Ending and Beginning

            This week was a pretty busy week.  I had my usual intakes, crisis line shifts, and group.  In addition to this, we had a big event this week.  We had beauty schools come in and give the women manicures, haircuts, styles, and blowouts; as well as having a yoga instructor come in and teach a few methods of relaxation and meditation.  Women’s Day was a big hit for the women we serve because it gives them an opportunity to practice self-care and get pampered for a couple hours.  Most of the staff – myself included – ran childcare which was organized chaos with almost 40 kids running around a small building.  It was exhausting for everyone, but everyone was happy and relaxed by the end of the night making it completely worth it.

            A challenge that I faced this week was one of the children in group disclosing abuse at home which resulted in us calling DCFS.  It’s a hard conversation to have with a child, and it’s difficult to think about how the call can affect them while their family is being investigated.  This puts stress on the child because one or both parents are on edge due to the investigation, and they might blame the child for telling someone or not hiding it well enough.  Either way, the child feels guilty about the situation.  I hope that in the future, I will be able to support the child in group.

Ending and Beginning

            I feel like we’ve talked about “where we go from here?” a lot this past year, but I also think that my answer has changed quite a bit throughout this time.  Right now, I am applying to a couple jobs at domestic violence shelters and agencies.  I am excited and nervous to see how this goes.  Over the summer, I will be applying to the University of Chicago for their accelerated master’s program.  If I get accepted, I will be going back to school sometime next spring!

            I’m so grateful for getting the opportunity to be part of the team here at Sarah’s Inn and for being accepted and treated as a professional.  I’m grateful for having the chance to experience a wide range of the social work profession.  Reflecting back on the past few months, I’m proud of myself for branching out and taking on difficult tasks.  I believe I asked questions when it was necessary, but also took a chance at being independent.  If I could change one thing, I would want to have more client interaction by having another intake slot or more crisis line shifts.  I thought these were great experiences and I wish I could have had more of them.  I think I’m ready to be a professional social worker because I feel out of place right now.  Like I said at seminar on Friday, I know that something needs to change when I feel out of place.  It’s finally sunk in that I’m nearing the end and I’m not “comfortable” anymore.  I’m ready for the next part in my life, and despite being a little nervous, I’m ready for the change.  My best advice for the next student who comes to Sarah’s Inn is to not take ANY work home with you.  Leave the people and the problems at the office.  I’ve had to explain to my family that I don’t want to talk about my internship at home because it’s hard; not necessarily the work, but the emotional toll it can take on you.  The first month was emotionally difficult for me but I’ve learned how to manage it.  Do your best and work hard while you’re there, and then forget about it until you go back.

Evaluation

            This past week I continued my usual tasks of working my crisis line shifts, planning and leading children’s group, and attending my usual meetings.  This week was rewarding because children’s group went smooth and we didn’t face many challenges (two weeks in a row!).  I also was able to bring two of my three research projects to my supervisor and show all of the work I have done so far this spring.  It felt great to have finished up two projects and to know that they will be incorporated into future 40 hour training sessions.  The one major difficulty that I faced this week was having a client show up 45 minutes late to an intake.  Intakes are generally scheduled for an hour time slot, so it was difficult trying to give the client the space and opportunity to talk while also filling out paperwork.  It turned out that she just wanted to talk and decided it would be best to come back another time, but it was still pretty stressful on my end.

Evaluation

            It seems that everyone meets regularly with their supervisors to discuss any challenges they face.  In terms of clients and services, we administer service evaluations every few months in all of our groups.  In my group, service evaluations have been going on almost every week for the past month or so because it’s an open group, so sometimes kids will come and other times they won’t.  For individual services, I believe service evaluations are administered every six months to see if we are doing an effective job as well as if our clients are meeting their goals.  The children’s group service evaluation goes over what the children have learned from being in the group.  The questions are: what topics have you learned about?  Where is a safe place to go if your parents are fighting?  Who is a safe person to contact if your parents are fighting?  If your parents are fighting, what should you do?  Most of these questions are multiple choice, and we stress that there aren’t any wrong answers.  These answers determine whether we are educating the children on appropriate topics or if we need to cover certain topics in more depth. 

Ethics

            This week I was able to be back in the office full-time, and I am feeling much better than last week.  I was able to get back into my normal responsibilities of operating the crisis line, leading a group, and doing my usual research projects.  In addition to my office work, I was able to go down to Springfield for Advocacy Day, which was an amazing experience, and I hope I can do it again next year!

