1. How do you get feedback from your supervisor at your agency? I just ask Bonnie the administrator, Tara the Parent Educator or Carole the other Parent Educator. Tara's last day is November 4th and Tammy Dahl will be taking her place. As far as the circumstances to the comment left by you in the grading section. I just explained what really happened as she didn't know what had occurred between Linda & I. It's been 3 weeks since we haven't had a director and we are managing to get by but nobody can make any decisions on anything until we hire a new Director maybe a Rachel Loucks is a possibility but who knows.
2. Do you feel you are getting adequate feedback? If not, what can you do to get more feedback. Yes, for the circumstances that the Parent resource Center is going through with all the employee changes.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
LP 7 Blog Prompt
What self-care activities did you do this week?
I got at least 6 hrs of sleep. I cranked the radio and sang along to it. I played some Mafia Wars and Sorority Life on facebook. I went out of town Saturday to get away from it all. I had a glass of wine with some relatives around a bonfire.
Is your resume and cover letter up to date? Remember, Job Seeking Skills Workshops are at NTC on Monday 1-2PM, Tuesday 3-4PM, and Thursday 8-9AM if you need help. Yes I needed it for my Field 2 application.
That lecture from Teri Jendusa Nicolai was very good about Domestic Violence Awareness. Well worth my time to travel over for it.
I got at least 6 hrs of sleep. I cranked the radio and sang along to it. I played some Mafia Wars and Sorority Life on facebook. I went out of town Saturday to get away from it all. I had a glass of wine with some relatives around a bonfire.
Is your resume and cover letter up to date? Remember, Job Seeking Skills Workshops are at NTC on Monday 1-2PM, Tuesday 3-4PM, and Thursday 8-9AM if you need help. Yes I needed it for my Field 2 application.
That lecture from Teri Jendusa Nicolai was very good about Domestic Violence Awareness. Well worth my time to travel over for it.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Round Robin Bringing Up Difficult Issues
The concept of the “I statements” were geared toward the clients understanding the situation. The confrontation scenarios put it into perspective of what the client needed to understand what was going on. I think you had to give some thought obvious to the questions and answers. The “I statements” were a lot easier to answer then the confrontation answers. There are proper rules though on how to confront someone. There may some discrepancies when you confront someone. The “I message is broken into four parts. You must be matter of fact on the subject. Yet be tentative and focus on tangible behavior or communication. You should take full responsibility for your observations. You should collaborate with the client to they feel there is teamwork. Make sure you don’t accuse the other person though so they feel put on the spot. You should not ever confront someone because you are angry. Don’t be judgmental on the client either they don’t want to feel in adequate. The client needs to come up with the solution on their own. Make sure you ask the clients permission to share ideas so you don’t offend them. They may not always agree with what you want to share from your point of view. You will want to make sure there are not interruptions when you are interviewing your client. Otherwise you may not get the needed information that can be crucial to the case. You don’t want to appear overbearing to them either. Nobody likes to hear a know it all. You may want to give your own point of view but it must be done cautiously and with considerable discretion. We want to introduce another perspective so they may have more than one idea to go from when deciding. We need to express our concern for the clients so they feel there is an understanding between us.
I think giving the other classmates what my thought would have been if they are any different doesn’t bother me because most are virtual strangers. I think what I wrote was adequate information on what I learned from this assignment on the two different kinds of scenarios. As I am not a practicing professional I only can go by what I have learned from a text book or scenarios that teachers have told us about as well. I think I give fairly well feedback on what knowledge I have on the subject as I am not the teacher and I only know so much. I think it’s important to know the difference on “I statements and confrontation skills as working with many different clients in the Human Service profession you will encounter many different scenarios that clients will have to deal with. I learned there is a right way to handle certain topics with care in touchy topics. We want to address to the client that there are other solutions to difficult problems but we still want them to make their best decision on the issue. We need to learn how to bring up difficult subject so the communication flows well when counseling clients.
