Social work question of the week

It's that time already............although I think most of us are fortunate and enjoying a long weekend. I am going to post a question for you based on some "stuff" going on at work right now:

What kind of issues have to be going on at your job to make you start applying elsewhere?


I am happy where I am----trust me. This is just a question I am raising based on some comments voiced by a few of my co-workers.

As for me, I am always looking and I keep a running "file" on my computer noting agencies that look interesting to me because you never know when you may need to apply elsewhere.

Social work question of the week

It's been pretty quiet at work lately, so I don't have much to blog about.

I am opening up this section to YOU though, feel free to share your questions about the field, and just thoughts in general.

Hmmmmm.............I do have one actually:

What are some good social work blogs you read?

I want one of these this weekend

Actually I could totally go for one right now (and it's barely 11AM here) after reading a brief review of the best places on Long Island to get the tasty Lobster roll.

And no excuses

It's off to yoga class I go. Then I will sleep. As they say at our first savasana........no sleeping! You can sleep when you're dead!!

Ah, the weekend

is finally here...........I feel like it has been such a long week, although it really hasn't. It's been super quiet at work and I didn't have much to do at all. I am completely caught up on all of my paperwork. I just hope this is not the calm before the storm, because that's usually how it always is in this field......if it's really quiet for a few days that tends to mean something is about to happen....social work superstition LOL. I still have off from work on Fridays though and I am so planning to make the most of it. I might go to yoga tonight (I know, bad bad to consider not going to another class!), but in all honesty, I would much rather just go to bed early. Anyways, I am off to play with my son for a bit. Have a good night all!

Sometimes clients surprise me

I often get anxiety about how certain clients I work with are going to deal with situations. But sometimes they do surprise me and handle the situation with calmness and ease. I have to really stop expecting the worst first, and hope for the best FIRST.

Random excitement

I read today in our local free weekly, that in an effort to improve our downtown, as well as to encourage residents to grow and eat locally, starting this summer my town is going to have a farmer's market every Sunday where residents can grow their own produce to sell there. They are planning to carry it out into the Fall. I am super excited because there are no farmer's markets close by. Usually I have to drive a huge way, or go to the one near my parent's house Upstate.

DH and I also have a small garden every year, but nothing major. This will be a fun event to look forward to each week. I doubt I will sell anything myself but it's a great idea to build community.

Back to yoga tonight

I haven't been in almost a week. DH had to work, we had a wedding and family in through the weekend----I also missed my beloved Monday night class yesterday but chose to spend the time with family instead which was definitely more important. I could so easily justify not going tonight either but I know I will regret it............I already feel so sluggish and blah since I've missed so many days. Once you get out of a routine.........it's so hard to get back into it even when you know it's super good for you.

Social work question of the week

How do you work with a client who is just generally non-compliant all around?

Happy weekend!

Another one is upon us!

Enjoy all :).

I feel so light and free!

I decided to cut off close to 12 inches of my hair earlier today. I am planning to donate it to Locks of Love. The cool thing too is that while it's short, it's not a scary "Mommy chop". My husband even really likes it. He's fought me forever about cutting my hair.

Seeing another side of a client

My supervisor called me this morning to tell me there were auditors visiting our agency today and they wanted to do a home visit with one of my client's. They needed me to be at his home when they made the visit. I ended up sitting and chatting with my client for close to 3 hours about his life growing up and right prior to his brain injury while we waited for the auditors to arrive. We also got to get into much more intimate detail about his life and inner thoughts on a daily basis. It was a very nice visit because I got to see him in a bit of a different light. Usually my monthly visits are much shorter, all business and a lot more formal. They tend to be filled with a list of items that need to be followed up on, or more often than not, complaints about services and discouragement with life in general. This visit was nothing like that though. He was even laughing and making jokes and just being a great deal more personal then he usually is with me. I even got to talk for awhile with his aide which is also a rarity, because she often leaves during our monthly visit to give us privacy. I feel like this really added something to our relationship, and while as a rule I find audits to be quite annoying-----I am glad this happened the way it did today.

Monday............

hope it's a good one everyone!!! Have a great week!

