clock in...clock out.

I type in my employee code and place my hand on a machine. The directed spots scan my fingers and assess whether or not it is truly me clocking into the system. After confirmation of my identity, I place my lunch in the fridge and walk to my supervisor’s temporary office. We both get brand new offices once they finish painting the building next door. I also get a new computer and a phone. I’m excited to decorate and organize!!

My supervisor and I organize patient files, update progress notes and call families to confirm appointments. We eat lunch. We meet with the director to discuss cases and best of all, we go into the field. I LOVE meeting our patients and their families. The typical location is a rundown apartment complex with tons of unsupervised children, aged 1 to about 10 years, running around or a house tucked into an older neighborhood with many people in and out of the home. When we walk up to a house the neighbors stare. Often we get “are you from CPS?” We answer no, friendly greet them and continue to the home. It’s sad to me that these kids all know what a social worker looks like.

Once inside, we work with both the parent and the youth. Surprisingly, the youth engage for the most part. Not surprisingly, the parents are tired, frustrated and overwhelmed. The minors don’t seem to mind doing the worksheets and discussing their probation, violations and progress. They are completely honest and the more we meet with them the more they trust we are there to help, not to judge their family. The majority have already made up their mind…they are going to let us help or not and they are either going to stay out of jail or go back. Some of the kids that have been to jail more than once are desensitized to the process; they don’t want to go back, but they aren’t willing to follow probation orders. Some have been in and out and are sick of the lifestyle. Some are scared to go again.

The common themes for all of them is that they know their actions are wrong, they know they aren’t being responsible, they know what losing your freedom is like and they know they don’t want to go back again. Their families all want them to seek help, but some members of the families don’t realize they are a huge barrier to recovery for the youth.

I love my new job. And, I love that I can help offer hope. I type in my employee code and place my hand on a machine. The directed spots scan my fingers and assess whether or not it is truly me clocking out of the system. After confirmation of my identity, I walk to my car and go home. A day well spent.