I think giving the other classmates what my thought would have been if they are any different doesn’t bother me because most are virtual strangers. I think what I wrote was adequate information on what I learned from this assignment on the two different kinds of scenarios. As I am not a practicing professional I only can go by what I have learned from a text book or scenarios that teachers have told us about as well. I think I give fairly well feedback on what knowledge I have on the subject as I am not the teacher and I only know so much. I think it’s important to know the difference on “I statements and confrontation skills as working with many different clients in the Human Service profession you will encounter many different scenarios that clients will have to deal with. I learned there is a right way to handle certain topics with care in touchy topics. We want to address to the client that there are other solutions to difficult problems but we still want them to make their best decision on the issue. We need to learn how to bring up difficult subject so the communication flows well when counseling clients.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Casemanager Interview Assignment
I interviewed Julie Clarkson from Taylor County Human Services Department in September at her office because she is a social worker that I know of that is what may interest me in a career down the road. They promote and encourage the well being, safety, independence, and self-sufficiency of all Taylor County individuals and families through the provision of supportive services. She is a social worker in the Children and Family Services Unit. She acquired the position by replying to an ad in the local newspaper. She works with abused and neglected children and their families doing case management. She monitors the safety of children, relative or foster care placements, providing appropriate services to the family and collaborating with all of the service providers to assure needs of the family are being met. Julie also works with Delinquent and Juvenile in Need of Protection and Services cases. She is the “go-to” person for our Wisacwis system. The issues her clients face are the same issues in all units (Mental Health, Long Term Support, Economic Assistance, Children and Family Services and Developmental Disabilities.) She had to learn how to read what the limitations and obligations were according to state statute. She learned training in safety, how the court process worked, and how to write court reports. Julie had to learn to trust her instincts and be very observant to time, place, facial and body gestures, words, inflection in voice, environment, pets, home exits and the mood of clients. She had to learn appropriate and thorough documentation of what she saw, heard and smelled. Her days start out “unknown.” Every day is different and there are always things that pop up to deal with that you aren’t expecting, such as a child taken into custody the night before, etc. She has days where she sits and does paperwork most of the day. She may have some home visits to clients’ houses or see kids at school. She has supportive co-workers that work cooperatively together and have flexible schedules.
In the agency, Managed Family Care is occurring over the next few years which will offer services to elderly and developmentally disabled clients. It may impact clients by offering different programs (better or worse). There are funding cuts, which make it even more difficult to provide needed programs to clients, such as in-home counseling and in-home parent education, AODA services for juveniles, respite care services for families, etc. The county is requiring them to take furlough days. This takes time away from the clients who can be very needy. This can lead to increased inpatient mental health placements, suicidal clients, placement in juvenile detention or foster care. She says their management is very supportive of the staff. Her co-workers can separate their personal feelings from work feelings. Ethical Dilemmas can be very straightforward at times and others can be open interpretation. Probably the most common that they run into is handling cases with people that they know personally. They try to avoid that if all possible. They may have to request an outside agency to do an investigation or supervision because of conflict of interest. It is a dilemma when a client needs something, like a couch and you may have one, but are not supposed to give it to them. Or they have a pet they are not taking care of and want to give it to you personally, but you cannot take it from them.
In the past ten years, staff turnover at the agency has been minimal, hiring maybe one person a year. Other agencies that she knows have approximately three people a year. Julie recommends a Bachelor or Master’s Degree because that is what most employers are looking for right now. She recommended that I do as much volunteering or field placement as I can in the area I want to practice. She said the average entry level wage is $18.55-$24.66 per hour. The higher is a Medical Assistance Certified MSW, which is their therapist. Positions within the agency start with union postings and then are advertised with the local newspaper and websites. The typical interview process is to interview with the Human Resource Manager, the Human Services Director and the direct Supervisor of the position. All three interview at once. She told me to run seriously. She would go into a different field or at least continue her education to get a MSW or PHD to do counseling. They don’t have enough psychologists in the area. She enjoys what she does for the most part and it is important work, but it is very taxing on a person to be disliked by the majority of the clients and not having resources to meet their needs.
I still am interested in this field even after hearing the negative side to this profession. The positive’s out way the negatives by giving back or helping some family, child, or adult receive the best care available to them. I will have to get my Bachelor’s degree for sure in this economy as jobs are hard to come by these days. The more education the better your chances are for a better qualified career in this field. I realize I may need to actually move as well. It is tough to find a job in a small community in this field. As they usually hire within and I think not knowing people that I know from my local community will be the best idea. The idea of moving somewhere new excites me but also kind of freaks me as well. I think anything new that gets someone out of their comfort zone will though. I look forward to finding a career in this profession down the road. I hope to make a small difference in someone’s life someway. In these struggling times the need for Human Services has risen in the past couple of years. So hopefully when I finish all of my schooling there will be some great jobs available for me. I am interested in the Psychology aspect of this field so far.
