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.