            The two biggest rewards I had this week were having a great time with my classmates in Springfield, and having the opportunity to join hundreds of other social workers as we petitioned and met with our representatives.  The House was in session, so none of us could meet our representatives, but some of us had the opportunity to meet our Senators.  The other reward this week was having a productive children’s group, and it not being chaotic.  Sean (the other group leader) wasn’t able to come to group because he recently got another job, so another counselor stepped in to help me with group.  She suggested having a schedule that the children help make that way our time is structured and they can see what we have accomplished, and what else we still need to do.  It was very useful, and the activity we did was very hands-on which kept them busy and focused. 

            The only real challenge I encountered this week was waking myself up early Tuesday morning before going to Advocacy Day.  It was a very long day, but a great experience.

Ethics

            Some ethical dilemmas we face at the micro level are making sure we start where our clients are at.  This is much easier said than done, and in supervision and meetings it’s a common theme that gets brought up.  Some of our clients are in very overwhelming situations and they can only focus on one aspect of the problem at a time, and we need to be there with them.  One situation that is coming to mind is a woman who just left her abuser is trying to find a job.  She is educated and certified to be a nurse, but isn’t hearing back from any of the places she’s applied to.  Her advocate has suggested possibly finding a temporary job outside of the medical field just so she has an income as a way to support herself and keep her from getting evicted.  Currently, she is not ready to focus on the possibility that she could be homeless if she doesn’t pay rent soon.  In this situation, we are caught between respecting the self-determination of our client, while also trying to plan and prevent the possibility of her being evicted and homeless.  In this situation, we are reminded that we can’t make decisions for our clients, and that we are here for support no matter what they are going through.  In this situation, the client just wants to work on job applications and getting back into a career, and that is what we’ll do.  If the situation changes, we will work from there.

Levels of Practice

            This past week I was only in the office for half of the week because I was pretty sick with a cold or sinus infection.  The two days that I was in the office, I attended my usual meetings, children’s group, and then did some research around substance abuse.  My supervisor has mentioned that volunteers need more training around how to assist clients who have mentioned that they abuse a substance while working on the crisis line, and I believe this is good information to know anyways.

            This week was rewarding because I have grown closer with the other interns at my placement and I feel like part of the team.  I also found it rewarding to learn more about substance abuse and how different drugs affect people, as well as some of the symptoms of withdrawals that individuals face.  It was very interesting, and I think this will be useful in any aspect of my life.

            Some challenges I faced this week were being sick and not being able to do anything for a few days, as well as managing a rambunctious group of kids.  In my group, there are two young boys who feed off of each others behavior, and it causes chaos for everyone else in the group.  The other facilitator and I have tried a few different strategies to reign in the bad behavior but nothing seems to be working so far (if anyone has any ideas, I’m open for anything!). 

Levels of Practice

            Throughout my time here at Sarah’s Inn, I have noticed that my colleagues practice social work values by advocating for our clients at the micro and macro levels.  Some advocates go with their clients to court or when they meet with their lawyer; our legal advocates assist our clients to obtain orders of protection as well as educate them about the legal system; and other staff members track important pieces of legislation and educate the rest of the staff so we can contact our representatives or create witness slips online. 

Documentation

            This week, I have continued to do my usual crisis line shift and co-facilitating one of the children’s group.  One of my supervisors also opened up two intake slots for me, and I was able to do my first intake completely on my own!  It was liberating!  Preparing for my intake was challenging because I was very nervous, but it went fairly smooth and I believe I got all the information needed!

            The two biggest challenges I faced this week were the managing a lot of paperwork now that I am having more client interaction, as well as maintaining my composure and facial expressions when having in person client meetings.  Paperwork has been a challenge because it is important to fill it out correctly, file it in the right spot, and have copies given to various counselors and provide referrals to groups and individual sessions.  It’s a bit overwhelming, but I’m gradually getting the hang of it.  Managing my facial expressions has been sort of challenging because I’ve been told that I display all of my emotions all the time.  So when a client tells me a rough story, or shares something that I was not expecting I need to be conscious of my expression so they can trust me and not sensor what they share.