1. What is the purpose or mission of this agency and/or program?
2. What is your role and/or position within the agency and how did you acquire the position?
3. What are the major issues facing your clients that this agency serves? What did you need to learn more about after you were hired to be effective in your job?
4. What is the typical day like for you? How would you describe the work environment?
5. What changes do you expect will occur in this agency’s services or programs in the next few years (or what are the trends that will impact your clients in the future)?
6. What do you like most about working in this agency? What ethical dilemmas are common in working with the population this agency serves?
7. What recommendations (e.g. education, experience) would you have for someone who wants to be employed in this agency (or field)? What are the career prospects for individuals interested in this area?
8. What is the average salary range of an entry level position within this agency? [You are not asking for his or her salary.]
9. How are the positions within the agency typically advertised? What is the typical interview process for a position within this agency?
10. If you had your education and experience to do all over again, what would you do differently?
In the agency, Managed Family Care is occurring over the next few years which will offer services to elderly and developmentally disabled clients. It may impact clients by offering different programs (better or worse). There are funding cuts, which make it even more difficult to provide needed programs to clients, such as in-home counseling and in-home parent education, AODA services for juveniles, respite care services for families, etc. The county is requiring them to take furlough days. This takes time away from the clients who can be very needy. This can lead to increased inpatient mental health placements, suicidal clients, placement in juvenile detention or foster care. She says their management is very supportive of the staff. Her co-workers can separate their personal feelings from work feelings. Ethical Dilemmas can be very straightforward at times and others can be open interpretation. Probably the most common that they run into is handling cases with people that they know personally. They try to avoid that if all possible. They may have to request an outside agency to do an investigation or supervision because of conflict of interest. It is a dilemma when a client needs something, like a couch and you may have one, but are not supposed to give it to them. Or they have a pet they are not taking care of and want to give it to you personally, but you cannot take it from them.
In the past ten years, staff turnover at the agency has been minimal, hiring maybe one person a year. Other agencies that she knows have approximately three people a year. Julie recommends a Bachelor or Master’s Degree because that is what most employers are looking for right now. She recommended that I do as much volunteering or field placement as I can in the area I want to practice. She said the average entry level wage is $18.55-$24.66 per hour. The higher is a Medical Assistance Certified MSW, which is their therapist. Positions within the agency start with union postings and then are advertised with the local newspaper and websites. The typical interview process is to interview with the Human Resource Manager, the Human Services Director and the direct Supervisor of the position. All three interview at once. She told me to run seriously. She would go into a different field or at least continue her education to get a MSW or PHD to do counseling. They don’t have enough psychologists in the area. She enjoys what she does for the most part and it is important work, but it is very taxing on a person to be disliked by the majority of the clients and not having resources to meet their needs.
I still am interested in this field even after hearing the negative side to this profession. The positive’s out way the negatives by giving back or helping some family, child, or adult receive the best care available to them. I will have to get my Bachelor’s degree for sure in this economy as jobs are hard to come by these days. The more education the better your chances are for a better qualified career in this field. I realize I may need to actually move as well. It is tough to find a job in a small community in this field. As they usually hire within and I think not knowing people that I know from my local community will be the best idea. The idea of moving somewhere new excites me but also kind of freaks me as well. I think anything new that gets someone out of their comfort zone will though. I look forward to finding a career in this profession down the road. I hope to make a small difference in someone’s life someway. In these struggling times the need for Human Services has risen in the past couple of years. So hopefully when I finish all of my schooling there will be some great jobs available for me. I am interested in the Psychology aspect of this field so far.
1. What is the purpose or mission of this agency and/or program?
2. What is your role and/or position within the agency and how did you acquire the position?
3. What are the major issues facing your clients that this agency serves? What did you need to learn more about after you were hired to be effective in your job?
4. What is the typical day like for you? How would you describe the work environment?
5. What changes do you expect will occur in this agency’s services or programs in the next few years (or what are the trends that will impact your clients in the future)?
6. What do you like most about working in this agency? What ethical dilemmas are common in working with the population this agency serves?
7. What recommendations (e.g. education, experience) would you have for someone who wants to be employed in this agency (or field)? What are the career prospects for individuals interested in this area?
8. What is the average salary range of an entry level position within this agency? [You are not asking for his or her salary.]
9. How are the positions within the agency typically advertised? What is the typical interview process for a position within this agency?
10. If you had your education and experience to do all over again, what would you do differently?
Friday, October 1, 2010
LP 6 Blog Prompt
Who are you interviewing for your Informational Interview that is due with the portfolio at the end of the term? Carol Buehler Parent educator that works with me.
