So, I have decided to start my first blog to fill my own need and hopefully the need of some other folks out there. I am an I.C.M. or Intensive Case Manager working with the mentally ill as well as those with substance abuse problems. I have been in the mental health field for about a dozen years. I went to college, majored in Psychology and planned on being a therapist. I could not afford to live and continue with my education, so I have not been able to get my Master's. I applied for whatever jobs in the mental health field I was eligible for. I ended up working in a group home for a year and felt traumatized by the experience. I left the field and went to work for a cell phone company. After about 6 months of that, I decided to give mental health another try. I worked at a local crisis residence, splitting my time between administrative responsibilities and direct care with clients. Eventually I applied for a case manager position in another unit of my agency. I had a vague idea of what the job entailed but knew for sure that it was a higher salary than the crisis residence.
Even though I thought that my life would have worked out differently and I would have been a therapist in a nice cushy office, I am glad that my career has developed the way it has. I love my job. It gives me the opportunity to really have an impact on people because I spend time with them in their homes, doctor's offices and other places in the community. I want to keep doing what I'm doing because I do love it but I am frustrated with the "status" of I.C.M.s. It seems that most people have no idea what a case worker does. Those in the field who do know what a case worker is usually don't have respect for the workers. It is considered a low skill job when in fact it is the opposite. Sure there are a lot of case workers out there who don't do such a great job. But a good caseworker can not be underestimated. I work with the toughest, sickest clients in the field. I currently case manage the chronically homeless. Trust me, these folks don't end up being homeless unless they are really, really sick in some way.
I try to slowly steer these folks into getting treatment and housing. It involves accepting them in their current situation while still knowing that they have the capacity to change. There is no formula for doing this. I did not learn how to do this in school. I learned by using my intuition and often making stupid mistakes. It is a complicated art -- learning how to earn someone's trusts so they let you into their lives. It takes time to learn which questions are ok to ask with which person and when they are able to hear it. It takes time to learn when, how and how much to push someone to change. It takes time to learn to monitor your own feelings so that you aren't making decisions based solely on personal feelings. It takes time to learn the ins and outs of the system -- applying for Social Security, welfare, Medical Assistance and getting to know the players.
Even though all of these challenges and more are part of the job, it continues to be an under-appreciated field. We are looked upon as "just" case workers, with no actual knowledge about symptomotology and recovery. We are looked upon as "taxe drivers" who do nothing but take people from point A to point B. I am so frustrated by this lack of understanding that I have decided to reach out because I know there are others out there who feel the same way. I want to be able to give and get support from my fellow caseworkers. I would love for more of the world to understand what a caseworker is and does. I don't want to be the ghosts in your neighborhood anymore. I always say that we are not noticed when we are doing our jobs, but if we suddenly disappeared I think that people would notice.
This is my first post and I don't know how to get people to see it. I am going to figure that out next. Even if no one else sees this than at least I have a way to record my day to day frustrations. If you do happen upon this please feel free to contact me and comment on anything written.
Even though I thought that my life would have worked out differently and I would have been a therapist in a nice cushy office, I am glad that my career has developed the way it has. I love my job. It gives me the opportunity to really have an impact on people because I spend time with them in their homes, doctor's offices and other places in the community. I want to keep doing what I'm doing because I do love it but I am frustrated with the "status" of I.C.M.s. It seems that most people have no idea what a case worker does. Those in the field who do know what a case worker is usually don't have respect for the workers. It is considered a low skill job when in fact it is the opposite. Sure there are a lot of case workers out there who don't do such a great job. But a good caseworker can not be underestimated. I work with the toughest, sickest clients in the field. I currently case manage the chronically homeless. Trust me, these folks don't end up being homeless unless they are really, really sick in some way.
I try to slowly steer these folks into getting treatment and housing. It involves accepting them in their current situation while still knowing that they have the capacity to change. There is no formula for doing this. I did not learn how to do this in school. I learned by using my intuition and often making stupid mistakes. It is a complicated art -- learning how to earn someone's trusts so they let you into their lives. It takes time to learn which questions are ok to ask with which person and when they are able to hear it. It takes time to learn when, how and how much to push someone to change. It takes time to learn to monitor your own feelings so that you aren't making decisions based solely on personal feelings. It takes time to learn the ins and outs of the system -- applying for Social Security, welfare, Medical Assistance and getting to know the players.
Even though all of these challenges and more are part of the job, it continues to be an under-appreciated field. We are looked upon as "just" case workers, with no actual knowledge about symptomotology and recovery. We are looked upon as "taxe drivers" who do nothing but take people from point A to point B. I am so frustrated by this lack of understanding that I have decided to reach out because I know there are others out there who feel the same way. I want to be able to give and get support from my fellow caseworkers. I would love for more of the world to understand what a caseworker is and does. I don't want to be the ghosts in your neighborhood anymore. I always say that we are not noticed when we are doing our jobs, but if we suddenly disappeared I think that people would notice.
This is my first post and I don't know how to get people to see it. I am going to figure that out next. Even if no one else sees this than at least I have a way to record my day to day frustrations. If you do happen upon this please feel free to contact me and comment on anything written.
I was recently at a Trauma Conference in Boston and one of the speakers was the former director of Children & Youth in Mass. He talked about this--the stress and trauma experienced by caseworkers and the lack of acknowledgement and support they receive. He got a standing ovation!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to hear that other people are starting a dialogue on it as well. I know that there are a lot of other people who feel the same way. Now, what can we do about it?
ReplyDeleteIn some ways I am glad when celebrities like Britney Spears are diagnosed with a mental illness because it brings some awareness to the issue. Now if only she would get herself a caseworker......