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Work is thoroughly irritating me today.
It started off fine enough - my first appointment showed up (he always shows up), and then my second didn't but I wasn't really expecting him to. Then I ate lunch and headed downtown for open hours. They were busy, but not too terrible. Then I came up here for open hours, but no one wanted a case manager except for one guy. So that was quick. But then my other appointments didn't show! GRR! So, like, from 4:30-6:30 I will be sitting here with nothing to do because I did all of my busy work during my open hours, and I have no evening appointments.
At least I have "Chinese Fortune." Mmm.
But I had the most obnoxious, pass-the-buck thing said to me today at my open hours downtown. You see, Faith Mission policy is that if you have a night out unexplained (as in, you didn't clear it ahead of time and you weren't in the hospital), you lose your bed and can't come back for 30 days. (In the business, we call this a "30 day out.") Anyway, apparently a resident lost his bed last night because he was using substances and never made it back.
He came to me to ask for his bed back. I told him that I couldn't arrange that, and he'd have to do 30 days out. At this point, his situation became all my fault. Now, I'm the first person to take responsibility for stuff that I have no control over, but this was too much. Apparently, it was my fault this man used drugs and was out all night and lost his bed - it's my fault because I wasn't at work yesterday or Sunday or Saturday, and so I couldn't "get him into a treatment program," and so he lost his bed. I apologized for the lack of CM services over the long weekend, but reminded him that he could have, at any time, looked in the phone book and called a treatment program if he was struggling with his addiction. At this point, he said that I had to give him his bed back because I wasn't here to do my job.
Me: I'm sorry you feel that way. If you'd like, I can give you the phone number to the Health Department. I can even write you a referral to another shelter.
Him: I need my bed back.
Me: I am unable to do that, sir. You will need to do 30 days out. Would you like the phone number to the Health Department?
Him: I can't believe this place. I lost my bed because you didn't do your fucking job. What kind of place is this? What kind of a counselor are you? You won't even do your job.
At that point, there was nothing else to say but, "Good luck, sir. Have a good day."
It started off fine enough - my first appointment showed up (he always shows up), and then my second didn't but I wasn't really expecting him to. Then I ate lunch and headed downtown for open hours. They were busy, but not too terrible. Then I came up here for open hours, but no one wanted a case manager except for one guy. So that was quick. But then my other appointments didn't show! GRR! So, like, from 4:30-6:30 I will be sitting here with nothing to do because I did all of my busy work during my open hours, and I have no evening appointments.
At least I have "Chinese Fortune." Mmm.
But I had the most obnoxious, pass-the-buck thing said to me today at my open hours downtown. You see, Faith Mission policy is that if you have a night out unexplained (as in, you didn't clear it ahead of time and you weren't in the hospital), you lose your bed and can't come back for 30 days. (In the business, we call this a "30 day out.") Anyway, apparently a resident lost his bed last night because he was using substances and never made it back.
He came to me to ask for his bed back. I told him that I couldn't arrange that, and he'd have to do 30 days out. At this point, his situation became all my fault. Now, I'm the first person to take responsibility for stuff that I have no control over, but this was too much. Apparently, it was my fault this man used drugs and was out all night and lost his bed - it's my fault because I wasn't at work yesterday or Sunday or Saturday, and so I couldn't "get him into a treatment program," and so he lost his bed. I apologized for the lack of CM services over the long weekend, but reminded him that he could have, at any time, looked in the phone book and called a treatment program if he was struggling with his addiction. At this point, he said that I had to give him his bed back because I wasn't here to do my job.
Me: I'm sorry you feel that way. If you'd like, I can give you the phone number to the Health Department. I can even write you a referral to another shelter.
Him: I need my bed back.
Me: I am unable to do that, sir. You will need to do 30 days out. Would you like the phone number to the Health Department?
Him: I can't believe this place. I lost my bed because you didn't do your fucking job. What kind of place is this? What kind of a counselor are you? You won't even do your job.
At that point, there was nothing else to say but, "Good luck, sir. Have a good day."
no subject
Date: 2003-01-21 03:44 pm (UTC)YOU BROKE MY SERVER!! I'LL SUE!
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Date: 2003-01-21 04:31 pm (UTC)You should come to Union to watch QaF. :)
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Date: 2003-01-21 04:00 pm (UTC)In short, I feel your pain.
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Date: 2003-01-21 04:40 pm (UTC)(Oh wait, you DO have long vacations!)
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Date: 2003-01-21 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-22 06:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-21 04:09 pm (UTC)Hey, I don't care what you do, own up to it and take the punches dude and I'll be there to hold your hand... but don't blame shit on me when YOU can't take responsibility for your own actions.
Grrr. Sounds like two of my teenagers right now.
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Date: 2003-01-22 06:30 am (UTC)How can we be teaching a whole population of people that they are powerless? Doesn't this go against EVERY SINGLE THING I've ever been taught about empowerment and the stregths perspective?
Oy.
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Date: 2003-01-22 07:18 am (UTC)However, I know AA helps some people, and that some folks involved with the program would tell me that the folks I'm talking about aren't doing the program right. Takes all kinds, I guess.
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Date: 2003-01-22 07:35 am (UTC)It's sort of cultish. :(
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Date: 2003-01-22 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-22 02:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-22 03:36 pm (UTC)My particular philosophy that fuels my personal social work practice is one that states that each and every individual has strengths, and those strengths can be used by the individual to solve his/her issues.
I don't like the idea of my clients telling themselves on a daily basis that there is something in their lives that they are powerless over. But that's just me.
But that still doesn't mean that AA is bad. On the contrary, it's helped a whole lotta people.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-21 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-21 04:41 pm (UTC)I wouldn't say no one. But a lot of people, yeah.
Phooey.
This kind of stuff
Date: 2003-01-21 05:02 pm (UTC)Shannon was telling me the other day about a client she has who keeps on losing his bed due to alcohol. Last winter, drunk and sleeping outside, he got severe frostbite, and lost several fingers and toes. Which didn't sober him up for more than a couple of weeks. This is why I think it's ridiculous to lock people up for drugs--drink or use enough, and you WILL get physically punished, not by the law but by the cold or by the muggers, or someone else.
When he decides that this sucks enough, he'll get into treatment, or quit on his own. No way of knowing when that will happen.
Re: This kind of stuff
Date: 2003-01-22 06:33 am (UTC)Normally, though, I'm not irritated by the whackjob things that people say to me. I was just in a mood yesterday. I was tired and irritable and worried that I was getting sick. Happily for today, this does not seem to be the case. However, I'm getting plenty tired of this weather.
I think we are going to lose all of our fingers and toes in Pgh.
no subject
Date: 2003-01-21 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-22 06:36 am (UTC)These people are survivors. If you have to fake a stomach pain to get a place to stay, by all means - I would do it, too.