            Similar to last week, this week was rewarding because I am continuing to get more responsibilities as my time at Sarah’s Inn goes on.  I have two crisis line shifts a week, I am able to assist in planning children’s group as well as do the paperwork for it, I now have two intake slots, and I will be helping organize files for an upcoming audit.

Documentation

            Everything that clients are part of, or any service provided is documented.  Progress notes are kept, service plans and evaluations are updated every couple of months, and everything is kept neatly in each clients files.  If an injury happens at group or in the building before or after an event, we fill out a critical incident report to document any and everything that happens to show that we addressed and fixed the incident.  Recently, there have been updates to a majority of paperwork, so there has been some confusion for everyone.  I am not sure who created or how the paperwork came about, but everyone is capable of requesting improvements depending on client needs and needed information for better service delivery.  Documentation helps us better serve our clients, and if a different advocate needs to work with a client they can find all the information they need from their file.  Also, if these files are subpoenaed, what we document can help our clients prove abuse if they are trying to get and order of protection, gain custody of their children, or get a divorce. 

Communication

            This past week at my placement, I have continued doing a lot of the same tasks I have been doing.  I am continuing to do my crisis line shift, and I will be given two more shifts this upcoming week that will continue on for the rest of my time at Sarah’s Inn.  I was able to observe another intake this week, and I talked to my supervisor about getting my own intake slot.  Because another intern just finished their placement this past week, I might be taking her intake slots and crisis line shifts.  I have also continued working on a research project I was assigned at the beginning of my placement.  Sometime spending a long time on the computer is tedious, and I need to break it up by walking the four flights of stairs in the building, or going and talking with some of the other interns and staff.

            Some challenges I faced, and other staff members faced this week we were two difficult cases.  When I was on the crisis line two weeks ago, a troubled client called looking to get connected with our legal advocates because she wanted to get an order of protection.  One of the staff members that meets with her regularly brought up in our group meeting how she was able to receive a 60 day order of protection, but is still really scared he will approach her or harm her regardless.  She is trying to leave the state to stay safe, but they have a child together and have a pending DCFS case.  This was brought to our group meeting to see if our legal advocates or other staff knew what her rights were, and how she should go about the move if it’s even possible.  This is a challenge because we want what’s best for her, but it has to be done legally so it doesn’t work against her. It was hard.

            It was rewarding to be given more responsibilities, and getting more experience working with clients.  I’m excited and nervous to do my own intakes, but it’s great experience and I’m sure I’m just overthinking it.  In my supervision meeting, it was rewarding to have my supervisor recognize all the hard work I have put into my research project, and to give me helpful feedback to make more improvements. 

Communication

            It feels like everyone at my placement is in constant communication with each other.  Communication flows up and down throughout the agency.  When new procedures or regulations come out, we will hear all necessary information from the executive director and other supervisors.  Other staff members also relay information about whether procedures are meeting the needs of our clients, which gives the supervisors and executives to revise them when necessary.  Most of communication is followed through email, and there are many strands of “all staff” emails that go out each day regarding political news that can impact us, different client situations, and other information.

~SPRING BREAK~

3/6-3/10

Stress Management

            This past week I did a lot of the same activities as last week.  I have continued observing on the crisis line as well as getting my own crisis line shift, I have observed some more intakes, and co-facilitated children’s group.  I was given more independence and I feel like I took advantage of it and handled my tasks fairly well.

            One challenge that sticks out to me was an issue I encountered on the crisis line.  A woman called and described a situation where her abuser had attacked her with a weapon which is why she had missed a meeting last week.  She briefly described what happened and how she had to go to the hospital, and apologized for missing her meeting.  I tried to explain that all that matters is that she was safe and doing better, which caused her to jump right into getting connected with a legal advocate so she could get an Order of Protection.  After finishing the call and connecting her with the right people, I worried that I didn’t really do what I was supposed to do.  It sounded like the purpose of her call was to find the legal resources she needed, but I’m worried I didn’t meet her immediate safety needs.  This one case has been stuck in my mind all week and there isn’t anything I can do now.  I talked with a supervisor after, and she explained that clients normally call about scheduling, resources and validation, and they generally don’t share the specifics of an attack.  She told me not to sweat it and that I did the best I could, but it still doesn’t sit right with me.

             This week was rewarding because I was given a bigger leadership role in the children’s group I’m co-facilitating.  I asked the other intern who leads the group if I could help plan activities.  Because of how frustrating last week was, we decided that we would focus on rules and group behavior and have the kids work together to hold each other accountable.  It worked out well, and now we have poster boards with all the group rules and expectations that we will incorporate into the beginning of each lesson.

