Creshonda Smith

Creshonda Curry 8 April 2013 SWK 7515 Reflection Paper #2: Exploring Self Care There are many different areas of social work that are both mentally and emotionally taxing. It is imperative that those who work in human services are taking care of themselves in order to better serve their client base. I have found that it is extremely helpful for me to rely on my spirituality and faith to get me through many difficult situations. I try to ensure that I do not do a disservice to my clients by coming into my agency with any other focus besides them. Though it is very beneficial to be able to relate to clients, I have found that two of the most troubling areas for me is taking my work home, and becoming emotionally attached. Through various techniques that I have acquired over the school year, I’m better prepared to help myself on a daily basis in order to help those in need. There are areas in which I have already adopted strong ways to care for myself, which are situations dealing with anxiety and sadness. Many times I am exposed to situations and clients that I have no previous knowledge or experience in dealing. I sometimes get anxious when I feel that I am out of my comfort zone. For example, there was a time when a client disclosed to me via a secret note that her boyfriend had sexually assaulted her and she was unsure of what to do. This was the first time that I had been exposed to any situation dealing with sexual assault or anything of that nature. I began feeling anxious because I wasn’t sure how to address her problems. I didn’t know what kind of advice I should give her, whether her parents should know, if I was supposed to call the police, etc. There were so many different avenues to take and I didn’t know where to start. Reflecting on the students note when I went home, I began to feel anxious and worry about what I would say to her the next day I saw her. The way in which I handled the situation was to take a deep breath, pray about it, and ask for confidence and strength. When I saw the client the next day, I suggested that we take a step back and really think things through. I explained to her what confidentiality was and how I would proceed to disclose any information if necessary, and I carefully and meticulously asked her to walk me through the situation to first determine the nature of the problem- i.e.- was it rape, consensual, etc. Next, I asked her about her support network, if her parents knew, what she wanted to see happen, and we worked together to develop a solution. Next, in this field, you hear many stories that are emotionally troubling due to their nature. I am currently interning at KIPP Journey Academy, a local middle school/charter school in the Linden McKinley area. I hear so many horrific stories on a daily basis that I often time end up taking my cases home with me inadvertently. I have a passion for working with children, which also makes it even more disturbing hearing these stories since most of these children are in the 6th grade and have experienced more than most adults I know. I am able to care for myself in dealing with sadness related to particular cases through reading my Bible and seeking positivity and encouragement. This allows me to put myself on a higher note and not be overly consumed with my clients’ problems. I try to leave the work at my internship, but in the instance that I am still thinking about it when I get home, this never fails to uplift me. In addition to relying on my faith, I also do other things such as take bubble baths, discuss my feelings with my husband and mom, and also picture relaxing imagery. Areas that I am aware that I could have better self-care techniques are when it comes to balancing the expectations of my agency with that of school and my home life. Being a relatively new mom, pregnant, new wife, and grad school student tends to take a toll on not only my physical health, but my mental health as well. I sometimes find myself having to stop, take a deep breath, a remember me! I am always so busy thinking of my husband, daughter, clients, schoolwork, etc., that I neglect to take care of myself when it is most crucial. Since there is no social worker at my agency currently, many times my supervisor looks to me to take on huge projects and caseloads simultaneously. In addition to my classes, this produces a very demanding schedule in which I feel I am always racing to meet deadlines and struggling to say no to someone. I can’t say how many times I have felt like I was close to having a nervous breakdown because I had so many class assignments, agency assignments, and demands from home due/happening all at once. I usually just tell myself that I work better under pressure, but this has not been helpful thus far. Also, I tend to over-think situations in which I have had to advise a client or handle during my internship hours. I will go home and continuously wonder whether I gave the best effort I could have, did I tell him or her everything I should have, did I offer every available resource possible, etc. This sometimes takes a toll on my confidence as a social worker and I have to make sure that I don’t begin doubting my abilities. I typically attribute this to me being a perfectionist, and I try not to get too caught up in these thoughts as opposed to relying on my competence as a licensed social service agent. I have had a lot of life challenges this year that have opened up my eyes to the importance of being able to balance many different tasks at once. In the future I hope to practice better techniques in regards to time management overall, as well as simply learning when to be honest and tell my supervisor that I don’t want to produce work that is not of optimal quality, and for that reason I may have to postpone one project until I finish the others. The field of social work, as previously mentioned, tends to cause one to bring their work home with them. There is an extremely high “burnout” rate in this field, accompanied by long hours, depending on where you work, heavy caseloads, immense amounts of paperwork, and difficult cases also depending on where you are working. All of these factors together can cause many to take work home with them simply in an attempt to get caught up. Of course this is extremely difficult when trying to balance all of your work at home in addition to caring for yourself. Therefore, as a result, the field of social work causes its employees to put themselves behind their clients and their presenting problems in many instances. Though this field is amazingly rewarding, it is important to always take care of self first! Ways to address this dilemma is by pacing yourself on a daily basis. Realistic strategies that I can implement now and in the future are pacing myself through daily to do lists, and also partaking in a relaxing event once a week. For example, it would be helpful when I have a lot of work to do if I created a to do list to not only prioritize, but to do things incrementally as well. Previously, I have created to do lists with way too many items on it and I don’t end up finishing and I have to carry things into the next day. This causes me to get discouraged and to always feel behind. If I create a to do list, I should make sure that I have only put a certain number of tasks on it for one day, and it should be achievable in 24 hours. This will help me to feel motivated and accomplished on a daily basis. For example, if I have a large amount of paperwork to do, like 12 case reports, I may limit myself to doing 4 complete reports for the day if it is due by the end of the week. This way I do not overwhelm myself, and I am concurrently being productive. Also, in regards to the relaxing event each week, this could be snuggling up with a book, taking a bubble bath, going for a bike ride, having a movie night, etc.; almost anything that doesn’t include working! These are just a few of the things that I believe I can really implement with my current lifestyle. I look forward to growing as a social worker and I know that I can only get better if I am well cared for. I think it comes down to always being concerned with the well being of those around me that sometimes prohibit me from worrying about myself. I always want to make sure that I have tied up all loose ends before I move to a different task. I know this isn’t always possible because most things can’t be accomplished in a day, but again, I know the first step to excellent client service is a happy and healthy worker. I will attempt to pace myself better, exercise the aforementioned self care/relaxation techniques, and continue to work on the areas that I am not particularly strong in. Through my faith and diligence in caring for myself in better ways, I hope to reach my full potential as a social worker in whichever area I pursue.