Last week

It's edging closer to the end of the school year, and I'm surprised to see so many kids getting in trouble. Lots of public defenders have come to me this week to discuss the need for a disposition coordinator on at least one of their cases. I was able to witness a very thorough referral to a disposition coordinator (Lela) from one of my favorite attorneys. He came into the office to get a referral sheet, but the referral sheet only has so much room to write. The attorney explained that he thought this kid needed out of home placement. The youth had been so compliant with structured environments, but he and his mother did not get along. Many successful placements were visible on the youth's "list history" when he was out of the home, but now he's back in detention. The public defender seemed to really like the youth. Lela said she would see what she could do since the youth was turning 18 in less than a year. She had some independent living options in mind.

Sophia is gone this week, so Lela is my main squeeze. She came to tell me this morning about a case that she worked so hard on. The client was almost definitely facing boy school, but she managed to get him into Fairbanks. He ran from the placement last Thursday, and no one knows where he is. Lela suspects he'll be hiding out until September when he turns 18. Lela dug really hard to find some area for work with this kid. He got his wish that he not be sent to boy school, but the placement facility he was sent to (Fairbanks) was also unsatisfactory for him. This puts Lela's credibility on the line. Lela's job is to search for alternatives to detention to present to the judge if she knows the client might not benefit from being locked up in boy school. She intends to serve the kid's best interest, but if he comes back to the center in cuffs within the next few months there's not much she can do. She said the client reported a desire to succeed in a program at Fairbanks. He also reported being the only kid there whose family hadn't had any interaction/family therapy. By the end of the day, Lela got another report concerning another youth she placed at a facility that was also on the run.... not a good week.

I also spent time this week researching a program that I learned is no longer being funded. The program is call "Domestic Diversion." The program is losing funding because it cannot stay afloat in a system that has so few resources. The sentencing consultants only have funds enough for 4 more kids to be in the program this year. Grant writers were faced with the delimma of losing a social worker or discontinuing the program. Domestic Diversion cases arise when there are juvenile detentions or disturbances resulting from any form of domestic violence. In order to protect the child, further investigation and counseling must take place. This program puts the two family members through group therapy. It takes two people to fight, and every time a domestic battery case gets sent to one of the disposition coordinators it is up to them to decide what to do with it. If the youth was just acting out or does not get along with the other guardian/parent, something must be done to alleviate the situation. Domestic Diversion cases are prevalent, but this program will no longer be available.

Earth Day!

Earth Day!
Earth day’s today!
Let’s Celebrate!
Start your cars
And drive irate.
Don’t care for less,
Pollute some more.
No time to guess,
Global warming: lore.

Earth day’s today!
What is this mess?
I call it Earth
(and why digress?)
What once was beautiful
has long been lost
To Cyclops kittens
and low, low cost.

Earth day’s today!
But fish are dead…
And trees and birds,
All things we dread
to lose, forever-"No fault of mine."
Don’t think of nature as divine...

“I just don’t care,”
Too many say.
Let me do my hair!
Delay, delay…

Those quick to employ the “cannot act”
Might not know just how tightly packed
The human conscience seems to be,
Cuz’ all we know is "me, me, me."

Sacrifice is soon to come,
And corporations hold the greatest sum,
of the blame that's to be had,
That feeds our needs where greed succeeds:
The greed we hope is ‘just a fad.’

One day we’ll see,
We’ll all find out,
What this short life was all about.

The time: too late,
It’s all been done.
No discovery left,
No battle won.
We now accept our way of life,
Destructive, gross, and full of strife,
No change be had!
Destroy! Consume!
Denial’s here to drive you mad.

It takes much more
To change the lore:
Centuries pass,
We still ignore…

Earth day’s today!
Not week, or year,
Few people know,
Or care to hear,
The cry that earth
Sends out in fear:

“I’ve warned you time and time again,
Just keep it up,
I won't say 'when'!
And, by the way;
The heat is real!

Stop warming all my ocean shelves,
the permafrost, the pretty trees!
You’re surely going to kill yourselves!
Your way of life brings such unease…”

But slower still,
The earth will burn,
And no one’s stomach will even turn.

Smell the air.
Today’s the day!
Hold back the cough;
Your lungs obey.

One time a year,
No globe unites.
We do not fear our dismal plights.

Let’s work on that.
Less talk, more act.
Without huge groups,
The solution’s ‘wack,’
So try to think of ways "we can."
Ignore the drive to be a fan
of all the products made by man.

Media is one way that's best
to force denial in this great mess,
but it can also be your tool
for making oil way less cool.

Try real hard to find a way
or reason why we have this day.
Make it your own,
go out and play!
Earth day’s today!
Get off the phone...

