetime and will probably play more. Check your local channel listing to see when it airs again.

Reviving Ophelia is a story about a normal, well-to-do, calm and collected teenage girl, Elizabeth, who becomes involved with a guy named Mark. Mark is a gentleman, is respectful towards adults and showers Liz with affection and attention – just what teenage girls are looking for! Unfortunately, Mark isn’t what he seems to be. Underneath his cool façade and cute exterior is an angry young man who has become quite obsessed with Liz. The signs are absolutely blaring. Her cousin, who is deemed the wild one in the family, tries to alert her family to what is going on, but no one wants to believe her. She tries to step in and assist her cousin, but she is quickly pushed aside and told there is no problem. Once Liz’s parents find out, they do everything to control the situation and protect their daughter. However, telling Liz No only make her want him more…

If you do plan to watch the movie, or read the book, don’t read any more. It will give away a lot of the story. I wrote down all of the signs I recognized:

• He gets miffed because she made plans without consulting him
• You find out his mother left him and his father, and that his father called him a loser because his mother left him.
• You later find out his dad beat his mother, which is probably why she left. As ugly and unfortunate as it is, abuse is a learned behavior a lot of the time.
• He becomes jealous of her friends and guys she sits by in class.
• He tried to control her behavior.
• He calls and texts her constantly, and gets very angry when she doesn’t respond promptly.
• He tracks her on her phone’s GPS! Stalking is a serious red flag.
• There is a small blip about an ex-girlfriend, who we don’t learn much about. However, sounds like he has been down this path before.
• He makes her feel guilty for everything.
• There is the obvious physical violence. The first incident, Mark lies and says he had to slam on his break and she hit the dash. She confirms the story. The cycle repeats itself, even if he says it will never happen again.
• When she really tries to end the relationship, he pulls the suicide card. This is a very common response to once again use the blame and guilt that the victim feels to get them to stay.

The denial was thick as molasses. Liz blames herself for the fights. He has manipulated her mind and has fed his guilt into her. She makes a statement in the movie that if she were a better girlfriend, he wouldn’t have to hurt her. In one scene, she is eating dinner with her family and Mark texts her. Her dad tells her that it is family time and she can reply after dinner is over. Liz pretty much has a tiny panic attack. She becomes very anxious because her body is releasing adrenaline in response to what will happen if she doesn’t get back to him ASAP, even if her mind doesn’t make the connection.

One scene I found very powerful involved the social worker. After Liz lied to her family about breaking up with Mark, she visited her therapist. When the therapist asked how life was now that Mark wasn’t in it, Liz didn’t have much to say – because she was still seeing him. The therapist likely caught on to this and I think she used a powerful technique. She handed Liz her laptop and asked her to type in “warning signs of abuse” and asked Liz to read them to her. The clarity that washed over Liz was so heartbreaking, but it is what she needed to realize the situation she was in. At that point, she took control back of her life.

I plan to read the book ASAP, and will also report on it.

http://www.amazon.com/Reviving-Ophelia-Adolescent-Ballantine-Readers/dp/0345392825

Cause of the Month: Water for People

Did you ever stop to think about water, and exactly how important it is to sustain all living things? In America, water is as common as a terrible singer on a popular reality show. We take it for granted. Big time. Are you aware of exactly how desperate some countries are for potable, sanitary drinking water? I would say that access to potable, sanitary drinking water is a basic human right. Wouldn't you? Unfortunately, it is not a reality for many people of the world. People in countries like Bangladesh, Ethiopia and India mostly drink, bathe and urinate/defecate in the same water source. It is utterly despicable that some people must live this way - can you imagine drinking sewage with your dinner? It is also a major source of disease - cholera being a big one. Cholera is a nasty, nasty disease and a shitty (literally) way to suffer and die.

Luckily, there are agencies out there that are trying to bring potable drinking water to undeveloped nations so that the people can be free from the water-born disease, and enjoy a human right that we should all have. I introduce you to PlayPumps! Water For People and Case Foundation are working with PlayPumps International to tackle the world water issue. I learned about PlayPumps during my undergrad and I must say, I think it is SUCH a fantastic idea! 