Social work question of the week

I thought I would try adding a new feature to my blog which would be to ask a social work "question of the week" to share responses regarding how you work through certain situations with your clients.


So my first question of the week is:


How do you effectively deal with clients who are just plain rude and nasty to you?

I will share what I do as well once I have received some feedback from all of you! Can't wait to discuss this topic!

Healthcare costs are just ridiculous

I can't remember if I have vented on here before that I pay $357.21 each WEEK out of my paycheck towards our family medical plan through my job. I pay more towards this then my 401K. Crazy.

If that's not bad enough, I just got an explanation of benefits in the mail from my son's last pediatrician visit on 4/11/10. Some of the stuff the doctor's office billed is just ridiculous and explains why insurance costs are so out of control. Look at some of what they charged my insurance company for this day's check-up only:

*Prevention visit age 1-4: $170.00

*Developmental test: $150.00 (don't even know what this "test" was beyond the doctor briefly asking me if my son has reached all of his age milestones).

*Evening/weekend/holiday charge: $75.00 (my doctor office is open 7 days a week, until 11PM during the week, until 4PM on the weekends)

*Office/outpatient visit: $125.00

So basically, they charged the insurance company THREE times for this visit, and a some "test" that is not really a test.

It doesn't look like the insurance company paid the full amounts requested but still.......it just makes my blood boil on both ends.

Don't forget!!

Today the U.S. Postal Service is doing a food drive to Stamp out Hunger.

I know I am late in the game announcing this, but if you can, remember to leave out some non-perishable food by your mailbox! Or take it to the local post office (I think you can do that too!). If not, I know local food pantries are ALWAYS in need so do a good deed, and contribute to this cause. Even if you can't get to it today----maybe one day this week.

So happy it's the weekend!

I ended up going into the office yesterday, when usually I don't work on Fridays. Some of my clients have been off the wall lately, so it was important for me to be there to get some work done.

Even though I do have the "benefit" of being able to work from home some days, as a rule, I always get so much more done in the office.

Today my son and I are going to go out for breakfast somewhere, then we have to go look for Mother's day gifts. I also got a giftcard in the mail from my own mom for Old Navy so I am planning to use that today.

Even though I have a goal of not buying anymore clothes does it count if you get a giftcard?

One of my pugs chewed on one of my black flip flops in the middle of the night last night so I need to get a new pair. They are only $1.99 at Old Navy ;).

Say hi post!

I recently added a thingie to the side of my blog so I can see where people are landing here from. You should drop a line and introduce yourself. I know my blog is not that interesting or exciting, but I think it's a cool way to connect with people I may not otherwise connect with. So say hello! Tell me something about yourself!

Ready for Wednesday

It's been a long week already and it's only Tuesday.

Yesterday I had an incident with a client who has 1:1 supervision at all times. He decided to leave with a "man in a van" to "go work". When the aide called the supervisor, she was able to reach him on his cell phone and he told her that "I" gave him permission to do this.

My co-workers were joking around that I have the power to get my clients to go back to work!

Seriously though, I *love* how the first thing he did was blame me when he realized he made a wrong decision.

We are actually having a team meeting with him tommorrow (was planned before this incident occurred) so it should be interesting to see how he justifies running away from the staff, or if he will own up to it.

I actually have submitted a request to have some of his constant oversight reduced so he can get some alone time, which has been his request for awhile. I wonder though if he is afraid and this is also his way of sabotaging his freedom.

Started my herb garden today

I hope it doesn't die LOL!

Feeling down lately

I don't know. I just have been feeling kind of sad. I think a lot of it is because my husband works all the time and I really don't know too many people or have real friends in my area (this is the area he is from). I go to work during the week and am friendly with my co-workers and such but it's not the same as having people to go out and do stuff with. I have my son-----but it would be nice on a day like today, where the weather is going to be gorgeous, if I had a bunch (or even just one or two!) people to call up and ask to come down to the park with us. I don't know. Just wanted to wallow a little bit :(.

Just signed up

for Twitter...........now I have to just figure it out. And on my phone too. I already am having trouble logging in there.