My last day in my private adoption internship.

Today was very eventful, to say the least. I went out with bang, as they say.

Firstly, I saw a horrific motorcycle accident on the interstate. I saw the guy laid out on the concrete. He was bloodied up from road rash, and his body was contorted to hell. He was trying to get up, and the policeman ran over to him and told him to lie still. I finally saw his beat up motorcycle about 200 feet away. I was in shock and on the verge of jumping out of the car to go help, somehow. I hope he makes it. (I HATE MOTORCYCLES!)

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Supervisor and I visited a birth mom in the morning. She is in her early 20's and on her 4th pregnancy. She has 2 babies who are only 5 months apart, had an abortion in December and is 3 months pregnant. Needless to say, this young lady really needs to be educated on how to prevent pregnancy. We talked about those options. She said she was on the pill but always forgot. We discussed the IUD, which might be a good choice for her. We asked about the father, who she said is the father to all her children. They had a "bad break up" in December and doesn't know how to reach him now. I find that hard to believe, but at least we got a name. C. will have to perform a diligent search.

Supervisor went through the intake paperwork and explained the process to her. She seemed very apathetic, disinterested. Kinda sad, actually. She does not work and collects food stamps. She only finished the 11th grade but she's interested in obtaining her GED/college degree and becoming a Dental Hygienist. At least she has some goals for herself, and I hope she follows through on them. Birth mom lives with her 2 children and 7 other relatives. The house was not big enough, and was in terrible condition. Hopefully she can secure a better life for herself and her 2 children in the near future.

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After lunch, I went to a match staffing for a 2 year old healthy boy. Two amazing, very comparable families were presented. In the end, the family with his same cultural heritage was selected. The lil boy hit the jackpot, I think. :)

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The end of the day was spent doing a home visit for a couple who adopted a baby boy. He is SO dang cute, and has the cutest, chubbiest cheeks. He is 2 months old and has grown a hell of a lot since I saw him right after birth in the hospital. He smiles a lot too, and has the cutest dimples. He is definitely happy and thriving. It was a great way to end my internship.

I gave Supervisor her card, and we hugged and reminisced. I told her that if my next placement is close, I will stop in for lunch. Either way, we will still remain in touch. She was a mentor for me, and I will never forget all she taught me.

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.

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*

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.