Stress Management

            Self-care is important for all staff members at Sarah’s Inn.  I have two supervision meetings each week; one is with my direct supervisor, the other one is a group supervision meeting with the intervention team.  In both of these meetings, I am able to share different struggles and concerns I had faced during the week, get advice for how to handle these situations, as well as hear other interns and staff members struggles and how they handled them.  I have found the group supervision to be very helpful.

            The other Training and Education intern and I have been working on creating a “self-care board” that we are going to place in the kitchen on the third floor.  We have already started it, and included different quotes, a calendar with a single act of self-care each day, and a checklist on how to focus and take care of ourselves.  Working in this field is stressful, and we all do small things each day to make sure we are at our best.

            Some staff members really encourage self-care, and push us to reach out and have a therapist.  They swear by the ones they talk to, and believe it is good for our own growth to talk with someone who is unbiased and can challenge us in a way that is different than talking with friends or family members.  Other staff members encourage us to stay well-rounded and take classes, exercise, and read.  Many staff members have pets that they walk and take care of, some do yoga, others take pottery and other art classes, and others are focusing on eating better and exercising regularly.

Diversity

This week I was able to observe a few more intakes and learn from other interns.  I’ve learned that our intakes are very paperwork heavy, but it’s important to also give clients room to talk about what’s going on while still getting the necessary tasks done.  Through my observation, I have learned that everyone has their own style when it comes to conducting intakes, but they are very welcoming and easy to talk to.  This week I also learned that patience and flexibility are very important when working with anyone.  All of the clients who came for intakes were considerably late, and staff members had to juggle their schedules a bit to make everything happen. On top of that, children’s group was super chaotic, and I learned that being patient is very important.  Although it was frustrating at the time, maybe that was the only opportunity the kids had that day to blow of some steam and enjoy time with their friends.  I don’t know what their lives are like outside of group, and I need to meet them where they’re at.

            Within the last week I felt like I was included in a lot more tasks and meetings than I have in the past.  My supervisor invited me to accompany her on a college visit where she shared with the class about Sarah’s Inn, what we do, and how they could go about getting an internship there in the future.  The intervention staff also if very inclusive and I am invited to all of their meetings and involved in co-facilitating a children’s group now that I am officially 40 hour trained (hallelujah!).  Starting next week I will have my own crisis line shift, and hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will have my own intake slot.  I feel like I am trusted with tasks by all of the supervisors, and this is rewarding! 

            Similar to last week, I find some topics that clients bring up to be difficult.  It is hard to hear how cruel abusers can be, and that A LOT of women and children deal with it.  I have recognized that my role is to meet our clients where they are mentally and emotionally, and to find them resources to keep them as safe as possible even if that includes staying with their abuser.  It’s hard when you want the best for everyone that walks through the front door but you know that you can’t keep them safe when they leave, or that you can’t change the abusers behavior.  I am learning to rely on my supervisor and other staff members to process these thoughts and emotions which does make it a little easier.

            This past week in children’s group was a huge struggle.  The kids in this group are 6-11, and they were super rambunctious this past time we met.  The facilitator and I were so focused on making sure that everyone stayed safe and didn’t get hurt that we really didn’t have the opportunity to do the activities that was planned.  It was frustrating and loud, and the kids just weren’t having it.  After group was over the facilitator and I chatted about how hectic it was, and what we could do in the future to maintain some kind of structure.  So in case this happens again we are slightly more prepared.

         In terms of diversity, there is a good mix of cultures and ethnicities among the staff.  Because a large portion of our clients are Hispanic and Latino most of the staff is bilingual in order to meet this need.  One area that we lack diversity is gender, but based on what I’ve learned through my training and other conversations I’ve had with staff, adult victims might get triggered if they had a male counselor or just might not feel comfortable disclosing intimate details.  There are three men who are staff members and interns, but either do not interact with clients, or they primarily work with children and the Partner Abuse Intervention Program (PAIP).  Diversity is important at my placement because we are serving diverse populations and it would be a mistake to not have staff members that represent those cultures.  It makes us more relatable, trustworthy, and approachable.  
  

