My Firsts..

OK, so I'd been a social worker for almost 2 years already. As I reflect upon my career thus far, I thought it would be quite meaningful to recall my many many firsts... so here goes!

My first ...

>Namecard! 

Finally! I'm a social worker! no more social work student/intern/attachment student/observer etc. The day I have been looking forward to since I chose social work as my major=)

>Client, I mean TWO!

After spending one month around the home getting to know the residents (you'll never know which cases you'll be allocated so it pays to be nice to everyone), staff, operations matters, and basically doing nothing, I was allocated 2 cases at one go! I remember reading through the case files scrutinizing every bit of the social report attached to it, drawing genograms and ecomaps diligently and of course planned for my first session with the child! And I am actually quite proud to say that up to this day, although I have been tasked 30-40 over cases, I still feel quite excited when a new case is being allocated to me. I choose to see that as my passion for my cases are still there, which is really good because I've seen too many social workers who just simply lost it. Yeah to me! 

>Home Visit

Home visits are a must to assess the family's physical living environment before we are able to release the residents on home leave. This one was not exactly a home visit but it was actually the workplace of one of my clients whom the whole family spends almost the entire day at. I remember I was quite affected after this visit, because I saw for the first time a heart wrecking medical condition of the younger sister of my client. Nothing I have seen before and as I am typing this, the images are still fresh and vivid in my mind. Thankfully things are getting better for the family now. A very very resilient family that I have learnt alot from, really.

>Family Session

I have only facilitated one family session on my own so far and that was a supervision session when I was doing my second placement. I remember that as a nerve wrecking, emotionally draining experience although I spent alot of time speaking to my field placement supervisor and even role played the session. I was glad this one went very well, and my objective was achieved at the end of the session. Parents and child were very cooperative and it made me happy! 

>Court report and presentation

This was 10 times more nerve wrecking than a family session! I have never ever spoken to a Magistrate/Judge before and I totally did not know what to expect! I did up my report that was half heartedly vetted by my then senior social worker (who was crap really) and she did not even change a single word! -_- It happened that I had to attend the court hearing because one of my clients reoffended and the police had pressed charges against him so he had to be breached. It was the last case of the day as Ministry's Officers usually present their cases first. By the time I went in, my heart was in my mouth and my hands were numb (partially because of the air con as well). I briefly gave a background of the case and before I could delve deeper, the judge took to our recommendation and we eventually took the child back on a fresh order. I had hardly spoken a few sentences though! But I survived! PHEW! Subsequent cases were much easier, as I know what the judge and the panelists look out for so I'll just go straight to the point!

>Paycheck! 

$$$$$ I treated my parents to some restaurant but I cant really recall which one. Its good to have $$$ though.

>Visit to to Singapore Boys' Home

This was such a longggg ride from my workplace! I had to visit one of my cases who was on remand there so that I could formulate the report based on my assessment. The security is much tighter than the institution I work at as it is a closed institution with Cisco Officers taking care of the residents. I had to go through a few security checkpoints and walk past the open area for the boys' physical exercises and drills before I reach the counselling room. And OMG I felt so visually raped! There were whistles and teasing from the boys but I guess the boys were just being friendly and cheeky. These days, some of the residents there were transferred from where I work so they usually take the initiative to say Hi, which is really nice. 

>Visit to Changi Prison

This was really an eye opener. In fact I feel privileged to be able to visit the prison and have inmates sharing their stories to our residents to deter them from reoffending. The part that left the greatest impact on me was how small the cells were and the video on the caning!! I swear I had recurring nightmares on the whip and butt that was split!! 10000000 x OUCH!

>Discharge case=)

I actually thought I will be overjoyed? But it wasn't as overwhelming as I thought it might be. Maybe because my first discharge case was co-managed by a ministry worker so technically speaking it was just half of my case. Nevertheless, a discharge is a discharge especially when there are so many residents who cannot curb their temptation for freedom and fun that they eventually end up being breached and transferred to a stricter institution. That said, nowadays, I value alot more on the process of my case management with my clients than whether they eventually discharge or not. I feel that when positive changes, no matter how small are evoked along the way, things will fall into place come discharge. I will have the faith that I have done my best and the residents reintegrated with their families are able to function better than before, and that is fulfilling enough for me=)

Fallen. 

Alone.

Unmotivated.

Damn.

Where to now?

Social Work Murder

For those who have not heard or read about it, Brenda Lee Yeager, a social worker, was tragically killed in the line of duty in August 2008. She was making a home visit to a family she was working with to check on the status of the child. I was struggling to hold back my tears as I read the articles and more so, the public's comments to them. I could so connect with the job she does, having made numerous late night home visits alone myself, and at times even unannounced, to spot check the children or family I work with. There is always chance you'd walk into potential danger like domestic violence, drunk clients or even verbally abusive clients in our context.

