I was introduced to another side of a co-worker today. Brenda is a highly religious, righteous, law-abiding citizen: as am I. Up until this point in time, Brenda and I have had a fantastic working relationship. But tonight…oh tonight…
Her, Ali, and I were sitting around, just talking while the clients were getting ready for bed, and Ali began speaking of some movies that he had purchased that he had yet to watch. We asked him why he had so many movies that he hadn’t seen yet. He said he had bought a large quantity from a store that had gone out of business, and now he was getting a relatively steady stream of bootleg copies from a guy he knows.
“Ah, ah, ahh!” Brenda shook her finger at Ali and told him that that was illegal. Ali, of course, looked at her like she was crazy and conceded with a “yeah” and continued what he was saying about the movies. He and I began speaking on bootleg movie quality (the big-headed S.O.B. that always wants to stand up and walk around in the middle of a movie, namely) and Brenda couldn’t resist chiming in to tell us that this was a sign that we were doing something wrong and if it weren’t illegal, we would get a better quality movie. Ali and I both sighed to show that we both realized that we had to have this conversation some other time, or Brenda wasn’t going to stop.
Note that this was merely the most distinctive of a day filled with little quips and reminders about the rights and wrongs of the world. From the moment I set foot within earshot of Brenda, to the second I bolted for my car to be away from her, she was a judgment powerhouse.
Here’s the twist. Through self-analysis, and the comments of some of those near and dear to me, I think I may be a Brenda for some people. I don’t feel compelled to say something every time I find out about something “wrong” that someone has done, but I do bring to their attention possible solutions to their problems and thoughts that I have on options that may give them some relief. Somehow, this gets construed as being a Brenda. I’m still not sure how this works, and it’s been going on for a while, so I have been tracking it for some time. The scenario usually goes as follows:
Dana comes up to me and says that his girlfriend just dumped him. Mind you, this is the fifth girl to dump Dana in the past three years. I think to myself, ‘That’s not a good statistic, what could the problem be?’ I think back and realize that all the girls he has gone out with are rail-thin, Latina, and love hanging out in bars. So, I offer Dana the solution of going out with curvaceous, non-Latina women who he finds in libraries or at sporting events.
“Of course!” Dana exclaims. “The women I want don’t want me, so I’ll go for some different women! Thank you!”
Three months later his heart has been fricasseed again. He tells me about the size 1 named Marita Gonzales that he met at Cheers that said she didn’t want to see him again.
I say, “Dana, remember us having the conversation about going after different kinds of women since the kinds of women you are immediately attracted to don’t like you?”
He replies, “What? Well, I mean that is a good idea but…she was ‘different’…”
And so I give up, the friend continues getting into the same situations that they claim to hate, but, in the end, I am the moral Nazi that people hide things from. Go figure.
I understand that sometimes people just want to be listened to, you know, get some things off their chest. My issue is, if you ask me for a solution, why not at least attempt to implement what we’ve worked on? 90% of the time, I don’t merely tell people what to do, we work on a solution together. I’ll make a suggestion, they’ll point out a problem or potential obstacle, and we’ll rework the solution in order to make it better adapted to the friend’s lifestyle. So this is a resolution that I merely helped you come up with.
I can understand having a problem with authority to the point at which you refuse to take people’s suggestions, but to refuse an option you came up with, that was tailored to your life, by you, overseen by an M.S.S.W. candidate is a little difficult to swallow.
Maybe I’m being too simplistic. Maybe there’s something I’m just missing. I guess I’ll just figure it out at you go along.
[P.S. – I ASKED ONE OF MY ‘NEAR AND DEAR’S IF THIS ACCOUNT OF MYSELF SOUNDED ACCURATE, AND THEY AGREED. ]
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
The Fray
The Saturday I came back to work after Christmas was...interesting. It was not enough to invoke resignation, nor a mad, screaming dash over the horizon, but it was jarring. This is mostly because this was my first time dealing with physical conflict.
