Field Seminar

So, I must admit that I am BEYOND excited/nervous/curious/happy/anxious to start my internship next Wednesday. I had my first Field Seminar class and I really like the professor. I think he is going to be a good facilitator and really aid in my learning experience.

The Field Seminar class is not assignment-heavy - thankfully! We have to do 2 presentations: One on the agency (think marketing) and the other on a case we are helping w/ at agency. We have miscellaneous paperwork to do throughout the semester, such as mid-term reports and evals, etc. However, our biggest assignment is the Educational Learning Plan that we must create with our Field Instructor. This is our learning bible, of sorts. Of course, we need to think of all the things that we want to learn - it is our education, of course - but our Field Instructor will most definitely come up with all the things that we must learn at this stage in the game, I am sure.

The things I have down so far:

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  Develop knowledge of the child welfare system, including parental rights, statutes regarding adoption, the foster-care system, safe haven laws, and shelters for runaways, etc. How? Review any information pertinent to working within the child welfare system. Research resources, programs, and services provided to these populations. Attend trainings, programs and events.


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  Develop competence in the NASW code of ethics and values. How? Read the NASW Code of Ethics. Review agency policy and procedures manual, and any other pertinent information. Discuss experience with ethical dilemmas with field instructor and how they handled the situation(s).


• 
  
  Develop client interviewing and consulting skills. How? Observe 3 client sessions per week. Co-facilitate 2 client sessions per week.


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  Demonstrate an understanding of the dual responsibility of the child welfare case worker to protect children and to provide appropriate services to enable families to care for their children, including pre-placement preventive services. How?


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  Expand knowledge base regarding local, state and/or national-level policy or policy changes that affects the field agency’s clientele. How? Consult with field instructor regarding policy issues. Do research for information on policy and implication for client base. Consult staff member within agency who handles macro-level work.


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  Develop appropriate social work documentation skills. How? Review agency case notes for clients that are similar to the clients that I will be working with. Attend any training and review any material provided by agency on appropriate case note documentation procedures. Complete in Field Seminar class an oral bio-psycho-social presentation on a client I work with. Submit case notes to Field Instructor for feedback and make changes, as necessary.


• 
  
  Observe the legal side of the child welfare system. Accompany Field Instructor to court for such cases as termination of parental rights, etc. Review Florida statues regarding the adoption / foster care / family systems.

This is all I have so far. This isn’t easy to come up with!

International Literacy Day

Yes, Literacy. Something I think we all take for granted in the U.S. However, I had the opportunity to tutor reading skills to children at the Boys & Girls Club while I lived in Tampa. I was appalled at the skills these children DID NOT possess. While the U.S. may be on the forefront of industry and technology, our country still suffers from many of the same situations of the 3^rd world countries. Literacy is only one of the many. Literacy is a HUMAN RIGHT! All human beings deserve to be able to read. Without this skill, a person can never truly be independent and care for him/herself.

According to the C.I.A., over two-thirds of the world's 785 million illiterate adults are found in only eight countries: Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Of all the illiterate adults in the world, two-thirds are women!! Around the globe, 72.1 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out. Many of these children are girls. These extremely low literacy rates are concentrated in three regions, the Arab states, South and West Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, where around one-third of the men and half of all women are illiterate (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2103.html)

September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world.

Decisions, Decisions.

Today was a very interesting day.

Work, first.

I worked from 8 AM - 3 PM. Supervisor had a meeting with boss and came back to me with a surprising offer. He is offering me 10 hrs/wk - not 20 - flexibility (to accommodate my internship) AND paid tuition for the semester. I initially did not want to air that part of the deal because the other GAs work 20 hrs to get the tuition waiver. However, another GA and I were already getting a deal because were aren't full-time students, and that is a typical requirement.

However, I am not special in any way - boss made the offer for a reason. I think it is mainly because Supervisor will be having surgery at some point and will be out of the office for a short while. I am the most knowledgeable person on her staff, and I think he wants me around while she is out. He is a smart puppy, throwing that tuition waiver into the mix! He knew that would hook me. I think, at this point, it would be stupid of me to say No to that. I am pretty sure I can handle 10 hours/week. I live very close to school, so the commute does not suck out a lot of time. Hubs feels strongly that I should do it, if I think I can manage it.

Here is what I think my proposed schedule would look like. Of course, the graduate assistnaship said they would be flexible, should I need it. I don't foresee that happening too often. But when my agency wants me on a non-scheduled day for a certain reason, I'm there.

Mondays

• 8A - 1P: Graduate Assistanship


• Afternoon: At-home job, chores, EXERCISE!


• 11P: ASLEEP!

Tuesdays

• School work day: Homework, Reading, Writing, etc.


• 4P - 7P: General Practice w/ Individuals


• 7P - 9P: Field Seminar (every other week)


• 11P: ASLEEP!

Wednesdays

• Exercise before internship, hopefully!


• 9A - 6P: Internship (Do school work during lunch hour)


• Get home after 7, most likely. Night is pretty much ruined after dinner and some form of relaxing/introspection/reflection of my experience in the field.