Week 15

Moving Week! Sophia got a new office across the hall. She now has a window, so her life has improved 10-fold. I advised her on some Feng Shui, but there's not much space to work with. Since her old office won't host any people (theoretically), the gi-normous filing cabinet that I have bonded with over the past semester will be moving in. This is quite the accomplishment since all the open cases will be located with the people who need them most (plus, it was a lot of arm work). Sometimes the sentencing consultants get referrals and want to look for past materials concerning a client with a history at the agency. Previously, all the files were housed in a copy room 20 blocks away. Hopefully, the cabinet's new location will be an increased convenience for Lela and Sophia. They won't need a file fairy like me anymore! The majority of the week has been dedicated to stress: stress about final products, stress about computer viruses following me everywhere, concern for end of the year events, painful experiences with my checkbook and the state of Indiana (taxes), as well as final papers for other classes.


Integration question:
HBSE/micro: What HBSE content deals with endings? What do you know about client life stages and how clients handle endings?
Human Behavior in the Social Environment can deal with endings in the termination stage. Concerning client life stages, I recall another professor operating on a wave theory. Stages come along the ongoing wave. The client will decide whether the pace is too fast or slow depending on their stage of development. However, endings are dependent on the client's personality. If readiness to end isn't there, complications will occur. I think it's good to share feelings about ending before cutting it off entirely.

Practice/micro: How have you experienced successful endings? What do you already do now to help your clients experience successful endings? Regardless of the situation, if the kid gets to go where he knows he will do best, success has been achieved. There have been situations where kids want to live with an Aunt or brother and have been court ordered by the judge to be there, but the court will often order otherwise. I can't say I've experienced successful endings because I don't really have any say-so in what is suggested to the court, but I have had updates on cases that were being researched that were half successes where the judge will meet probation, the state, and the PDA in the middle.

Week 14

This past week, I went to a couple court hearings. They were interesting in their own ways. The first of the two kids going to court was wearing his own clothes because he had been on suspended commitment. Against a few odds, the kid was sentenced to complete programs at Lutherwood. Lutherwood did not have a bed open until Thursday, so the judge allowed him to go back home for a couple days at which time he was court ordered to be dropped off at Lutherwood. The second morning, a similar situation occurred where the placement facility was not yet ready to accept our client since he had been there two times previous. The kid was detained at the time of his court date because of a charge back in October. Sophia, his disposition coordinator, wasn't referred his case until the beginning of this week (it would have been far more helpful to have known back in October!). Anyhow, the placement facility wanted an interview but had not gotten in contact about a date. This kid's judge was covering for his chief magistrate, so he was extra careful to do things right. He made sure to review client rights and confirm with DCS, the state, probation, and the public defender. It was very interesting to watch. I can't think of another situation where I would have such privileged insight into the world of juvenile justice.
The last part of the week was spent at Resolute-a placement facility for sex offenders. Sophia and I visited a client that both of us had spoken with while he was in detention. ST Client requested a visit and was very happy to see us. We got some insight as to the quality of the placement and what was working best for him. It was wonderful to see that he was thriving. One of the therapists took special interest in me because I'm studying social work. He graduated from IUPUI Master's program, and he was telling me all about the reasons I should study the 2-year program because the advanced program speeds through everything.

Research/micro: What are the ways you can evaluate your practice with clients?

Process recordings! haha. After inscribing and reviewing tape recordings, one can really begin to understand how others will perceive your questions as well as feedback. I also like the idea of feedback from a third party such as a supervisor/field instructor who has witnessed client interactions.

Policy/macro: What does the law say about your need for continuing evaluation and education? The Code of Ethics (social work law) mentions the need for both continued evaluation and education. "...social workers should exercise careful judgment and take responsible steps (including appropriate education, research, training, consultation, and supervision) to ensure the competence of their work and to protect clients from harm."

access to Code of Ethics online: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

Week 13?!

I can't believe how many new learning experiences have come to pass! All of a sudden it's feeling like the end of the school year.
Week 13 was an adventure to be had. About once a week, Sophia and I meet with kids while they're detained in the detention center. They talk about the bad food, the point system, the cool and not so cool staff, but mostly how much they want to leave the detention center. While Erika was visiting the site, Sophia had arranged for a tour in order to put some things into perspective. We had a heck of a time booting-up before the tour because we had to wear these goofy belts with a tracking device and a panic button. When all was said and done, my supervisor Sophia, her supervisor Judy, Erika, and I had the unique pleasure of seeing behind the scenes of the Juvenile detention center. Our tour guide showed us how the juvenile delinquents are divided up by careful consideration of maturity level, status offense, as well as age. The atmosphere was very jail-like with loud buzzing doors and consistent walky-talky commotion to boot. We got to see inside of a tri-level dormitory where about 15 kids might live. Attached to the sleeping quarters was a counselor's office. The place was being rennovated, and the only person present was a janitor. I thought the architects did a very nice job constructing areas for almost full visibility of the inmates. Throughout the halls we passed inmates with the craziest hair being escourted to and from "special visits" from public defenders and other staff.
Anyway, Wednesday was the highlight of my week. That afternoon I got some practice with the process recording. I don't know if I will use that particular recording for the assignment, but it was really cool. I met with a kiddo who ran away from the last placement we asked the judge to send him to. He's been locked-up for about a year. We sat with him and let him choose from a series of words folded up in small slivers of paper. He had a lot of fun with this. Sophia took words like "family", "hope", "love", "drugs", "fun", and put them all on small sheets of paper. For the recording, the client and I took turns using the words in sentences that were meaningful to our lives. The client seemed to really benefit from this interaction. He is currently on spring break inside the detention center (I know, right?!) so he was truly bored. He's a talker, too. He actually cried at the very beginning. The word family reminded him of why he was detained the first time. He had been charged with child molestation for having sexual interaction with someone in his family. "Sad case"

