Dreaded

If there's one thing I dread more than almost anything else in the world, that's bathing suit shopping. Even moreso now that I've had a kid. I've tried on a couple of suits recently that left me feeling sick to my stomach.

I haven't bought a new one in several years......not since way pre-baby when we used to live within walking distance of the ocean.


Anyways, we are leaving in a couple weeks to go on an actual beach vacation (and the house we are staying in also has a hot tub), so I figured it's time for me to just suck it up and order something new.


After getting several online recs of places to buy suits that provide decent coverage, I ordered from Lands End.

I have a big booty and large boobs so I think this style will provide a good fit.

Plus both pieces were on sale, with free shipping.

I rarely order anything clothing-related online, but I think it will be hard to screw up the sizing of these two seperates. I purposely made sure that the halter tied at the neck for adjustment purposes, and I ordered the boy shorts a size up. Suits I have now are of similar style/fit but just a little too small and I want something to cover my ass more.


What do you think? Here's hoping they fit!


Do you dread bathing suit shopping as much as I do?

Clients who don't fit in........

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I've probably talked about this a little bit before. I'm talking about it again though because it came up again this week.


I'm an Intake Coordinator at work. The main parts of my job, are bringing clients onto the program and either helping to stabilize them in the community, or get the services set up for them upon their community discharge to ensure they will remain stable in the community.

Because I work at a for-profit, the bottom line is to make money. Since my agency wants to make $$$$, we often will take on clients that no other provider wants to touch, especially if a large amount of billable service hours come with the case.

Since we are so large, and take on so many needy clients, we can also afford to have a lot of highly dedicated, educated, qualified staff who are great at what they do, and who can handle some of the tough ones.

However, on occasion, a client will come along who is just not safe to serve in the community, no matter how many hours come with the case. When this happens, I am the one who generally has to be the bad guy, telling them that our agency cannot service them.

If I feel they are actively using drugs, have a lot of skilled home care needs that surpass the level of care we can provide, have a bunch of recent felonies that would make it almost impossible to secure them needed things like housing or if they let me know right off the bat they are not going to accept the services or supports I feel they need to ensure their (and staffs'!) health and safety ........I have to be the bad guy.

We've also had a lot go on lately with some cases we already serve, where one or two people end up sucking the life out of their staff (to the point they neglect their OTHER cases) so because of that, I am needing to start to get a little bit discretionary in who I choose to bring into our agency for care.

On most some occasions, I have to say, our whole office let's out a whoop of glee or Pizza for All! when we can turn down a case that we know would be a potential skull's head.


However, in all seriousness though, it sucks all around because as a social worker, I feel that everyone should be given a chance, and that often when a potential client is in the midst of a crisis even if it's been going on for the past 10 years, it takes good people who know what they are doing, to give them a chance to get back on their feet.

It also is bad because I KNOW that it's very difficult to find these types of clients the help they need in the community, and if they are continually turned down for a program, it makes their situation even worse.

I also am sure that some of these people who are turned down for support are the one's we also read about in the media.

I am grateful that the decision is not only on me though. I usually consult with my supervisor and one of the nurses before I tell someone no.

I wish I could wave my Social Worker Magic Wand and instantly fill in the gaps in our program that make it impossible to serve everyone.

At the end of the day, I still need to remind myself that I can't save everyone, even if magic WAS involved.

Another week has come and gone

in Socialworkland. While it wasn't overly stressful, I still had much to get done at work.

One task was to write a service plan for a really complicated client who is coming into the community early next month, and it took me longer than usual because he is so complex.

I also accompanied a co-worker for safety and support to confront a family member who has basically decided to move in with her client, which is NOT good at all. If he remains there, the client very well may lose services and get kicked off the program.

One of the things I am constantly saying about our work is that it would be much easier if we could just seperate our clients from their toxic family members.

As long as I have been working in human services, I still can't wrap my head around things that some parents do to their childen, how they justify their actions and think they are OKAY. While I GET it and understand it's basically generations of madness that has been passed down, it's still hard to process and sit back and watch.

Even moreso, because I work with adults, many who are capable of making their own decisions (even if they are bad decisions) and do not require a guardian.

As providers we can strategize and intervene but this is often a process, and we are often left waiting for something awful to occur before anything can really be done about the situation.

I think this is probably the most stressful part of being a social worker.

But, my week is basically over 'til Monday so I can put this stuff out of my head.

I picked up a new book at the library yesterday The Snow Child. I started reading it last night and can already tell I'm going to really enjoy it. I also need to finish up the Hunger Games series, so I am in the midst of lots of reading right now.

Tomorrow we are headed up to my sister's home in the mountains of Pennsylvania so I'm excited about that.


What about you my friends? How was your week? What are your plans this weekend?

Friday fun!

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Saw another social worker I follow shared this on Pinterest.


Gotta say I can identify many days!


Can't believe my weekend is here already!


Not that I'm complaining ;).


It's gonna be busy though.


Library class this morning for DS, then pick up my paycheck (YES! although it's spent on bills already), then we need to come home, hopefully get a nap in for DS, then pick up flowers and head to my nieces' first ballet recital.

Saturday I have lots of cleaning, reading, yoga, shopping and relaxing planned.


Sunday we are meeting all the ILs and going out for Mother's Day Brunch here.


What are your plans?


Anything crazy happen in social work this week?

One of those social work Mondays...........

Where I need to remind myself.................

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Oh Saturday..........

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I'm so glad the weekend is here even though it is pouring outside right now.

I was hoping to be able to sit in my yard at some point today, while my son plays, reading some more of the Hunger Games series.

Fingers crossed the weather will flip and it can still happen..........

Work was busy busy this past week. More intakes and more extensive service plan writing at a non-stop pace.

I did an open up for a new case on Thursday (and score for earning a small bonus for making it happen fairly quickly). A young woman with brain injury from a car accident. Her mom took in both her, as well as her grandson and all I can say is that this mother/grandma is a saint! It is so hard holding back the emotion when you witness first hand the devastation TBI can bring to many families. It also makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I see the support many family members are still willing to give, because a lot do walk away (can't say I blame them).

My parents came down to stay for a few days and I know it sounds mean, but I always breathe a sigh of relief when they're gone.

There are just some things they do that drive both me and my husband completely crazy. My mother made a comment at breakfast yesterday, regarding a severely mentally ill family friend whose not currently on his meds about how "she doesn't
think the social worker is doing much for him since the cops had to come again to take him to the hospital."

This REALLY hit a nerve with me, and of course I had to respond that I was going to give the social worker the benefit of the doubt in this case........that it's hard to work with people who are not compliant, or who don't want to be helped which is often the reality of the situation.....and not the fault of "the social worker".

On another topic, I had a really BAD week at Bikram. And by bad, I don't mean that the classes were tough. I just didn't bring my ass to class AT ALL which is the worst kind of class you can have ;).

I am hoping to get back on track with that this week.

My sister is also coming down for a few days later tonight so I am looking forward to her visit.

What is well (and not so well) in your world dear readers?