How PlayPumps Work

• While children have fun spinning on the PlayPump merry-go-round (1), clean water is pumped (2) from underground (3) into a 2,500-liter tank (4), standing seven meters above the ground.
• A simple tap (5) makes it easy for adults and children to draw water. Excess water is diverted from the storage tank back down into the borehole (6).
• The water storage tank (7) provides a rare opportunity to advertise in outlaying communities. All four sides of the tank are leased as billboards, with two sides for consumer advertising and the other two sides for health and educational messages. The revenue generated by this unique model pays for pump maintenance.
• The design of the PlayPump water system makes it highly effective, easy to operate and very economical, keeping costs and maintenance to an absolute minimum.
• Capable of producing up to 1,400 liters of water per hour at 16 rpm from a depth of 40 meters, it is effective up to a depth of 100 meters.

Genius idea, I think! 

The PlayPump is a great school/clinic option. Water For People begins implementing this solution in 2010 as a way to improve school water solutions. A spinning merry-go-round pumps water out of a borehole and up into a tank. Great for hand-washing and serving  part of a community, this will first be implemented in Malawi as a means to create full coverage in a community. This is one of several options available for communities.

Check it out in action:

Major donation options available!

Cause of the Month: The Girl Effect

I started the Cause of the Month post after the lovely SocialWrkr24/7 started a monthly meme featuring a Cause a Month, where she speaks about a cause that represents her work in the field (child welfare) or something she is passionate about. Be sure to check out her blog! I've learned a lot from her.

---

Please take a moment to watch this video before reading the post.

Being a woman, an activist, a humanitarian and someone who wants to empower young women, this video gets me every time. I honestly do not remember how I came across this amazing message, but is definitely a message that we all need to hear. Females are very lucky in the United States of America. In fact, most of us do not know how good we really have it. Despite our equal opportunities here, we still see discrimination, and the so-called "glass ceiling" effect.

In many countries around the world, women have no voice, and even though we had to fight for it here, women elsewhere sometimes literally face death in such a fight. Situations have changed and continue to change in a lot of countries, but females have a long way to go. It is unfortunate that so many people do not realize the value of females, aside from their baby-making abilities. Yes - that is a major and very important piece. But they have so much more to offer, as the video above describes.

The Girl Effect is an interesting and inspiring organization.

"The Girl Effect is the powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate. It’s an untapped force in the fight against poverty, and it’s driven by champions around the globe: the Nike Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, the UN Foundation, the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, CARE, Plan, the Population Council, ICRW and the Center for Global Development – and many others."

Why Girls?

Because there’s poverty, and war, and hunger, and AIDS, and because when adolescent girls in the developing world have a chance, they can be the most powerful force of change for themselves, their families, communities, countries, and even the planet.

But while those 600 million adolescent girls are the most likely agents of change, they are often invisible to their societies and the world."

• Girls really are an untapped resource. In developing countries, there are usually no identifying documentation, so a girl doesn't know her age, and cannot protect herself from child marriage, vote, open a bank account, find a job.


• 70% of the world's school-aged children who are not in school are GIRLS! Girls have the human right, just as much as boys, to be educated and given a chance to make a better life for themselves!


• Child marriages are the norm in many countries because women's bodies aren't considered their own! Many adolescent girls die from childbirth. This is a major violation of body and soul!


• Girls can be educated about HIV but it is not enough. Until they don't risk the chance of rape the minute they leave their home, or have a voice when it comes to sexual relations, no amount of education will help.


• Girls can learn the skills for economic independence! They need to be given the tools, the education, and the respect first.


• A girl is said to reinvest resources within her community at a much higher rate than a boy would. Girls are better investments.


• Girls are a distinct category. They deserve this distinction when it comes to aid, education, sports, civic participation, health and economics.


• Girls need US - YOU and ME - to speak up for their human right to live a life of their OWN! We all have a stake in the future of these young ladies. Their future is our future.

Source: The Girl Effect

So what can you do about that?

Join the movement: A million people can make a lot of noise. Help make girls visible. Stand up and be counted by becoming a fan of The Girl Effect, and getting your friends to do the same. Tell the world that you think the 600 million girls in the developing world deserve better – for themselves, and for the end of poverty.

The Revolution will be led by a 12 year old girl.