Politics in the Workplace

            This past week I was able to continue observing crisis line shifts, support group meetings, as well as observe my first intake.  This was very exciting for me because my supervisor has insisted that I get experiences from all areas here at Sarah’s Inn and I really enjoy the face-to-face interaction.  I learned a lot from the intern that I observed.  I was able to witness how she managed time throughout the session without rushing the client along, as well as validating the clients experiences, providing a safe space to talk, as well as educating her about services we offer and other local resources. 

            I have had a few different experiences when I observed group meetings.  The first week I sat in on a “tween” group, and was able to talk with the kids and help them through the activity the facilitator had prepared.  Last week, I ran childcare and was able to play and read with a toddler.  This week, I had the opportunity to sit in the children’s group and assist with the activity.  This was both rewarding and challenging in a few ways.  I found it rewarding because I was able to connect with the kids and communicate with the kids who weren’t able to speak English.  I was able to build trust with them, and they involved me in their conversations.  This was also challenging because 6-10 year olds are active, hyper, and constantly talk over each other, so it was a little chaotic which was overwhelming.  One situation that I found particularly difficult was a conversation I had with a girl during the group activity.  The activity was for each child to draw a mountain, and have them identify the things that build them up (which they would write inside the mountain), and the things that are hard and difficult to deal with in their lifes (which they would write outside the mountain).  While I was talking with her, she mentioned that her dad made life hard and she visibly shut down.  This was a drastic change in the behavior she had displayed throughout the rest of the group and I panicked for a couple seconds.  In an attempted to bring her back to the group I asked her what her dad does to build her up or make her happy?  She was able to mentally come back to the group and tell me stories about times when her dad was a good thing in her life.  I’m worried that this may have seemed dismissive by rushing through the negative emotions and trying to change it to something positive, and I am planning on bringing this up in supervision next week.

      Because of our location and surrounding communities, we do a lot of work with people who identify as Hispanic and Latino.  Recently, there has been a lot of fear because of the ICE raids in Chicago, which has caused many women and children to not come to group meetings.  Due to this, the advocacy and counseling team has made it a point to bring up in team meetings how we can work with our clients as well as keeping the doors secure.  In meetings, the supervisors discussed and educated us on U-Visa and VAWA, and how we can work with clients who are immigrants on obtaining legal residents here.  They laid out the requirements for each, how long it generally takes to fill out, and how we can assist clients in this process.  I also learned that there are safe spaces that ICE cannot raid, but it has to do with federal funding.  Because we do receive federal funding, ICE can raid our building if they have a valid warrant signed by a judge.  One of the safe places that was mentioned were churches, and there is actually a recent story about a woman in Denver hiding from ICE in a church.  The advocacy and counseling supervisors set up a new procedure for how the front door is answered and what we will do if ICE comes and tries to enter the building.  If this were to happen, legally we do not need to let them in, and we are to immediately get a director or one of the supervisors to handle the situation. 

Networking

            This past week, I continued observing the crisis line as well as participated in the support groups.  Instead of joining the tween group again, I was able to do childcare.  At first, I expected it to be just babysitting, but one of the advocates approached me and described why it was more than just babysitting and how it is our way of providing services to toddlers and infants.  During childcare, you can observe how children play, interact, draw and color, and other things.  These can be used in therapy to help illustrate what’s going on at home and can assist an advocate or counselor in assessing and intervening.  I was also able to continue the research projects that my supervisor had assigned me a couple weeks ago, and both of them are coming along well. 

            Some challenges I faced this week were being flexible and adaptable.  I had expected that I would just stay with the same group for a long period of time, but that was not the case, and now I know what to kind of expect in the future.  Everyone at my placement is flexible and I believe this is a necessary trait to have as a social worker.  I was also challenged when it came time to fill out paperwork for the childcare group because my supervisor didn’t show me how to do it, or where I was supposed to fill it, so I had to go find one of the group leaders to walk me through doing it the right way.  I’m planning on bringing this up in supervision so I’m confident in the future on doing it correctly and on my own. 

            This week, I believe that being trusted to run the childcare group by myself was rewarding.  I was pretty nervous going into it because no one had left me on my own to do something with clients.  It turned out well, and I am more prepared for something like this in the future.  I also found it rewarding that my supervisor is including me in research for the upcoming 40 hour domestic violence training.  I had asked in my first supervision meeting if the material they trained on was evidence-based or practice-based, and she mentioned how it was all based on different experiences that the team had encountered throughout their careers and probably should have more research in it.  This is rewarding because she listened to what I had to say, and set me up to do something to change how the training is run. 