I was the only tech on duty (again), and all was going relatively well until the counselor on duty, Ali, had to admit a client. This is mostly just paperwork, but it has to be done in a special office in one corner of the building away from me, the clients, air, and opportunity.
"Brawl" One
Attempting to make myself big and circulate, I came up to the second floor on the elevator to be greeted by Greg telling me that someone had been tampering with people's clothes in the laundry room. Someone had turned his washing machine off. Someone had also disturbed Larry's wash. From my viewpoint, they were both coming at me with the same problem. As I set off to look into it, Larry was suddenly yelling in a thoroughly profane manner at Greg. Greg was attempting to get on the elevator anyhow, so I steered him in that direction, but not after holding a stiff arm before myself to keep him from getting to Larry (and his mouth) through me.
I thought all was well for a moment, and continued on my patrol. I rounded the corner to find Larry on his way down a rear staircase, no doubt headed for Greg, who was smoking in the courtyard. Ken and Tommy (more on him later) both ran down the stairs behind Larry to make sure there was not an altercation. I was also downstairs seconds later, and the issue had already been peacefully resolved. Larry had just gone down to clarify with Greg the he was not the one messing with people's laundry (which is apparently what Greg had thought before).
Crisis avoided, I went back to making my rounds.
Altercation Two
Making another round on the second floor, I came upon Tommy talking on the phone, but being yelled at by Teresa. The argument became more heated as I separated the two, sending Teresa down on the elevator. Though not resolved peacefully, these two were kept as far away from each other as practical for the rest of the night. After a small verbal recap in the courtyard when Tommy was passing Teresa on his way to smoke, they were civil from then on.
Charm Three
Just after I closed up the courtyard, Kaylin and Laura almost got into a fist fight. I separated them, sending Kaylin upstairs with another group of women, while I allowed Robert and Ken to help me talk Laura down. When the elevator car returned, we all got on and went upstairs. I had barely stepped out of the elevator when Kaylin and Laura were once again at each other's throats in the hallway. The men were on their side of the hall on the tips of their toes, there was a literal mob of women on the female side of the hallway creating a ring for the event. Luckily, Ken had stepped between the women and kept them away from one another as I pulled Laura away and into the small conference room us techs use as an HQ. I kept Laura at my side for the rest of the night (she helped me lock up all the doors make sure everyone was in bed). She said that the whole thing started with Kaylin saying that she would fuck Laura's physically abusive husband. (Why anyone in their right mind would say something like that I'll never understand.) I left work an hour later than usual, since I had to make note of all that had happened that night and make sure Laura was moved to another room, since she and Kaylin slept in beds next to one another.
At the end of the night, Ali told me I had done a good job. I was glad one of us thought so. But, now that I think about it, no one left, no one used, and no one got hurt, so I had to have done at least a mediocre job. (Right?)
I am really appreciative of all the help I received from clients. I was surprised by how helpful they were in suppressing anarchy. I'm sure a lot of things happened that night that I didn't see, but what I did see will be decent experience for the future I suppose.
I was the only tech on duty (again), and all was going relatively well until the counselor on duty, Ali, had to admit a client. This is mostly just paperwork, but it has to be done in a special office in one corner of the building away from me, the clients, air, and opportunity.
"Brawl" One
Attempting to make myself big and circulate, I came up to the second floor on the elevator to be greeted by Greg telling me that someone had been tampering with people's clothes in the laundry room. Someone had turned his washing machine off. Someone had also disturbed Larry's wash. From my viewpoint, they were both coming at me with the same problem. As I set off to look into it, Larry was suddenly yelling in a thoroughly profane manner at Greg. Greg was attempting to get on the elevator anyhow, so I steered him in that direction, but not after holding a stiff arm before myself to keep him from getting to Larry (and his mouth) through me.