Child Abuse: What are we doing wrong?

Tonight's class was a toughie. We watched a Dateline investigative report on the death of Kayla McKean in 1998. I have yet to work directly with abused children so I have no personal experience in this area. These are opinions based on my education, and I am quite aware that things are very different in the field.

Disclaimer: My facts and details aren't exact, so don't blast me for that. There are plenty of resources (see below) to find the exact details.

In 1998, Kayla McKean was a 6 year old girl in the 1st grade. She lived in central FL (why the hell is it always FL?) with her mother, who soon gave up on parenting her. I don't remember any details about her mother, but something tells me she wasn't parenting Kayla in a healthy fashion). Her father, Richard, was married and had a small child. At some point, Richard took in Kayla.

Kayla showed up to school with 2 black eyes. Her guidance counselor or teacher made a call to Richard, who says she fell off her bike. Kayla confirms the story. Richard is urged to take Kayla to a doctor immediately, so he takes her to the emergency room. The doctor came to the conclusion that her injuries (a broke nose, which causes black eyes, a broken knuckle and some bruising) is conclusive to falling off a bike. It can happen. She took Kayla aside to see if she would admit to anything, but Kayla stuck to the story. While the doctor believed the story, her instincts still persisted, so she called the abuse hotline, and a child protective investigator was sent to the hospital. The doctor told the social worker that Kayla's injuries were conclusive to the accident, but didn't share her instincts about anything else. She believed the abuse call was proof she thought something was awry. The SW interviewed all parties, all had the same story. She concluded that abuse was unfounded.

Richard had an anger problem, and admitted this throughout his casework, so the SW sent them to a contracted family services program to receive assistance with parenting and his anger problem. She also ordered a psychological eval, which she never followed up on. Why didn't she ask to see this bike? Or where the accident happened? She was new to the job (big surprise!), maybe experience and the stress of too many cases for one person to handle where clouding her judgement. Maybe she really did believe the story.

The SW assigned to the case was on a leave of absence when another abuse report was made a few weeks later. Kayla again showed up to school with the same injuries and the same story. Again, she was asked to be medically evaluated, and we taken to a pediatrician. The pediatrician concluded abuse on sight, and after examining Kayla, made the abuse report. A new SW was sent to investigate, and abuse was unfounded (I can't remember the details).

A friend of Richard took notice of Kayla's condition and tried to pry info from Richard and Kayla. Neither ever let on to abuse. When Summer came, Richard called up said friend and told him he couldn't handle Kayla anymore (he said she was evil) and would the friend take her indefinitely. The friend did, and for 3 weeks, Kayla had a very happy and healthy existence. However, Richard called the friend up to say he wanted Kayla back to prepare her for school. The friend was very reluctant to give Kayla back, but he had no legal grounds to keep her.

Some time into the first half of the school year, Kayla comes to school with different injuries and a new story (of which I can't remember). This time, the Guidance Counselor made the abuse report. Because time had passed and no abuse had occurred, the case was closed. When the new report came in, a new case was opened and a 3rd SW was assigned to the case. For whatever reason (details I can't remember), abuse was unfounded.

Thanksgiving comes and Richard files a missing child report. Kayla is gone. A search party is sent out immediately, on Thanksgiving Day! The FBI investigate Richard and his wife, Marcie. After a few days and no body, Marcie breaks down and tells the truth. Richard beat the life out of Kayla when she soiled her underpants. After Richard threatens to take their baby and run, he talks Marcie into driving to the Ocala National Forest to bury Kayla's body. Both are arrested, Marcie later gets out, but Richard is served with a life sentence. I do believe he was eventually given the death penalty and executed by lethal injection.

My first reaction is "Why did Marcie allow this to happen?" I assume it is because Richard threatened her and their child, and she complied out of fear. I will not judge her, although I have so much I'd like to say! As far as the system side, I have not worked in this field, so I think it allows me to see both sides. I definitely believe there was ample evidence and enough professionals involved with this family, that Kayla should and could have been saved. However, we watched an investigative report, so what we heard was a hell of a lot more information than what each of the workers involved knew. I am also very aware of the severe amount of work the case managers and investigators deal with, and unfortunately, these workers are human, and humans aren't perfect. There was also a severe communication issue between entities and a serious lack of follow up. The teacher said that there is so much paperwork involved that a lot of focus has turned away from protecting the child to CYA (covering your own ass). This obviously didn't occur in Kayla's case, as workers did not follow up when they should have (first step in CYA, people!) and a lot of reportable evidence was not properly documented.