Integration question:

Values & Ethics/micro or macro: Describe an ethical issue, concern or dilemma you experienced in the field. How was it resolved? I was became concerned about a particular client who was committed to the Dawn Project in order to address her delinquency issues. I attended some of the latter meetings for the client's (female youth) case, and her assigned counselor seemed very distant to the client in the first meeting. The group members in attendance at the meeting (including the counselor's supervisor) discovered that she had been through several counselors. Further information revealed that the counselor recently visited the home of the client, didn't get much of a response from the client and left early because the youth wasn't opening up. An advocate at the meeting confronted the counselor about not having enough patience with the youth. The counselor came back to subsequent meetings with an improved relationship because she realized how bad it looked to meet with the client less than she's supposed to. She also admitted to calling instead of visiting 3 times a week. They resolved to meet at least once, maybe twice, with the youth alone, and meet at least one time with some other family present.

Week 12

Some of the things I got to do at the agency this week were: finish filing and tour Valle Vista hospital in Greendwood. I managed to catalog 10 boxes of closed files of the kids who are now aged-out of the juvenile system. This was a huge task that has taken me several weeks to complete. Touring Valle Vista was an awesome experience as well. We were greeted by an enthusiastic tourguide who treated us to some Starbucks coffee and pastries. The group got to meet and ask questions of several staff members. The group also saw the various wings of the hospital. Several staff members advised me getting my masters directly after BSW. I do believe I'll take their advice!
Integration question:
HBSE/Macro: How can you determine what the formal and informal boundaries are in a community? Defining community boundaries is easier when one is within the community. However, speaking directly to members of the community in a face-to-face environment makes for a more comprehendable set of instructions about how to operate within boundaries.
*Alternative: Research/macro: What does the research show regarding how often boundary violations occur and in what areas? Provide the link to the abstract or article and citation.
I wasn't able to login to EBSCO host, but I did find an outdated article PDF version at <http://drmwilliams.com/pdf_files/Boundary_Violations.pdf>. This article discusses boundaries when using psychotherapy. Most of the boundary violations include things that have been ruled-out because of the Code of Ethics such as sexual intercourse with a client or accepting gifts. The article addresses boundary issues as if to warn against them. One would be under the impression that boundaries are crossed often in this field.

Week 11

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week really brought a lot of open cases together for me. The first day, I researched 5 clients and created files. I did some copying and faxing in the afternoon. I also attended a couple meetings with probation to discuss agreements/disagreements on dispositions of clients. I was familiar with one of the cases which can be referred to as 'Mimi.' This youth is another one of those 'sad cases' where no one can do much of anything in the line of what the youth wants because the family is searching for stability. At the meeting, it was decided that Mimi should have a short-term placement option before being placed in a home where Dawn services can be in place. The home study we did investigated a man that the youth formerly knew as Dad until a couple years ago. Youth's biological dad is in a nursing home at age 36, and Mom is bipolar. I really hope the youth will be placed at the location of our home study, but many involved parties have apprehensions about such a placement because the homeowner (whom only Sophia and I have met) seems 'creepy.' Wednesday, my immediate supervisor was out of the office, so of course the fax machine had to run out of ink. Lela and I struggled to locate an unused toner cartridge to replace it with. Then, I tried to find an electronic copy of a form which led me to help Lela obtain electronic copies of forms she needed. The success rate of such an activity has yet to be determined. Lela and I also met a new client in detention. He was only 12, but tough enough to talk without using any diction. He was restless, difficult to understand, and fresh out of 5th grade. He did a lot of complaining about the food in detention. Then I found five dollars.
Integration question:
HBSE: How might your assessment of a client differ from that of another person on your team, such as a nurse, doctor, or teacher? I've already noticed how my evaluation of a home study compares to the impressions a probation officer gets from a client. Every one has a story, and every one has a different take on black and white documents proclaiming anything from prison sentences to church affiliations. I may have met with a client who cried to me and passionately expressed his/her hopes for disposition while the only person another team member has done is seen the client's name on a piece of paper and talked to his/her mom on the phone. We both show up at the meeting, but other members might be quicker to assume the worst when they know very little about the client's defense which doesn't always matter to every member of the team. I quickly realized how important it is to have different sources when peicing together a story. However, the system is under-staffed and overloaded with bad situations.