Singapore is a fairly safe place I must say, but I've learnt to take my own precautions nevertheless - the last thing I want is for my parents to lose a daughter with money in her bank account barely sufficient to last them for a year! Hah! Jokes aside, I'm thankful that a short stint in University whereby I had to interview ex-drug addicts and ex-prisoners taught me some valuable tactics in terms of protecting myself when conducting home visits. Now before I start a session in the home, I'd usually ask to leave the door unlocked especially in cases whereby its only me and a male client in the home, stating it's my company's policy. I will always talk in the living room and never in their private bedrooms. And I will always request to sit nearer to the door for obvious safety reasons. As I make my way to the home, usually a HDB flat, I will also remember the route back to the lift lobby/staircase (some HDB layout very terok! go in circles one! plus I have a horrible sense of direction!!), just in case things get ugly and I need to run for my life! Another one is that I will not even start the session if I sense the client to be under the influence of alcohol or seemed overly agitated/violent. Luckily most of the families I work with are rather nice and such extreme cases have not happened to me (and I hope they never will!).

Of hand, there are 2 situations I could recall that had me a bit concerned, but I still had them under my control. The first one was a family session in a counselling room at the Home with a set of parents and their child. The child was residing with us so the parents came after work and dinner. Initially I did not really take notice of the Father's bloodshot eyes as I led the parents to the room, until I turned on the lights. Still I thought nothing much of it, until Father's reaction to my questions seemed a bit delayed and uncharacteristically short. It was until the smell of alcohol surfaced that I suspected Father might have had some drinks before the session. However, I carried on with that session because I assessed Father was not in any particularly violent mode (he was probably the quiet, dazed drunkard, as opposed to the high, violent kind) and there were another 2 people in the session with me.

The other one wasnt exactly risky; let's just say it was a very uncomfortable situation. I had to do late night surprise home visits to this particular family after curfew hours to spot check on the status of the child. Think after 11pm. They stay in a messier environment so there was this coffeeshop just downstairs and the time I end the session usually coincides with the time when the uncles come out for their neverending rounds of drinks. And every single time I walk pass them I feel visually raped=( haha ok well, maybe that's just me but stilllllll.......... it's uncomfortable! I wouldnt even go near such places if given a choice can!

And so, I do not recall my workplace sending me for any safety related courses, neither have I been briefed about them. I do not carry with me any safety devices except on rainy days when I have my umbrella! I do not think my male colleagues would want to accompany me late into the night for home visits; as if they don't have theirs to do. And I don't suppose I can visit families in the day when they will most likely be working. I also don't suppose there are/will be any active steps taken by SASW or any of our governing bodies to protect us on that.

So yeah. I will still continue to make my late night home visits alone with my cell and brolly at hand, try to improve my sense of direction and maybe go running a bit more often. And of course rely on my bf and buddies to alert the police when they cant get me after a stipulated time. TIA!

Service Gap

Ok, I'm kinda motivated to do my internal review reports for my cases because the upcoming review is chaired by someone who is social work trained! WHEE!

FINALLY! Some form of supervision!

I seriously do not see the point if someone who calls the shots at the end of the day is not fully trained, and worse still, makes random/irrational/queer decisions largely based on his emotions. Don't bloody waste everybody's time! I'd rather just discuss the case with my senior social worker or director.

Oh well, I guess that's just one of the many service gaps we have.

Social Workers and Football Players

Many of my friends and people who know of the underpaid situation of social workers tell me "Aiya, you chose this job not because of money right, it's your passion mah" or "The rewards you get are not monetary anyway." 

Right. 

As if job satisfaction and passion can pay my bills and loan. Oh well..

Let's just say there are alot of people who do what they do because they have a passion for it (which we all should!), like football players. Yet, does it mean that the monetary rewards should in anyway be compromised? It's just like in football, players turn professional because they have outgrown random grass patches and using slippers as goal posts. It is not merely their passion but as their skills improve, it has become their professional job and a career. They are paid high wages simply because they deserve it! Over the years, football has evolved into such a stage whereby it is not just a sport but so much more!

Isnt it the same for the social service sector? It has evolved into such a stage where relying solely on the gotong royong spirit is a thing of the past. We've advanced way ahead of impromptu mutual helping on personal basis to social workers having proper qualifications and policies set in place. With all these changes, shouldnt the people up there should do something more than pay social workers a few hundred dollars more than deliverymen/bus drivers to start retaining good workers? Where's the recognition for the profession? I mean EVEN S-league is more recognised now with more money being pumped in to develop talents, hire more qualified coaches and increase publicity. So why not for the social service sector?

Reality set in again yesterday when I received a credit card application form from OCBC in the mail. And yes, you guessed it, I am still not able to meet the minimum annual income criteria to own one, despite being a graduate and having worked for almost 2 years. Guess I shall just stick to my debit cards and the "auntie" NTUC Card=)

Aiya.. ventilate as I may, I still chose to stick to this job because it means so much to me and there is nothing else I'd rather do, seriously. I just have to learn to manage my money better and sell more old clothes online. FAST DEALS PLS! hahaha!

Scared.

