The Cell Phone

As I mentioned in my last post, I was given a cell phone by my agency so that I could regularly communicate with clients. The therapeutic model that our agency uses (Multisystemic Family Therapy) requires fairly intense client contact. We do in-home work and often have close communication with the family's other systemic supports such as probation officers, caseworkers, school teachers, etc. Needless to say, we are very involved in our client's lives for the brief time they are on our caseload.

Anyways, receiving that agency cell phone was a long awaited moment. It has mades communicating with clients easier; it not only means I am official, but it also means that I don't have to worry about wasting my personal cell minutes on work related stuff (which was a previous stressor).

Although I still get a kick that I have a "work phone," I have since discovered the hidden pros and cons.

1.) I set the ring tone to "Step by Step" by the heart throb boy band group of my tween years, New Kids on the Block. While most of the kids I work with are too young to understand the ring tone and while most of the adults are too old, I still find it really funny.

2.) A client called at 6:45 am this morning. What?! I guess this mom just HAD to know something... It made me realize that those sorts of calls are exactly what I signed up for when I took the job. Oy.

3.) Every time I see that I've missed a call or have a new voice message, I get a little anxious. "Oh great....what drama is going to unfold now that I have to try and sort through." This morning it was news that a client that had been clean for months suddenly had a UA (urine analysis) come up positive for THC (aka pot). Great. Now I have to productively put out that fire...

Technology has always been a blessing and a curse, now I just have one more way that it can (positively?) influence my life.

Social Worker in Progress

I am about six weeks away from receiving my master’s in social work. I’ve just accepted my first “real” job at a place that I’ve interned for the past eight months. I was handed a cell phone, three new cases, and was even shown a mock business card reading MY NAME, MSW. It was a satisfying moment. Although some degree of anxiety is settling in, I feel thrilled and blessed to continue my work as a family therapist for this agency. For one of the first times in my life, it seems that I just fit right where I am... With graduation and a paycheck on the horizon, there’s no doubt that my passion and excitement for my work is seeping out. Perhaps that is why I feel such an urge to write about it.

Nonetheless, I also feel overwhelmed. I think I always will. I’m not yet at the stage where I feel like I can trust my instincts as a therapist, although today I was officially given the permission to do so, and that was nice. So, I’m going to use this place as a venue to debrief my experiences as well as explore my growth as both a social worker and a clinician.

I don’t really expect anyone to consistently read what I write, but welcome to my musings.