New Ethical Knowledge

During week 8 while I was filing at the 46th Street office, I overheard a public defender freaking-out about a referral. I was in a back room, so I didn't get to see the faces, but I distinctly remember the dialogue. "Ugh! I can't take that case! (Continued groans to attract the attention of passers-by) Look at the chart! 'Torturing or killing animals'- I don't want that case!" The public defender made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with a client who may have tortured or killed animals in his/her past. I realize that this client's actions lie well within the range of "immoral" for many individuals, but the reaction from this public defender scared me a little bit. Every client has a right to be defended because, not only are they are innocent until proven guilty, but they require adequate representation in court. Torturing animals is a huge red-flag for abuse, which is no excuse to commit crimes, but hurting animals is sometimes the only outlet for individuals (especially minors) who do not have access to or knowledge of therapeutic options. I never heard the PD say she wouldn't take the case, nor did I hear her place a request for another PD. However, I learned from my supervisor that she is required by law to have a different public defender aid the client since she would be biased. I also remember learning about such ethical dilemmas in an earlier social work class. I'm already learning what I can and can't handle emotionally because of my own family history. I might have too much of a soft spot for kids to be the person to defend of sexual molester, for instance. Ethical issues are of grave importance to define before entering any field of social work.

Spring Break- Week 10

This week has been crazy! I worked Wednesday and Thursday after coming back from vacation. When I walked into the office Wednesday, I was immediately whisked away to the detention center to meet two new referrals. Sophia and I were hoping to be quick since there was a meeting with the Dawn Project and a home visit soon to follow, but we found ourselves talking to the two kids for an hour. Both had very interesting cases. The male had issues that led him to injure himself. The female was in detention because that's where her bipolar, drug-dealing mom preferred her child to be--very interesting case. Anyhow, we left the center and drove to the Dawn Project meeting for the same client I attended the last meeting for. All the same women were there, and most were late as usual. The client had been doing so well bringing up her grades, building rapport with her counselor, getting into the community, and improving relations with her mom. Recently she got in a fight on the school bus with a boy that is currently under review. We rushed out of the meeting to make it to a home visit. We left a message on our way to a home where a 17 year old youth was on house arrest. When we found the place, no one was home. We left another message, but got back to the office to learn that the youth was detained for auto theft within the last half an hour. So, while we were trying to meet with him in the home, he decided to go steal a car. The rest of the afternoon was dedicated to learning about entering statistics for the database. Thursday was even more intriguing. I started my morning with some filing, grabbed an early lunch at my favorite deli between offices, and received some new referrals to begin building cases for. Not long after, Sophia and I went to a meeting that no longer required our services. We were scheduled to conduct a home study for placement for the female youth we spoke with Wednesday, however we needed more information from the youth. We went to detention and spoke with the youth about what Sophia and I were concerned about. The youth broke into tears because she fears her mother is not looking out for her best interest. Her mother does not agree with what our research determines would be the best fit for the youth outside the detention center. After meeting the youth and hearing how passionate she was about getting out of detention and into a loving home, Sophia and I drove to the home of the man the youth prefers to live with. After meeting him and seeing how much he cares about the youth's well-being, Sophia and I felt obliged to fight for the situation. Several underlying issues exist, but I hope to see the youth back at home with someone who cares about her well-being.

Week 9

Tuesday, Sophia and I talked with a few kids in detention. We had a meeting about all the midterm topics that needed discussed. Sophia signed the document, and I left for 46th Street office to do some filing. The next day I tried to get Lela, my task instructor, to sign the midterm documents, but she was gone. Wednesday morning was spent trying to fax documents to Lela at home. She didn't have ink, but I turned in the document with only my Supervisor's signature. Then I left for Canada the next night! (which is what I was really ready for) .
Integration question:
Policy/macro: What are the time frames needed for developing a treatment plan your agency from the time that the client enters your program. A: What time is needed rarely coincides with what time is had. Treatment plans are only put in place when the youth is out of detention and moving on to department of corrections or a treatment facility. Between the time a youth is referred to the social workers here and the youth's next court date, we have to find placement to suggest to probation or the judge that could be an alternative to the previous situation the youth was in. These times vary from a number of days to a number of months. Who dictates that policy? Mostly the judge. The other part comes from the behavior of the client. If a client is well-behaved, the process can be speedier.
WEEK's hours: 16.5
Hours to date:

Week 8

The past couple weeks I have put in some extra hours. Usually I work all day Tuesday and Wednesday, but recently there have been tours and meetings scheduled for Thursday mornings. This week we went to the Pendleton Department of Corrections where the high-risk juvenile sexual offenders are housed since it is the only juvenile facility licensed to receive high-risk offenders. We learned about all the programs they offer including STEP (Sex offense treatment and education program), GROW (Gang reality in our world), and (I forget the acronym for) a program designed to prepare residents to enter the army. We participated in a guided tour that began in the administrative building. We saw many inmates who looked at us like we were aliens. Some inmates recognized the public defenders we were with, too. We saw inside the rooms, met some of the staff, and got a feel for the programs offered there. When we met with a head administrative lady to initiate the tour, she said something that stuck with me. The approach she takes is, "Being here is punishment enough. The goal is not to focus on the things they've done wrong, but work on developing a lifestyle geared toward dealing with the environment they will eventually enter back into." MSNBC did a documentary on the facility as well. The tour guide told us that the main character they interviewed during the documentary was a star inmate who didn't spend much time in the facility due to good behavior and program completion. The inmate recommitted and entered into an adult prison not long after his release.
The other part of the week consisted of researching a client, meeting him while he was detained, and filing. The boy I met had a history of running away. He was ready to get out detention since he has been there a year now. He wants to be placed in a treatment facility, but it is likely that the judge will see how many times he has runaway from the facilities and decide that a secure location like boy school would be best.

HBSE/micro: What theories of development would be useful for you to know about in your field placement? I like to keep Erikson's theory of development in mind. Industry Versus Inferiority and Learning Identity Versus Identity Diffusion are two commonly witnessed battles in my field. The kids I work with are school-aged from around 5th to 12th grade. These two stages of development are constant considerations at my placement. I also see lots of social workers in my field utilizing the Strengths Perspective. They will begin meetings with what is going well or the overall strengths of the client.

WEEK's hours: 18.2
Hours to date: 137

Week 7

The past week was great for learning plan progress. I got to partake in my first home visit, talk to 3 new kids who were detained, and attend a wraparound services meeting. Sophia had told me about some research she did similar to some research I did myself. I was calling around to agencies who could provide services for sex offenders in case the client would be sentenced to placement in a treatment facility. The common problem was the client's age, but the client whose home we visited was not only aging out of the system, but he had very low IQ and a sex offense. An attorney, my field facilitator, and I journeyed to the home of a Mexican-American youth living with his grandmother. His mother, who resides in her own home with smaller kids, was present with two sons. One boy was very young and distracting through the whole meeting. The youth was very shy, and I think he felt a little overwhelmed when the 3 of us walked in. The attorney spelled out what would happen in court the next day, and Sophia spoke about affordable placement options. Both the disposition coordinator and the attorney were hoping this child could be placed in a treatment facility because he might be able to avoid being placed on the sex offense registry if he is a successful patient. Throughout the meeting, the mother and grandmother would explain the gritty details of the consequences of the youth's behavior. Sophia helped explain some paperwork to be filled out for what sounded like an ideal placement. They also spoke about their history with the judge that the youth would face in court. Apparently his chances for placement were good because his judge had high faith in the treatment process. I'm anxious to know how his court hearing went.
Sophia and I also spent a couple hours talking to new clients. I listen to Sophia tell me all kinds of situations that these kids get into, and I'm learning that it is very difficult to keep track of. She's constantly saying, "You remember the case I was telling you about where the kid was [insert terrible behavior here]?" I actually get to meet some of these kids face-to-face while they are detained. Last Wednesday we interviewed 3 males. The first one was in isolation because he had turned 18. By law, he's not allowed to mingle with the minors while in 'juvi'. This guy was upset that he was missing school. He seemed to have solid goals, but he's up for waiver to be tried as an adult. It doesn't look like he'll be going to culinary art school soon. The second youth was very personable. He told a couple stories that really stuck with me. He assisted a robbery and turned the corner to see two people shot dead. He also spoke of witnessing someone being 'popped' in his former 'hood' when he was about 9. The third youth was a bit stranger. He had a sex offense from handling very young boys. He also talked about how one of his 'cool' uncles used to initiate 'lotion fights' after school some days. This information was definitely a red flag, but will have to be tapped into in the next meeting.
Thursday I attended a Dawn meeting. Dawn project provides wraparound services to a youth and his/her family. The youth was a black female of around 15. She arrived with her mother and grandmother. Grandma was the primary caregiver because Mom is schizophrenic and rarely gets along with Youth. The meeting was incredibly interesting because of all the issues that were brought up. Grandma told the 10 other members present at the meeting that the youth had a bad day recently because the youth's behavior file was accessible on one of her teachers' desks. It was intersting to see this explained by the grandmother before the youth opened up to tell the story herself. Someone from the guidance department at her school said she would look into it. The judge recently changed her counselor, too, which was another issue entirely. The grandmother seemed to think this counselor should have a little more patience with the youth due to a recent home visit where she left early. You could have cut the tension with a knife. The meeting was set in a conference room with a pregnant supervisor, several late arrivals (yet another pregnant woman), and some other emotionally distraught women. I wish I had it on tape, because the progress was enormous. One of the advocates even interupted conversation to acknowledge a remark that was somehow construed as derogatory at the very end. I personally thought the advocate was making something out of nothing, but I really can't begin to explain what was going on. The grandmother was fairly uneducated and the mother didn't speak at all. The client had apparently come a long way, but the services have been in place for years. Some goals they set were to be done with services and have the client see her mom for the whole weekend instead of one night every 2 weeks. After the meeting I locked myself out of my car... while it was running. My dad came to the rescue. What a week!

