Ahh, Mrs Graves. Mrs Graves is, in essence, that one client with whom you never know quite what to expect. And that's not a bad thing.
In any Department of Social Services, you're going to encounter, well, everything. The clients who walk in our doors come from all walks of life. Maybe there's trouble in the home. Maybe there's a language barrier. Maybe there's a mental health concern. Maybe there's an economic crisis. We, as social workers, have such heavy caseloads we're stressed out enough without bringing our clients' stresses onto ourselves. And sometimes, in our haste to get things done and with the constant weight of our caseloads on our shoulders, we forget it's the problems- not the people themselves- that bring them through our doors. And sometimes, when we struggle to handle a difference or unusual situation we've never encounterd, we blame the person again. I've seen older workers, with the weight of it all grinding on them, express frustration because of a client they worked with and how taxing it was on their patience, as opposed to frustration over the situation that brought the client to them in the first place. It's a remarkably easy thing to do. This job is so much more fulfilling if the focus of your work is the good your doing in others' lives and not the stress it can bring. Does that mean your job will get easier? Probably not. But will you appreciate the results of your hard work more? Absolutely.
Ahh, Mrs Graves. Mrs Graves is, in essence, that one client with whom you never know quite what to expect. And that's not a bad thing.
In any Department of Social Services, you're going to encounter, well, everything. The clients who walk in our doors come from all walks of life. Maybe there's trouble in the home. Maybe there's a language barrier. Maybe there's a mental health concern. Maybe there's an economic crisis. We, as social workers, have such heavy caseloads we're stressed out enough without bringing our clients' stresses onto ourselves. And sometimes, in our haste to get things done and with the constant weight of our caseloads on our shoulders, we forget it's the problems- not the people themselves- that bring them through our doors. And sometimes, when we struggle to handle a difference or unusual situation we've never encounterd, we blame the person again. I've seen older workers, with the weight of it all grinding on them, express frustration because of a client they worked with and how taxing it was on their patience, as opposed to frustration over the situation that brought the client to them in the first place. It's a remarkably easy thing to do. This job is so much more fulfilling if the focus of your work is the good your doing in others' lives and not the stress it can bring. Does that mean your job will get easier? Probably not. But will you appreciate the results of your hard work more? Absolutely.
Never forget to stop and look for the flowers.