Have you been working on updating your resume and tweaking your cover letter? Yes I just did for Field 2.
How has your professional self developed through your time here at NTC? I would like to think I have grown since I had to relearn how to study & do homework after how many years. I have learned a lot in the past year that I know that will stick more now that I am older than if I was 18 lol.
Anything else I need to know? Need to vent? Share good stuff? Do it here...
Well with the good stuff 1st. I am meeting my little on Friday night & if all goes well we will be going on a hayride at Camp Forest Springs. Now for the venting.
As far as the last couple of weeks goes yes I have been busy with other classes and life. I know my discussion board has been lacking. I knew the consequences but I had a lot on my plate and in my personal life.
Sorry to say but good riddance...Linda Heinkel is no longer employed with Parent (Family) Resource Center as of 5 Pm 2night. Peggy Nordgren board president will be there on Tuesday. Carol Buehler will be in charge of a lot of stuff until we have a new director. As far as her reprimand of me. Everyone that I told what actually happened told me she was an evil woman. She would tell you one thing but had you doing how many projects all at once and she would forget what she told you. She accused me of not going to a presentation that she gave last week when she never told me about it. I have contacted the last two interns & they all had the same stuff to say about her. As far as that employee goes about the confidentiality she was eves dropping on Bonnie the administration assistant & I. She made the cleaner girl get down on her hands & knees & scrub the floor & the girl had cerebral palsy. Bonnie was telling me this because she thought it was wrong of her to make this girl have to do this and the girl ended up quitting. I think because of us talking about her & what she made that girl do. It made her make it known to me that she had all the power and she could make my life hell. Bonnie doesn't work for Parent Resource Center. She works for a Senior program. So she couldn't do anything about what she told me & this was her way of getting back. We had discussed that I disobeyed her by going to a visitation after she told me no. I had a prearranged visitation (which is what program I interested in Human Services not marketing or business)with Carol that I forgot to tell her & she was in a meeting when we left & it did slip my mind that she wanted me to stay & work on more marketing of the facebook page which was supposed to be fun but in the end it sure wasn't. I thought last Thursday when I left we had it resolved though. I apologized to her told her I was in the wrong.
That's why they didn't have a cleaner and we did the cleaning which like I said I had no problem with. I have cleaned many places of employment so no big deal. I now know why she made such a big deal about the cleaning issue. She had me work on something on facebook & then have me change it because it wasn't up to her standards. All the interns told me that she would have you do something but then go do it how she wanted in the end anyway. She was constantly preaching politics to me when I was brought up to not talk about religion or politics it's your own personal belief. I really liked her in the beginning but Bonnie warned me. She said I would get my turn. She had a few different faces she showed. Her fake side was pretty pathetic when she was trying to impress the board of directors. She was constantly cutting my community of Medford down. Always talking about the corporate world when this is little Medford, WI. I praised her a lot because she was that kind of person that loves to hear great things about themselves. It made her feel all important. I met Peggy a couple weeks ago at the baby fair I went to & I do know that she has no intention of the Firehouse Exchange program, it isn't even on her radar. We have enough used clothing places here in town already. I was trying to act professional about this that's why I didn't make it a big deal because I knew she was leaving. There will be many happy people come Tuesday in the office. When I arrived Tuesday at my internship I had to run an errand with her right off the start and she acted as if nothing happened and was nice as can be to me. I then got to see her fake nice as can be profile as we interacted with some well known public business leaders. Like it never happened. After you telling me that 20 min. prior wow the composure that I had to have was WOW. Especially after hearing her put my internship in jeopardy. I told Bonnie what went down she couldn't believe it. So there is my side of it from a more awake not shocked just out of bed me. Sorry I was watching the Monday night Packer game against her damn Chicago Bears (she's from Chicago)that beat us! Oh she was so giddy when I complemented her on the win it was quite sickening. I am not a fake person you get me how I am all the time that's how I will always be true to myself and everyone around me. By the end of the week I had the newsletter she wanted me to start and she seemed to be over joyed at the progress of it. As I was leaving she was in a meeting with Bonnie & Tara so I felt I had had a good week after what had gone down. But when Bonnie called me after my Behavior Assessment class tonight to tell me she just came home from celebrating with four beers her demise. Which says a lot coming from an older person how bad she was. She was so happy she was leaving she even helped her pack.