Research/micro: What has research shown to be the traits a social worker needs to have to engage with a client? My field of work requires honest and mature responses from the teens in detention or on probation. These clients will likely engage with the worker once they feel they can trust the worker. Much like Thompson, Bender, Lantry, and Flynn's (2007) wrote about in their article, alliances must be formed between a worker and a client. The worker must be trustworthy, ideal for advocating on behalf of the clients' true wishes, and up-front. If a parent or client perceives the worker as untrustworthy, it will be difficult to form the necessary therapeutic alliance.
Reference: Thompson, S., Bender, K., Lantry, J., & Flynn, P. (2007). Treatment engagement: Building therapeutic alliance in home-based treatment with adolescents and their families. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 29(1/2), 39-55. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database.

WEEK's hours: 19.7
Hours to date: 118.8

Week 6

Tuesday, the weather was terrible. I worked on a couple of cases in the morning, and filed some remaining paperwork at an office further north in the afternoon. Wednesday, we had a meeting with Judy, the supervisor, to better organize my learning plan based on revisions from all parties. She helped me with the areas of diversity and human behavior in the social environment. We also spoke about midterms and who would be conducting them. Two more referrals were waiting for me at my desk. Once I created case notes it was lunch time. Sophia and I ate at a really cute deli next to the 46th street office. The last part of the day was spent visiting a client at Lutherwood. Lutherwood is a residential facility where about 50 kids are housed. Lots of the kids are victims of sexual abuse which has led to sexual misconduct. Three of us, Sophia, Jill (an attorney), and I were originally there to catch up with a client who seemed to be having a rough time at the facility. I witnessed the kid's court session and consoled him when he was crying afterward. He wanted to go back to Las Vegas where his mom lives, but the judge said that placement in another state would not be ideal for him at the time (too expensive). However, I did not get to follow up with him at the meeting because Sophia conned the director of Lutherwood into giving me a first-hand tour of the grounds. I got to see the gym, the classrooms, the cafeteria, as well as some of the staffed dormitories with boys ages 12-17. It was quite interesting to view a treatment facility directly after touring the department of corrections. The atmosphere was so much more relaxed! The director was much more personable, too.
Practice/macro: Describe how a social worker can participate at the macro level to impact Human Rights? One could start a human rights club at a school or organization. Taking from one of the frequently asked questions from http://www.hrw.org/, it is possible to be provided with the resources to start a group through the human rights watch website.

Practice/micro: When is a client’s right to self-determination not the priority? The client always has the authority to obey his or her own will. No one is obliged to interfere with human choices unless a threat to the health of the client or community at large has presented itself through someone's right to self-determination. I believe self-determination is not high on the priority list if the client is determined to maintain negative behavior patterns such as self-mutilation or abuse, but everyone has the right to live how they want to regardless of the impact on society. Without winter, there would be no summer. Without negative behavior and poor social functioning, there would be no social workers... I'm sure you can reckon with the logic.