I thought all was well for a moment, and continued on my patrol. I rounded the corner to find Larry on his way down a rear staircase, no doubt headed for Greg, who was smoking in the courtyard. Ken and Tommy (more on him later) both ran down the stairs behind Larry to make sure there was not an altercation. I was also downstairs seconds later, and the issue had already been peacefully resolved. Larry had just gone down to clarify with Greg the he was not the one messing with people's laundry (which is apparently what Greg had thought before).
Crisis avoided, I went back to making my rounds.
Altercation Two
Making another round on the second floor, I came upon Tommy talking on the phone, but being yelled at by Teresa. The argument became more heated as I separated the two, sending Teresa down on the elevator. Though not resolved peacefully, these two were kept as far away from each other as practical for the rest of the night. After a small verbal recap in the courtyard when Tommy was passing Teresa on his way to smoke, they were civil from then on.
Charm Three
Just after I closed up the courtyard, Kaylin and Laura almost got into a fist fight. I separated them, sending Kaylin upstairs with another group of women, while I allowed Robert and Ken to help me talk Laura down. When the elevator car returned, we all got on and went upstairs. I had barely stepped out of the elevator when Kaylin and Laura were once again at each other's throats in the hallway. The men were on their side of the hall on the tips of their toes, there was a literal mob of women on the female side of the hallway creating a ring for the event. Luckily, Ken had stepped between the women and kept them away from one another as I pulled Laura away and into the small conference room us techs use as an HQ. I kept Laura at my side for the rest of the night (she helped me lock up all the doors make sure everyone was in bed). She said that the whole thing started with Kaylin saying that she would fuck Laura's physically abusive husband. (Why anyone in their right mind would say something like that I'll never understand.) I left work an hour later than usual, since I had to make note of all that had happened that night and make sure Laura was moved to another room, since she and Kaylin slept in beds next to one another.
At the end of the night, Ali told me I had done a good job. I was glad one of us thought so. But, now that I think about it, no one left, no one used, and no one got hurt, so I had to have done at least a mediocre job. (Right?)
I am really appreciative of all the help I received from clients. I was surprised by how helpful they were in suppressing anarchy. I'm sure a lot of things happened that night that I didn't see, but what I did see will be decent experience for the future I suppose.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Flight Before Christmas
Client Carter left treatment tonight. Unfortunately, it may have been the fault of some of our staff. First: Back story.
Carter is gay. He had told one counselor, Sara, about this, and she told me, but that’s the most I had ever heard about it before tonight. Carter was officially assigned to Ronda as a counselor during his stay here. He had not told any of the clients or other staff about his sexuality, and even took steps to mask it: talking to the women, talking about the women’s bodies, etc. So, within the span of a single conversation with Sara, I had gone from thinking he was a grubby little perv, to thinking he was pitiful for attempting to overcompensate. The overacting was totally unnecessary. We have some very raunchy clients, and even they steal a glance here and there, or make eye contact, but they never lay it on as thick as Carter did.
Ken (Busy Buddy) had also come to me earlier and said that he felt like leaving. He said that he was anxious and depressed thinking about not being at home for Christmas and not being able to use drugs in celebration as he usually does. He came to me later on and told me that he was being picked on by the other men because his feet / shoes stink and he doesn’t wear name brand clothes. He was prepared to leave because of the comments and jokes.
As I was locking up the first floor of the building, Charles, another counselor, called me up to the second floor. When I got there, Carter was just about done packing his suitcase. A few other clients, along with Carter’s roommates, attempted to get him to stay, but he was not to be persuaded. I lead him to an office phone where I gave his mother directions to come and pick him up. Ken came into the office attempting to explain to Ronda and Charles where Carter was coming from, having been picked on quite a bit himself most of that day. Ronda seemed to ignore Ken and continued to ask Carter directly why he was leaving. He said that he had told her about the name-calling and jokes and she had done nothing about it, so he was fed up and wanted to go.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ronda responded. I don't know if Ronda said this as a hook to get Carter to stay and explain, or if she really didn't remember him telling her about being ridiculed. After all was said and done, Charles told me that he thought that Carter would have used any excuse to leave. I escorted Carter to the back door of the building. On the way he told me that he had told Ronda (along with other staff) that this had been happening and no one had done anything to stop it. He was not going to stay in a treatment center and be picked on for the next thirty (plus) days. I told him that I understood, pointed him in the direction of the nearest pay phone, and bid him a good night and a merry Christmas as I released him into the fray.