Looking forward now to the rest of the semester of Field. I can't possibly have that again with the new director!
Have you been working on updating your resume and tweaking your cover letter? Yes I just did for Field 2.
How has your professional self developed through your time here at NTC? I would like to think I have grown since I had to relearn how to study & do homework after how many years. I have learned a lot in the past year that I know that will stick more now that I am older than if I was 18 lol.
Anything else I need to know? Need to vent? Share good stuff? Do it here...
Well with the good stuff 1st. I am meeting my little on Friday night & if all goes well we will be going on a hayride at Camp Forest Springs. Now for the venting.
As far as the last couple of weeks goes yes I have been busy with other classes and life. I know my discussion board has been lacking. I knew the consequences but I had a lot on my plate and in my personal life.
Sorry to say but good riddance...Linda Heinkel is no longer employed with Parent (Family) Resource Center as of 5 Pm 2night. Peggy Nordgren board president will be there on Tuesday. Carol Buehler will be in charge of a lot of stuff until we have a new director. As far as her reprimand of me. Everyone that I told what actually happened told me she was an evil woman. She would tell you one thing but had you doing how many projects all at once and she would forget what she told you. She accused me of not going to a presentation that she gave last week when she never told me about it. I have contacted the last two interns & they all had the same stuff to say about her. As far as that employee goes about the confidentiality she was eves dropping on Bonnie the administration assistant & I. She made the cleaner girl get down on her hands & knees & scrub the floor & the girl had cerebral palsy. Bonnie was telling me this because she thought it was wrong of her to make this girl have to do this and the girl ended up quitting. I think because of us talking about her & what she made that girl do. It made her make it known to me that she had all the power and she could make my life hell. Bonnie doesn't work for Parent Resource Center. She works for a Senior program. So she couldn't do anything about what she told me & this was her way of getting back. We had discussed that I disobeyed her by going to a visitation after she told me no. I had a prearranged visitation (which is what program I interested in Human Services not marketing or business)with Carol that I forgot to tell her & she was in a meeting when we left & it did slip my mind that she wanted me to stay & work on more marketing of the facebook page which was supposed to be fun but in the end it sure wasn't. I thought last Thursday when I left we had it resolved though. I apologized to her told her I was in the wrong.
That's why they didn't have a cleaner and we did the cleaning which like I said I had no problem with. I have cleaned many places of employment so no big deal. I now know why she made such a big deal about the cleaning issue. She had me work on something on facebook & then have me change it because it wasn't up to her standards. All the interns told me that she would have you do something but then go do it how she wanted in the end anyway. She was constantly preaching politics to me when I was brought up to not talk about religion or politics it's your own personal belief. I really liked her in the beginning but Bonnie warned me. She said I would get my turn. She had a few different faces she showed. Her fake side was pretty pathetic when she was trying to impress the board of directors. She was constantly cutting my community of Medford down. Always talking about the corporate world when this is little Medford, WI. I praised her a lot because she was that kind of person that loves to hear great things about themselves. It made her feel all important. I met Peggy a couple weeks ago at the baby fair I went to & I do know that she has no intention of the Firehouse Exchange program, it isn't even on her radar. We have enough used clothing places here in town already. I was trying to act professional about this that's why I didn't make it a big deal because I knew she was leaving. There will be many happy people come Tuesday in the office. When I arrived Tuesday at my internship I had to run an errand with her right off the start and she acted as if nothing happened and was nice as can be to me. I then got to see her fake nice as can be profile as we interacted with some well known public business leaders. Like it never happened. After you telling me that 20 min. prior wow the composure that I had to have was WOW. Especially after hearing her put my internship in jeopardy. I told Bonnie what went down she couldn't believe it. So there is my side of it from a more awake not shocked just out of bed me. Sorry I was watching the Monday night Packer game against her damn Chicago Bears (she's from Chicago)that beat us! Oh she was so giddy when I complemented her on the win it was quite sickening. I am not a fake person you get me how I am all the time that's how I will always be true to myself and everyone around me. By the end of the week I had the newsletter she wanted me to start and she seemed to be over joyed at the progress of it. As I was leaving she was in a meeting with Bonnie & Tara so I felt I had had a good week after what had gone down. But when Bonnie called me after my Behavior Assessment class tonight to tell me she just came home from celebrating with four beers her demise. Which says a lot coming from an older person how bad she was. She was so happy she was leaving she even helped her pack.
Looking forward now to the rest of the semester of Field. I can't possibly have that again with the new director!
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