WEEK's hours: 16.9
Hours to date: 99.1

Week 5

Tuesday, I learned tons of new names. I spent the day filing closed cases in alphabetic order and catalogging them. It was actually fun- to my surprise. I was able to see how different social workers organized case notes and see how different each case actually turns out (especially in size).
Wednesday was obviously LEAD day- Legislative Education and Advocacy Day. Fairly cool. I enjoyed the amazing breakfast, the beautiful hotel, the enthusiastic social workers, the spankin' luncheon, and the variety of attendees. After 10:30 the day went downhill on a plastic sled greased with vegetable oil. I attended the breakout session for children and families which is pretty much my favorite area of policy. Turns out, the female version of Ben Stein was hosting this breakout. Not good. My attention span was quite limited and captain monotone wasn't helping any. The rally was incredibly cheesy. I felt like only half the group stuck with it, but once we got to the State House the rally really tapered off. Waiting outside the State House was quite possibly the most annoying experience I have been forced to endure since Ben Stein's scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. We stood outside in the rain listening to some hyperactive girls behind us mess up the LEAD day chants for at least 20 minutes. It was a true test of my patience. Once inside the state house, we saw some unique antiquities. I would not have explored nearly as many of the rooms without the requirements of the scavenger hunt. We got to talk to an intern for the leuitenant governer who was attending Butler University. Our group also met a state representative who took our picture in the big room with the mural (pictures to come once cable cord is located for digital camera). The free food made the trip worthwhile.
What was most valuable? How could my learning experience have been improved? The food and the enthusiasm from the leaders was most valuable to me while I would have learned more if the break-out sessions were not spoken about in such a bored tone.
Thursday morning, I went to the Correctional Facility on Girl School Road (the reason the road has its name). As a representative for the Public Defender Agency, I wrote a letter requesting an informational tour of the facilities. Seven of us showed up which is about the perfect number for a tour. When we arrived at the administrative building, an older inmate was waxing the floor. He was supervised and silent. The lady cop who checked us in was bound and determined to give us a hard time. She was on some sort of power trip. We had to check in like we were criminals. We presented ID's, locked all possessions in a locker, and were patted down after a trip through a metal detector. These people went out of their way to make themselves look good. They first presented a power point that was intended to "answer any initial questions we might have." The presentation had loud music, slides with loads of information that we didn't have time to read because they passed so fast, and pictures that were too bright to see like they had adjusted the contrast too much. Very sneaky... You thought we wouldn't figure out that you're a detention facility! Foiled again Dr. Evil! The woman hosting the tour was sure to tell us all about the programs intended to help the kids with reentry into the community, but the validity of her argument has yet to be determined. The facility hosts about 160 girls and 80 boys. They have a new comissioner and have $25,000 less than years previous. They make the delinquents who enter the facility go through phases. The first phase consists of admitting to what they did wrong. I wonder how much trauma some of these kids really endure, because they are made to believe that their crime is 100% their fault, when most cases involve lots instigation from superiors or violations of rights. One example might be a learned behavior where the child has hit a parent because the parent has beaten the child all his or her life. It just seems to me that the people in charge at the department of corrections are anxious to get what they want even if its not the truth. Anyway, the tour was so interesting. The area known as the "segregation" ward is for kids who get in trouble after entering the facility. Most of the girls are cutters or suicidal while the boys are violent toward other boys most of the time. The girls' segregation unit was having the lights replaced. The woman behind the front desk looked she was going to kill someone. She had latex gloves on while she handed one of the electricians a bio-shield intended to protect the staff from spit, blood, etc. Apparently there was a situation with a female inmate attacking the light fixture who took the broken glass to cut herself. We heard screaming, cursing, and much resistance. The inmate sounded sedated and unable to get words out a normal "fit-of-rage" pace. We also saw inside the on-site school. The boys go to school from 7-12 and the girls from 1-6. The guidance counselor said they were looking for a science teacher. All the teachers are required to have Special Education Teaching Certificates. She said the teachers are very strained because kids come in at all grade levels and bring much resistance to succeeding in academics. The psychiatrist gave us a very interesting testimony, too. She was a small Indian lady who was animated and entertaining. She explained the most common ailments the kids had and told us how she handled psychotropic medications. The tour took about 2 and a half hours.
WEEK's hours: 20.2
Hours to date: 82.2

Week 4

My first day back this week was very cool. I went with Lela to a school to obtain some records from the guidance department. The client will likely be sent to DOC (department of correction). Lela was looking for reasons to place this youth in an alternative place that centers around the child's needs instead of a purely correctional environment. She knew he had a low IQ, and his needs weren't exactly being met. She and I searched for presentable documents describing the kid's test scores in a graph form that might better show the judge where the client was in his education. Turns out, he was barely able to read at a 3rd grade level when he was placed in middle school. We met with the special education coordinator and reviewed conduct records and test results the kid had on file. The rest of my time at the agency was committed to researching cases through the QUEST system and creating files for clients who were referred to our sentencing department.
Wednesday was extremely painful to get through because I was handed lots of paperwork in the morning and stayed in my windowless office in front of computer for the full 8 hours. During my computer bonding time, I googled all the agencies of the presenters for the Children's Welfare League of America Conference. This was an interesting search because there was such a variety of presenters, and each agency specialized in an area of social work particular to a certain area of the nation. I created an information page containing the mission statements and identifying characteristics of the unveiled agencies. I was researching a couple of clients' background, and came across a plethora of interesting documents that made placement possibilities difficult. I wrote a letter to the department of corrections staff hoping to tour the facility as well.
Integration question:
HBSE/micro: Where do you think personality develops in terms of someone’s physical and emotional growth?
I think personality develops most when people are out of their comfort zones. Most of my adolescence was spent out of my comfort zone because I was just learning about my identity and limited rights as a minor. In my opinion, adolescence is when you begin to identify with particular aspects of personality. Many elders have informed me that your personality is not fully developed until you're 23 or 24.

Practice/micro: How does your personality reflect and influence how you work with clients and coworkers?
My personality is reflected by my openness with those around me and my willingness to participate in the improvement of social situations. I think people see me as a sociable and observant person with a respectable opinion. This influences clients to open up to me and feel like they have room to contribute to the conversation. With coworkers, I've found that my personality makes them feel very comfortable speaking about anything in front of me without hesitation.