            My topic for the week is networking, and I have seen this is a few areas at Sarah’s Inn.  First, at some of the team meetings I am a part of, different staff will encourage interns to reach out to various organizations to assist their clients with specific needs.  They know the resources in the area, who to contact, and what to expect along the way.  Next, my supervisor has two interns putting together a list of all the resources we can find in the west suburbs so she can create partnerships with them in the future.  This list consists of those we already have a partnership with, as well as the ones we don’t.  Once it is complete, anyone at the agency can locate and access this file to reach out to other organizations.

 

External Politics

            This past week was a bunch more exciting than the last couple of weeks because I had the opportunity to participate in a teens group, as well as observe a crisis line shift!  It was great getting into some tasks that weren’t behind a desk.  Through these two experiences, I learned that to trust and rely on the other interns that have more experience than me, and that I can ask them anything about what’s going on.  I also learned that when you’re counseling someone on the phone that you need to make “listening noises” every so often so they know you are paying attention and still on the line.  This initially seemed strange to me, but I’ve accepted that some noises are necessary and that I should work on it. 

            Some challenges that I faced this week involved the teens group I participated in.  Initially I thought I would just observe, but it turned out they needed another facilitator and I started to panic.  It was overwhelming because I had no idea who the kids were, how the group normally functioned, or what the activities/discussion were like.  I totally psyched myself out though because I was able to chat with the kids, learn about them and help them with some crafts.  The intern who was facilitating the group seemed a bit perplexed throughout the meeting because the kids were a bit rowdy, and they didn’t seem interested in doing the activity she had planned so we all had to improvise and just work with what was going on.  It was a challenge for me to jump into a group that already had some structure, and I think my presence may have caused some of the rowdy behavior.  I really appreciated how the other intern handled this behavior and was able to be assertive with the kids in a respectful way.  I learned a lot from watching how she interacted with the kids, what and how she spoke, and how the kids responded to her. 

            This past week, I had to go through a DCFS mandated reporter training online.  It took a while to complete and at the end I had to print out a certificate, sign it, and scan it back onto the computer to email to my supervisor.  I am very technologically-challenged, and I had no idea where a printer was, or which one to send it to.  Somehow I figured out how to print the certificate, but I’m pretty sure I almost broke the scanner.  It was terrifying, but I figured it out.

            In terms of politics, there is quite a bit going on right now that could affect how Sarah’s Inn functions.  Because of its location, a large majority of the clients we work with are Hispanic or Latino, some of whom aren’t citizens.  Citizenship doesn’t affect whether clients can receive services, it just needs to be addressed so the advocates can work with the client to develop a safety plan.  There are a couple policies that protect victims of domestic violence if they aren’t citizens, and there is some fear that the Trump administration may somehow alter this.  The past couple of weeks, I have been receiving emails from Illinois based domestic violence coalitions that are urging us to contact our legislators because there is a threat that the Violence Against Women’s Act (VAWA) will be gutted, and a big chunk of funding will be cut for agencies that serve these women. 

            As I said in my last blog, one of the services offered at Sarah’s Inn is legal advocacy, which is where a client can meet an advocate at either the Maywood or a Chicago courthouse and get assistance on petitioning for an Order of Protection (OP).  I have been told that the paperwork is kind of long, the information needs to be clear and specific, and can be difficult to navigate through for many people.  The advocates also assist these clients on preparing for speaking with the judge, and help them understand everything that is going on. 

            Based on different things I’ve been told, there are policies and procedures in place to promote safety.  Local police departments are being trained to identify domestic violence if there is a domestic disturbance they get called to, and many women come to our services because a police officer provided them with that information at a crucial time.  VAWA provides women and children – whether they are citizens or not – protection from being evicted due to unpaid rent which could be due to financial/economic abuse, protection from being deported by offering a temporary visa while women work on becoming legal permanent residents or citizens, as well as protection and programs for women, men, and children who have unique challenges or disabilities.  Victims Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA), is the last thing I’m going to talk about because it restricts employers from firing victims of domestic violence due to needing time off to physically or emotionally heal, appear in court hearings or receive legal assistance, take care of their children, or simply because the abuser destroyed their method of transportation.  This act hold employers accountable to keep victims employed as well as give them time off when necessary.  There are requirements and limits for this act, but ultimately protects anyone affected by interpersonal violence.

