I'll be the first to tell you...they suck and they freak me out just a little bit.
We encounter fine lines all the time (whether we're aware of them or not) and they consistently guide how we make decisions in our lives.
For example: At times, there's a fine line between being rude and telling someone like it is. There can be a fine line between doing what society wants you to do and doing what is right for you....etc.
Since I've started my program I've come into contact with many fine lines.
Yesterday in SW 5030: Social Work Practice, Strengths based I learned that there is a very fine line between validating someone and showing them empathy. The different comes down to a choice of about five words and very minute facial expressions. So, you could be aiming to validate someone's feelings...but instead of your face showing understanding, your heart is getting in the way and forcing empathy to be written all over your face.
Allegation of child abuse can be an example of a fine line. It's a dizzying mess of he said/she said/they said and complications all around. What if the child is lying? Well, the child has a history of lying about big stuff. Well, the foster parent has never had any issues at all. Is considered to be a "model" foster parent. Well, we heard she's been under some stress recently. It's a bubble of confusion, and I'm glad I don't have to be the one that investigates and interviews and makes these kinds of decisions....yet.
As part of my stipend, I will have to work at Child Protective Services next year. While I look forward to gaining the experience and knowledge, I will admit that I am apprehensive and a little scared. CPS is well-known to be the hardest work in social work. As a CPS worker, you're on the front lines and have to make these types of decisions. Decisions about whether the child can remain in home, if they need to be removed, etc.
Decisions like these, especially because they usually are fine line decisions are difficult. You have to hope that your education and experience will guide you well...then you make what you think is the best decision...and hold on.
At the moment, I am being affected most by the fine line between education and being thrown to the sharks. As part of our program we have to work 16 hours a week in a field practicum placement (aka an internship). As I've stated before, I've been placed at a local foster family agency that is relatively small.
Initially I had a little bit of trouble adjusting to the vast amount of differences between this agency and my previous agency. After what seemed like very little amounts of training, on our second "official" day at the agency, we were given our caseloads. There have been many mixed messages passed around as to what we're supposed to be doing with our caseloads. We have been told to read up on all of them, note what needs updating, and to set up home visits. We're technically supposed to have supervising social workers, but they seem to only be supervising on specific kids.
So, we've essentially taken on the role of MSW-level social workers, managing caseloads of 7-12 foster children after only a month of being in the program. There are five of us interns and we have taken on around 70-80% of the agency's entire caseload.
It's stressful. Having to schedule three familes' two home visits a month when you're only in the office two days a week and they can only meet at 4:30...is daunting. I mentioned this offhand to my field liaison and he said "you guys should NOT have caseloads that large."
The kicker came yesterday in the form of an email from the agency. It informed us that we will not be given our mileage reimbursement checks until all of our clients files are updated.
WHOA. WHOA. WHOA.
We've only been allowed to actually see kids for seventeen days (6 working days for us). I haven't even met all of my clients. Can't update their files if I haven't met them. Also, some of the things in their files have been overdue since June (3 mos before we got here). *end rant here*.
We're supposed to be there to learn. I get it if their way of learning is to throw you in the pool and see if you can stay afloat, but...in this case, there's a fine line between providing a meaningful education and mentoring for the interns...and taking advantage of free labor.
When your interns can't get their reading and homework done because they didn't get home from a home visit till 7pm and had to spend their evening completing paperwork for the county, there's an issue.
I kind of want to confront my field liaison about this ...but I don't know if I'll do it without the support of my fellow interns. I don't want to seem like I'm not willing to do the work or grateful for a placement, or a snitch...because my field liaison loves my supervisor and thinks he's put us in the best placement. It's a hard fine line. Trust in your professor or follow your perceptions?
Encountering fine lines is just another lesson in school of life. After all, "experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards." -Anonymous
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