I went back upstairs to take the nightly headcount, the atmosphere still charged with a whisper-thin kiss of chaos resolved. When I got to Ken’s room, which he wasn’t sharing with anyone, I found him with the light on, sitting in the chair next to his bed with his head in his hands. His face screamed confusion, frustration, and fear, but all he said was, “Yeah?”
I asked him if he would stay. He said he would. I thanked him and closed his door.
Carter is gay. He had told one counselor, Sara, about this, and she told me, but that’s the most I had ever heard about it before tonight. Carter was officially assigned to Ronda as a counselor during his stay here. He had not told any of the clients or other staff about his sexuality, and even took steps to mask it: talking to the women, talking about the women’s bodies, etc. So, within the span of a single conversation with Sara, I had gone from thinking he was a grubby little perv, to thinking he was pitiful for attempting to overcompensate. The overacting was totally unnecessary. We have some very raunchy clients, and even they steal a glance here and there, or make eye contact, but they never lay it on as thick as Carter did.
Ken (Busy Buddy) had also come to me earlier and said that he felt like leaving. He said that he was anxious and depressed thinking about not being at home for Christmas and not being able to use drugs in celebration as he usually does. He came to me later on and told me that he was being picked on by the other men because his feet / shoes stink and he doesn’t wear name brand clothes. He was prepared to leave because of the comments and jokes.
As I was locking up the first floor of the building, Charles, another counselor, called me up to the second floor. When I got there, Carter was just about done packing his suitcase. A few other clients, along with Carter’s roommates, attempted to get him to stay, but he was not to be persuaded. I lead him to an office phone where I gave his mother directions to come and pick him up. Ken came into the office attempting to explain to Ronda and Charles where Carter was coming from, having been picked on quite a bit himself most of that day. Ronda seemed to ignore Ken and continued to ask Carter directly why he was leaving. He said that he had told her about the name-calling and jokes and she had done nothing about it, so he was fed up and wanted to go.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ronda responded. I don't know if Ronda said this as a hook to get Carter to stay and explain, or if she really didn't remember him telling her about being ridiculed. After all was said and done, Charles told me that he thought that Carter would have used any excuse to leave. I escorted Carter to the back door of the building. On the way he told me that he had told Ronda (along with other staff) that this had been happening and no one had done anything to stop it. He was not going to stay in a treatment center and be picked on for the next thirty (plus) days. I told him that I understood, pointed him in the direction of the nearest pay phone, and bid him a good night and a merry Christmas as I released him into the fray.
I went back upstairs to take the nightly headcount, the atmosphere still charged with a whisper-thin kiss of chaos resolved. When I got to Ken’s room, which he wasn’t sharing with anyone, I found him with the light on, sitting in the chair next to his bed with his head in his hands. His face screamed confusion, frustration, and fear, but all he said was, “Yeah?”
I asked him if he would stay. He said he would. I thanked him and closed his door.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Busy Buddy's Back
That's right. We have another relapse victim. And it's not all roses and puppies this time. Apparantly Ken has been beating on his wife and eldest daughter. I believe they are in the midst of getting a divorce. Besides seeing this information in his file, Ken himself does not seem very different. He's still relatively happy and sociable, as he's always been. He has kept his distance from me a little more this first day he's been back, but that could just be the marijuana working out of his system. He confessed to me that he'd smoked a joint the night before while staying at an acquaintance's home. As of now, he's technically homeless. No one in his family will take him in, so he's been living with near-strangers since he relapsed.