Service Population

            This week I continued part of my training and orientation.  I had to finish online training modules that described how the Illinois Domestic Violence Act impacts how domestic violence service agencies function and promote social justice.  It took a day and a half of staring at a computer screen to complete this, and I felt like I was on information overload but I must admit that it was necessary and valid information.  I was also able to be a part of different meetings, and hear the various experiences and challenges that other interns and staff members faced during their group meetings and counseling sessions.  I really appreciated how everyone shared what they were having difficulties with and asked for advice from others; everyone was helpful and involved because they want each other to succeed.  Lastly, I have been assisting my supervisor with finding local resources who will donate for the Women’s Day event that will be happening later this spring. 

            At Sarah’s Inn, they serve anyone who lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and who are experiencing domestic violence whether they are women, children, or men.  They offer individual counseling services and group sessions, as well as childcare.  There aren’t many men that come through the agency that are survivors of domestic violence, but it does happen occasionally.  I haven’t had the opportunity to interact with any clients yet, but I will be observing intakes and groups once I am officially through with my training and orientation.  There are many services that are offered, and they’re offered at all levels of intervention.  One program is intervention, which includes the counselors/advocates who provide counseling services.  Next is prevention, which is a group that travels to middle and high schools on the west side, or wherever they are called to.  Third is legal advocacy, which is a group of legal advocates that help survivors in the courthouse file and obtain orders of protection as well as direct them to the other services that Sarah’s Inn has to offer.  Lastly is training and education, which is where members of the staff educate clergy, law enforcement, medical staff and other professionals about warning signs of domestic violence, as well as how they should intervene and advocate for victims. 

 

Strengths

     This semester, I am completing my internship at Sarah’s Inn which is an agency that offers services for women, men, and children that are experiencing domestic violence.  My orientation process has taken all of this week, and it sounds as if I will continue training next week so that I will complete the required 40 hour domestic violence advocate training.  I have faced a few challenges thus far, but I have noticed that they are all internal.  Because the majority of this week has been educational, I have learned a great deal about what domestic violence is, the cycle of manipulation that perpetrators use to control their partners, and how this affects the survivors mentally, physically, and emotionally.  This was a struggle for me because I noticed myself getting very angry and upset, and I needed to constantly keep myself in check.  I recognize that it is okay to feel these emotions, but when I observe intakes and support groups I need to keep my emotions under control and remain professional.

     My experience at Sarah’s Inn has been rewarding because I have learned valuable lessons about the social work profession, and how domestic violence perpetrators and survivors are influenced.  There are four other interns that I am working with, and it is amazing that we are all doing different things in this one agency that focuses on domestic violence.  We are divided between different programs like prevention, intervention and counseling, legal advocacy, and professional education and training.  All of these areas are important to how this agency functions, and each is an example of the versatility of the social work profession.  I also learned how Sarah’s Inn works with domestic violence survivors through the different services they offer, as well as how offering education to middle and high school students, police officers, medical professions, and clergy members can help the community to rally around ending this epidemic of violence against women.

Personal Strengths

1.      Positive

2.      Flexible

3.      Problem solver

4.      Independent

5.      Team player

6.      Compassionate

7.      Loyal

8.      Trustworthy

9.      Good listener

10.  Humorous

11.  Persistent

12.  Emotionally intelligent

13.  Driven

14.  Peacemaker

15.  Relatable

Professional Strengths

1.      Positive

2.      Flexible

3.      Problem solver

4.      Independent

5.      Compassionate

6.      Trustworthy

7.      Good listener

8.      Quick learner

9.      Punctual

10.  Team player

11.  Persistent

12.  Emotionally intelligent

13.  Driven

14.  Peacemaker

15.  Relatable

 

 

I will be challenged as a problem solver at my field placement in a few ways.  I have learned that as social workers we need to partner with our clients and not solve all their “problems”.  If I get the opportunity to do an intake form or anything else I will need to keep myself in check and try not to just solve their problems, but to build a relationship and create an equal partnership. 

I would classify myself as a pretty relatable person, and I think I will be challenged because of how sensitive of a situation these clients are living in.  I will need to be flexible and creative in how I connect with them.  I can relate with people I know because I have experienced similar things, but this will not be effective in how I can relate to clients.  I need to find a professional way to relate with my future clientele.