Week 3

This week was my 21st birthday! I had to get up early and go to practicum when I would have much rather found some lonely bar on a Tuesday afternoon and had my first legal drink. Anywho, I completed the first draft of my learning plan BEFORE I listened to the seminar, which was my first mistake. I met with my supervisor to clarify a few things and get additional input. The tasks/activities sections are still pretty foggy, but I think the learning plan is coming together nicely.
I went to several staff meetings with probation on Tuesday. The afternoon was full of meetings where we sat in a cold room and told the head of the department what we thought should be done about several clients who were habitual offenders. Some of the suggestions of the probation department did not agree with what one particular probation officer wanted to happen, but it's all up to the judge in the end. Ethical issues were arising right and left because the staff only has the information that has been recorded on paper by officials and maybe an additional half an hour's worth of conversation with the kid in trouble. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to believe the child when he or she has a history of deception or an unforseen diagnosis that requires placement in a facility that the family cannot afford. At one point, the head of the sentencing department held up a photograph of the child and asked if the picture looked as if the boy was developmentally delayed. Nothing in the paperwork said that he had any real disorder, but one has to wonder what important details get left out of some stories.
Policy/macro: What Indiana Bills & Resolutions for the Spring 08 Legislative Session are of interest to you personally? What Indiana Bills & Resolutions are of interest to you professionally? Describe their significance to you, your agency, & your clients.
Property taxes are currently of concern to me because I'm helping my boyfriend find a house to buy. Another issue on tomorrow's House Calender is homelessness, foster youth, and education. These are three areas that involve my personal empathy as well as relate to my practicum. Many of my clients have been placed in foster homes for a period of their lives because of situations that leave them homeless. People don't normally think of teenagers when they imagine a homeless person, but this is a status affecting numerous youth. For many kids requiring special attention in school, we find that there aren't enough facilities available providing cheap, alternative education. Since the agencies responsibilities include finding accessible education and treatment facilities, it is quite logical to pay mind to these policies.

Week 2

This week was relatively interesting. I got to witness a few court sessions as well as a staff meeting. I did a genogram for one of the kids and created files for kids that were referred to the agency. I also studied lots of boring policy stuff and rearranged my office the way I want it. I also did a lot of shredding for my facilitator.
1. How could doing research for classes impact my relationship with my clients? Since my class research involves a lot of policy and social skills, there are many ways I can apply this to the kids I work with. For instance, interviewing skills including expressing understanding and reflecting feeling and content help when I'm meeting with juvenille deliquents. Also, researching grants that have been written to supply kids with alternate choices outside of incarceration helps as well.
2. What is the agency policy about relationships at work? What are the consequences of infraction of the policy? The agency does not condone employee-client relations outside of the professional environment. One would be fired for becoming involved with a client. Fraternization is also looked down upon.

First Week

My best friend's mom used to work as a public defender for Marion County Juvenilles. She recently left due to burn-out. Since I was hard-up for an internship, she got me a job working for the person who now has her last job. Sophia and Lela are the two ladies I work most closely with. Both are loving cat owners with Bachelor degrees in Social Work.
Tuesday was my first interview. I had to pass through a metal detector the first couple days before I had a badge, and this was a huge pain in the butt. I met with Sophia, Judy, and Lela who seemed to be very excited to take me under their wings. They left everything up to me. I made my own schedule and got oriented right away. They showed me where I could use computers, phones, and workspace. Sophia took me to another office where some of the filing is done. I met about a jillion attorneys and social workers of all walks of life that day. The second day was very long. I started a day log. Wednesday consisted of making my own file for a client and getting to know the computer system a little better. In the afternoon I was prepped to visit four delinquents who were "locked-up." It was great to meet with the criminals and learn about what they went through and what's coming up for them. The last of the four youths needed some paperwork to be completed. It was all psychological background that will be sent to the children's resource group. The entire interviewing process took 4 hours. My supervisor left the two of us alone for about an hour and a half to finish all the psychological evaluations. That evening I did the same paperwork with the youth's mother over the phone. Friday I went in to do some filing for Sophia and watch a session of court. We didn't work all that hard on Friday, but I got to see some interesting aspects of her job.
Reflection/Integration: HBSE/micro: After meeting your first client, can you say what stage of development they are at, according to the theories you learned in human behavior?
I've met 3 clients so far. The setting is inside a juvenille detainment center. The security is much like that of a jail, but the delinquents were all ages 15-17. Some were murderers and others belonged to gangs or have been medicated most of their life. Lots of these kids are at the identity vs identity diffusion stage of life. Much of what they do is an expression of who they want to be seen as. They are capable of formal operations and ethical standards are becoming more clear. However, these teens are in a very transitional stage of life. Lots of them are very limited financially and are at their wits end because they have taken anti-psychotic or ADD medications all their lives.