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.