He's got three kids, a wife (who's also in treatment), and since he's not even old enough to buy beer yet, I think that he's done a lot so far and it sucks that he's throwing it all away over drugs / his disease has gotten to this point.
Another tasty slice of pie in this equation is that Gordina, his wife's sister, has also come into the same treatment facility. She recognized him and told me all about the domestic violence that I'd read about. She said that she too was being physically abused by her husband, but she was in the midst of divorcing him. It sounds to me like some family sessions need to be held. But I'm not out of grad school yet, so my opinion doesn't really count now does it?
I don't know how having two people on opposite ends of the same bad situation is going to play out the rest of this week at work, but I hope it doesn't get too crazy. Two people quit this week, and now I and the remaining techs have to pick up the slack (we only have somewhere around nine people left to supervise over 30 inpatient clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and let's not forget that Christmas and New Year's Day are coming up).
One notion I want to address for a second is the idea of me being a 'buddy' to a domestic violence perpetrator. I am not here to judge anyone. It's not my place. All I am present to do is help Ken with his drug problem. The hope is that getting him sober will take care of all the other problems that he's having in his life. I don't want him to be a danger to himself and his family, so I want him in places where he can get the help that he needs. I'm not going to give up on him just because he's doing something I don't agree with. That would be very un-social worker-esque (yes, I made that up all by myself).
He's got three kids, a wife (who's also in treatment), and since he's not even old enough to buy beer yet, I think that he's done a lot so far and it sucks that he's throwing it all away over drugs / his disease has gotten to this point.
Another tasty slice of pie in this equation is that Gordina, his wife's sister, has also come into the same treatment facility. She recognized him and told me all about the domestic violence that I'd read about. She said that she too was being physically abused by her husband, but she was in the midst of divorcing him. It sounds to me like some family sessions need to be held. But I'm not out of grad school yet, so my opinion doesn't really count now does it?
I don't know how having two people on opposite ends of the same bad situation is going to play out the rest of this week at work, but I hope it doesn't get too crazy. Two people quit this week, and now I and the remaining techs have to pick up the slack (we only have somewhere around nine people left to supervise over 30 inpatient clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and let's not forget that Christmas and New Year's Day are coming up).
One notion I want to address for a second is the idea of me being a 'buddy' to a domestic violence perpetrator. I am not here to judge anyone. It's not my place. All I am present to do is help Ken with his drug problem. The hope is that getting him sober will take care of all the other problems that he's having in his life. I don't want him to be a danger to himself and his family, so I want him in places where he can get the help that he needs. I'm not going to give up on him just because he's doing something I don't agree with. That would be very un-social worker-esque (yes, I made that up all by myself).
Friday, November 21, 2008
Roundtrip Ticket
Client Mary has had, what SHE called, a 'relapse'. She had sex with one of her partners that she decided she was going to have no contact with at all: no texting, no talking, no emails, no meeting up, no snail mail, no smoke signals--nothing. And yet, she's done it again. I really wouldn't care one way or the other if it weren't for the fact that she seems to be deeply in love with this antagonist 'Bryan'. But, to him, she is quite obviously just someone to have sex with, nothing more, nothing less. Unfortunately, he is someone who lies, manipulates, and steals heavily. The last time he was at her house (before the 'relapse') he stole about $500 worth of electronics (a Wii complete with about six games and two nanchaku controllers); he consistently uses the proverbial "this is more than sex" spiel to get into her pants; and she has no idea how many sexual partners he actually has, but the women that he is romantically involved with manifest themselves in text messages and angry voice mails. There's only been one physical confrontation in which Mary was found out to be the 'other woman', luckily that merely ended in Mary's phone being chucked from a second story window and broken.