• 11P: ASLEEP!

Thursdays

• 8A - 1P: Graduate Assistanship


• Afternoon: At-home job, school work


• 6:30P: Weight Watchers Meeting (IF I continue going. I am confident I can do the program now without attending the meetings. Hubsis my support. $40 a month is $40 a month, ya know?)


• 11P: ASLEEP!

Fridays

• Same as Wednesday


• Dinner/movie with Hubs (at home, of course. No money to go out!)

Saturday/Sunday

• Finishing up my hours for my at-home job


• School work


• Chores (with Hubs help!)


• Enjoying my husband's company


• Exercise one day


• Hopefully at least an hour (or 2!) of some sort of activity that I enjoy, such as reading or scrapbooking!

I think if I stick to the schedule/plan, I can manage it. There won't be time for frolicking and spending time with friends, but sacrifices must be made. :/

Now, School.

I enjoyed my first day of my first class of my 2nd year! Well, other than the blistering hot ass room that we had to sit in for 3 hours. I pray that it isn't that way every class. :/ The course I am taking is Generalist Practice with Individuals and it is going to be very insightful, I feel. To me, someone who has no experience in the field, really focusing on how to communicate with a client, and think on your feet, is VERY USEFUL! I think I am a good listener, but I am not so sure that I am the most articulate speaker on the block. Two of my classmates role played and I was very impressed with the 'social worker's' performance. She has no real experience in the field either and she did a really good job probing and really engaging the 'client'. We will all have to role play (Want to learn how to do this but not in front of my peers! How nerve racking!!!), and we will also be taped doing it. *falls over*

I volunteered to be a note taker for a disabled classmate. I have to go sign up at the Office of Students with Disabilities. I am not sure of her true disability, but she is most definitley epileptic and has mini-seizures. She actually had one right before class, but I didn't witness it. She told me that she sporadically blacks out, and she doesn't want to miss any of the lecture. She seems very intelligent and wants to open her own non-profit someday to assist children, and I'd like to help her get there, even if I play a miniscule role.

I'm ready. I am strong. I will survive.

I think.

My 2nd year of graduate school starts on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I am walking into a battlefield and don't remember signing up for a war! Let me explain.

I am in a 4-year part-time graduate program because I have to work. I have to work because Todd is in medical school and cannot work. I currently work 2 jobs:

1. I work part-time (20 hrs/wk) as a graduate assistant . It's fabulous because they pay for my tuition, which no one can complain about. However, the pay is less than desirable but I do NOT complain about the money. I am lucky to have a job, and I will leave it at that.


2. I also work part-time (16 hrs/wk) from home for the company I worked for in Tampa for 6 years. I help them track client activity to ensure all services are being billed. It is a bear of a job but it fits nicely with my current schedule/situation. The pay FAR surpasses that of assistanship, but obviously less hours.

Now, I shall add a THIRD job to that list. I will be starting a 16 hrs/week internship mid-September. This internship is required for my MSW and it is the first of 2. I am VERY nervous/excited/scared/happy about my very first experience in the field, but I am also DREADING working 52 hrs/week (add in travel time too!) and keeping up with my school work!

I am not a freakin super human and I am not trying to act like one. At this point, I don't feel up to it mentally or emotionally. I want to get all I can get out of my field experience and I am not so sure that will happen if I am constantly on the move and can't really take in the experience. Once I get home from my assistnaship job, or my internship, I will have to work my other job, or do homework/reading/writing/studying. My weekends will no doubt be full of working and school work.

No time to relax.

No time to mentally catch up.

No time to enjoy my husband.

No time to focus.

No.

Time.

To.

Live.

Is it worth it? Can I succeed?

I love to receive emails like these!!

From Professor: The grades for Assignment 3 have been posted on Blackboard. The final exam is optional. If you take it, it will count as 25% of your grade. If you do not, your grade will be what currently shows in the weighted average column. If you want your papers back, come to the classroom this Saturday at 1 p.m. I will have them with me.
Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Item Name	Details	Due Date	Last Submitted, Modified, or Graded	Grade	Points Possible	Comments
Weighted Total	Details Grading Criteria:Running Weighted average of Assignmt 1(25.0%), Assignmt 2(25.0%), Assignment 3(25.0%) Description:The weighted sum of all grades for a user based on item or category weighting.			98.33%	100
Total	Details Grading Criteria:Running total of all grades Description:The unweighted sum of all grades for a user.			59	60
Assignmt 1	Details Category: Community Assessment Description:		Jul 8, 2009 7:59 AM	20	20
Assignmt 2	Details Category: Social Movement Description:		Jul 16, 2009 3:01 PM	20	20
Assignment 3	Details Category: Grant Proposal Description:		Jul 20, 2009 1:36 PM	19	20

I AM FINISHED WITH MY FIRST YEAR OF GRADUATE SCHOOL! YAHOOOO!!!

AND I HAVE 5 WEEKS OFF FROM SCHOOL!