For once, I am scared in my social work career. Scared to compromise on my ideals and scared of what is to come.

My caseload is 20 now (I usually have 20-22ish), but one of my female colleagues just left and yet another has tendered resignation. With the budget cut, it is highly unlikely that we hire another full time worker. Last heard, we're only going to have a more experienced part time worker to ease the caseload abit. I dunno. I reckon my caseload will hit 30-ish shortly. Unlike other settings, I take care of both the micro and macro aspects of my cases (I work in a childrens' home rem?) and do mostly remedial work. That means I will have 10 more children/youths with emotional /behavioural issues, 10 more families, 10 more school placements/teachers/FTSC and many more external agencies to work with, all in a 44 hr work week or 176 hrs a month. Oh and did I even mention countless more mandatory reports to write and court sessions to attend.

Assuming I have 30 cases to handle in 164 hr (12hrs used up for 3 monthly meetings) per month, a simple calculation would mean I have 5.5 hrs allocated for each case on average. And to further illustrate how much this is worth, refer to the breakdown as follow:

Average Time needed for:

Advisory Board Report: 2-3hrs

Court Report: 3-4hrs

Internal Review Board Report: 1-2 hrs

Pre-counselling preparation (although we are trained, I dunno anyone who is able to have a fruitful session without proper planning, sth which I am guilty of sometimes, sad to say): 1 hr

Individual counselling session (MCYS standard is for each child to be seen at least once a month): 45min-1 hr

Family counselling sessions (we work systemically remember?): 1-1.5hrs

Post-counselling recording (every single contact made has to be recorded): 30min-1hr

School conference (if any): 1-2hrs

Court session (if any) which includes waiting for your turn): 3-4hrs

Home visit, including travelling time (for all new admissions): 2 hrs

Teleconversations and emailing: Varies

And did I just hear you say supervision? What supervision?

I've always pride myself to do the best for my cases and I am comfortable with about 20. I strictly do not do overtime because I firmly believe in self-care and work-life balance. I think that's a basic human/employee right. Else I wouldn't even still be in this profession I guess. Nevertheless, I feel with this amount of caseload, I am able to build good rapport with the children and families, have time to sit down to analyse and assess the cases and intervene apprioprately. With so many more cases to come, I really am not sure anymore. But at the same time, I'm also beginning to see positive changes with some of the families whom I'm working with for the past 1 year or so and it is unbelievably rewarding. SO THAT'S GOOD=) I am beginning to make sense out of what one of my most respected Professor in NUS had once said: It is the positive changes you see in families that gives you the energy to drive you on!

Right now, I'm just scared to compromise on the efforts I put in for each of my cases. The idealistic part of me will never allow for that to happen but maybe in time to come I have to. It's sad, but its the reality. My 'close friend'/colleague R and I are trying to rally each other on, which is great, really. But ultimately, that day will come, unless out of the blue we have the budget to hire an experienced full time worker? Dream on kiddo.

Yeah, economic recession is bad=less business=more jobless/homeless. Its time people begin to realise that in the social service sector, maybe, juuuust maybe, our workload is inversely proportional to the economic situation. Last informed, we got a wage freeze for 2009.

How's that for a good reality check.

YOU know you are a social worker if . . .

Chanced upon this on a blog of a social worker and it rings so true! I've made some adaptations to fit the local context=)

YOU know you are a social worker if . . .

1. You think earning $3,000 a month is 'really making it'.

2. You don't know what it's like to work with men.

3. You know all the latest lingo for inhalant abuse, tattoos and gangs.

4. You’ve often start a sentence with 'So what I hear you saying is...' 

5. You’ve had 2 or more jobs at one time just to pay the bills.

6. You tell people what you do and they say 'that's so noble'

7. You have had to explain to people that social workers are not volunteers.

8. You use the words 'validate,' 'assess' and 'intervention' daily.

9. You spend more than half your day documenting and doing paperwork. (To quote from E, you spend 1 hr doing work and 3 hrs proving to the authorities you did it)

10. You think nothing of discussing child abuse or gang fights over dinner.

11. People have said to you 'I don't know how you do what you do'.

12. You’ve never been on a business trip or had an expense account.

13. You know a lot of other social workers who have left the profession for another, mostly in less than 2 years of being in the profession.

14. You’re very familiar with the concept of "conflict resolution", "intake assessment" and "financial assistance".

15. Staying at a job for 2 years is 'a long time'.

16. Your phone number is unlisted for a good reason.

17. Your professional newsletters always have articles about raising salaries...but you still haven't seen it.

18. You’re very VERY familiar with the term 'budget cut'.

19. You can't imagine working at a bank or crunching numbers all day. 

20. You’ve had clients who liked you just a little too much.

21. Having lunch is a luxury on many days.

22. You’ve been cursed at or threatened...and it doesn't bother you. 

23. Your job orientation has included self defense.

24. You have the best stories at any class reunion gathering.

25. Your parents don't know half of the stuff that you've dealt with at your job.

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