On my end, of course, I cannot fathom why anyone would stay in a "relationship" that causes so much trouble. Sure, she has her sexual escapades on the side, but Bryan is a pretty invariable force in her life, so everything always comes back to him. That's kind of where my 'love' diagnosis comes from. Then again, it could be desperation. Bryan knows all of her sexual likes and dislikes, so she doesn't have to tell him every time she has sex with him what she wants him to do. She is a relatively lazy person, and having sex with new people all the time means she has to start all over with her communication of her desires.
So, here we are at another standstill. I'm just waiting to see how this all unfolds. I'll still be there for her to talk it out with. But every solution she has come up with to help her meet her goal of not being a slut anymore, hasn't worked. There doesn't seem to be any scaring her either. She's already gotten one disease that could've been something else, something much worse; she's not afraid of becoming pregnant, though she can barely take care of herself; and these women that mysteriously pop up that Bryan has lied about being involved with (for some reason unbeknownst to me) don't make her worry for her physical safety. It seems like a no-brainer when I weigh these possible outcomes against MAYBE 20 minutes of sexual intercourse.
On my end, of course, I cannot fathom why anyone would stay in a "relationship" that causes so much trouble. Sure, she has her sexual escapades on the side, but Bryan is a pretty invariable force in her life, so everything always comes back to him. That's kind of where my 'love' diagnosis comes from. Then again, it could be desperation. Bryan knows all of her sexual likes and dislikes, so she doesn't have to tell him every time she has sex with him what she wants him to do. She is a relatively lazy person, and having sex with new people all the time means she has to start all over with her communication of her desires.
So, here we are at another standstill. I'm just waiting to see how this all unfolds. I'll still be there for her to talk it out with. But every solution she has come up with to help her meet her goal of not being a slut anymore, hasn't worked. There doesn't seem to be any scaring her either. She's already gotten one disease that could've been something else, something much worse; she's not afraid of becoming pregnant, though she can barely take care of herself; and these women that mysteriously pop up that Bryan has lied about being involved with (for some reason unbeknownst to me) don't make her worry for her physical safety. It seems like a no-brainer when I weigh these possible outcomes against MAYBE 20 minutes of sexual intercourse.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Boomerangs
I was at work and ran into a client that had been there before, when I first started. She and I always had a good relationship, but that didn't mean I wanted her to come back.
I told her as much and she said she just 'fucked up' again. I told her it was alright. At least she was here and not in prison, still using, or dead. I understand that, working in this field, there will be plenty of recidivism. You should get a grasp on that too if you're serious about being a social worker. Whether you want to work for domestic violence victims, foster child services, or many of the other fields that social workers grace, you will have to deal with people that don't 'get it' on the first try, and even people that never 'get it'.
Unfortunately, I also saw a girl I used to go to school with be admitted. This was rather shocking. She's a little younger than me, probably about nineteen, so I was on my way to college when she was entering high school, but I remember seeing her around quite a bit because she used to hang out with my younger cousin, who also went to the same school as I did.
I don't know her well enough to gauge whether or not she fell off a high horse, or finally admitted she had a long-standing problem and crawled up from the gutter, but, again, at least she's somewhere that can give her some sort of aid with her addiction.
I told her as much and she said she just 'fucked up' again. I told her it was alright. At least she was here and not in prison, still using, or dead. I understand that, working in this field, there will be plenty of recidivism. You should get a grasp on that too if you're serious about being a social worker. Whether you want to work for domestic violence victims, foster child services, or many of the other fields that social workers grace, you will have to deal with people that don't 'get it' on the first try, and even people that never 'get it'.
Unfortunately, I also saw a girl I used to go to school with be admitted. This was rather shocking. She's a little younger than me, probably about nineteen, so I was on my way to college when she was entering high school, but I remember seeing her around quite a bit because she used to hang out with my younger cousin, who also went to the same school as I did.