The SWs involved all had the same story:

• new to the job
• no social service background
• little training
• few workers, which meant major caseloads
• pressure to close cases ASAP
• little follow-up

These complaints sound very familiar! They are the same complaints made in the mid-1800's by social workers who investigated the Orphan Train children. That was over 150 years ago! Are you seriously telling me that we are still experiencing the same exact problems? Yes, I know that the importance and action in child welfare has improved LEAPS AND BOUNDS since then, but the system itself seems to be stuck in limbo. What the heck are we doing wrong, and how can we change it for the better? Unfortunately, I don't excel at this type of problem solving, but I'm sure many people have suggested different types of reform, but how do you fix a problem that is nothing but a big cycle of problems?

Resources:

http://www.childrens-angels.org/kayla-mckean/

http://kaylaslaw.blogspot.com/?zx=917eb70dc7ec524a

http://www.mcjackie.com/galcrisis.html

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://laws.flrules.org/files/Ch_1999-168.pdf

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=20000723&id=Ep8sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Zf0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6493,1507481

R.I.P Kayla McKean

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...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.”

This powerful quote by Margaret Mead directly applies to Social Work Lobby Day. April 6, 2010, was a day full of exposure, experience and excellence. I have never been more proud of my profession as I was this day. More than 630 social workers and social work students gathered in the Florida state capitol in Tallahassee to advocate for social justice; to speak for those with no voice. The School of Social Work gathered outside the capital and sang a song for the rest of the Social Work Lobby Day attendees. Amanda Evans, NASW-FL President, stood on the steps and presented us with empowering message: We are the change, we are the future.

During the training provided by NASW-FL, we learned more about the bills being advocated for by the agency and the impact the budget cuts will have on the services. The high-profile bills focused on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (HB 107/SB 214), Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment and Crime Reduction (HB 1189/SB 1140), Crimes against Homeless Persons (HB 11/SB 506), Juvenile Justice-Offenders 9 years and younger (HB 7181/SB 1072) and Transitional Services for Youth (HB 627/SB 1356). We also learned about how to build relationships with our representatives, as building human relationships is a core value for social workers. While I was not able to make an appointment with my representatives to voice my support for Adoption Equality (HB 3/ SB 102), other attendees were able to speak up about this concern with their representatives. I attended a meeting with classmates who were advocating for Medicaid money for Disabled persons. I was also able to sit in the Criminal & Civil Policy Council as they passed or denied bills on the agenda. Some of my classmates were able to attend meeting and advocate for Foster Kids Transitioning out of the system, as well as changing the statute language to better protect "vulnerable" adults, just like they protect children.

Unfortunately, about 9 AM I spoke with my mom and received a serious blow of a message regarding a family member. It kinda had my mind wandering around for the next few hours and I wasn't really concentrating on why I was there. That being said, it was still an invigorating experience and I will go next year and prepare myself more. Aside from the lengthy bus ride, the trip and experience were memorable and proud moments for all of us.

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.

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!

BUSY!!!!

Today I got to sit in on the Adoption Team Unit Meeting, which was hysterical, to say the least. Those women (and their token male colleague) are a hoot! They are planning a holiday party in December for their foster children and prospective families, and I got talked into teaching the kids dances like the macarena and electric slide. LOL! :) I am also helping to plan the crafts, which will be lotsa fun.

Next Monday, I will be going on 3 home visits and one finalization! Then on Friday, I will finally be able to see selection staffings!! This is when everybody (case managers, adoption specialists, guardian ad litem, foster parent, etc) gets together to select the best family for a child. This is on my learning plan so I am glad that I will be able to see how involved the match process it. I will also be attending a Life Book event in the afternoon with some of the foster kids. You can read all about life books here - I'm too hungry to explain.

Then, Nov. 20 is NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY, and we have a big event going on at the County Courthouse. Lots of foster care adoption finalizations that day. WOOHOO!

Ciao!