I don't know her well enough to gauge whether or not she fell off a high horse, or finally admitted she had a long-standing problem and crawled up from the gutter, but, again, at least she's somewhere that can give her some sort of aid with her addiction.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Busy Buddy
I work at an addictions treatment facility. My facility focuses on drugs, not gambling, sex, or other types of addictions. I am what you might call a...chemical dependency technician (bet that'll look good on a résumé, right?). Basically, I babysit the clients while I'm there, usually second shift which is from about 2:30p.m. until 10:30p.m., which is when all the clients go to bed.
There's a client that is here now we'll call 'Ken'. I really like Ken. He's funny, not unintelligent, and a relatively happy person. (Un)Fortunately he doesn't quite have what it takes to sit still. He's usually up and moving, whether it's following me around, out in the courtyard playing ping pong, or sitting at a table and making people laugh, he is definitely not my definition of 'mellow'. But that's alright, for the most part, since I'm only with him four days out of the week.
My issue is whether or not he and I are spending too much time together. Are we getting too "buddy-buddy"? Do the other clients feel put off by the fact that I spend the majority of my time talking through his problems with him? How do the other staff members feel about the way I treat him? Have they even noticed? Do they care at all?
I'm not exactly frantic over this, but it was a thought that had run through my head a couple of times during the past few days. I don't think I'll worry about it too much. Especially since he'll be leaving before the week is up. He's got a job and a half-way house room set up and waiting for him. I'm proud of the progress he's made, but I still think he has a long way to go. He allows himself to get upset over the most trivial things entirely too easily. He talks back to staff a lot when they attempt to correct or reprimand his behavior.
But he, and all the other clients, never treat me this way. When I ask them to do something, it gets done. The difference may lie in the fact that I try to be as respectful towards the clients as I can. I've noticed that a lot of the other staff members never think the clients are innocently enjoying themselves no matter what they may (not) be doing, and they speak to the clients as if they are rude pets or disobedient children. I told my supervisor before she actually hired me that I thought that I might be a bit too trusting for the job, but she didn't seem to think that it was a big problem.
Well, I've got a three month review coming up in a few weeks. Hopefully I won't be let go. I've been told that I would have to be attempting termination in order to actually be fired, but (unbeknownst to other staff) that's a task I'm overqualified for.
There's a client that is here now we'll call 'Ken'. I really like Ken. He's funny, not unintelligent, and a relatively happy person. (Un)Fortunately he doesn't quite have what it takes to sit still. He's usually up and moving, whether it's following me around, out in the courtyard playing ping pong, or sitting at a table and making people laugh, he is definitely not my definition of 'mellow'. But that's alright, for the most part, since I'm only with him four days out of the week.
My issue is whether or not he and I are spending too much time together. Are we getting too "buddy-buddy"? Do the other clients feel put off by the fact that I spend the majority of my time talking through his problems with him? How do the other staff members feel about the way I treat him? Have they even noticed? Do they care at all?
I'm not exactly frantic over this, but it was a thought that had run through my head a couple of times during the past few days. I don't think I'll worry about it too much. Especially since he'll be leaving before the week is up. He's got a job and a half-way house room set up and waiting for him. I'm proud of the progress he's made, but I still think he has a long way to go. He allows himself to get upset over the most trivial things entirely too easily. He talks back to staff a lot when they attempt to correct or reprimand his behavior.
But he, and all the other clients, never treat me this way. When I ask them to do something, it gets done. The difference may lie in the fact that I try to be as respectful towards the clients as I can. I've noticed that a lot of the other staff members never think the clients are innocently enjoying themselves no matter what they may (not) be doing, and they speak to the clients as if they are rude pets or disobedient children. I told my supervisor before she actually hired me that I thought that I might be a bit too trusting for the job, but she didn't seem to think that it was a big problem.
Well, I've got a three month review coming up in a few weeks. Hopefully I won't be let go. I've been told that I would have to be attempting termination in order to actually be fired, but (unbeknownst to other staff) that's a task I'm overqualified for.
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