judecorp: (gargamel)
[personal profile] judecorp
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."

Date: 2003-01-21 03:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] communista.livejournal.com
Ha. Sounds like my job.

YOU BROKE MY SERVER!! I'LL SUE!

Date: 2003-01-21 04:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
I wish I had a server to break RIGHT NOW.

You should come to Union to watch QaF. :)

Date: 2003-01-21 04:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] geniusorafool.livejournal.com
Great stuff, isn't it? I personally love the parents who call and yell at me at the end of the quarter saying that it's my fault their kids failed. When I explain, "Johnny didn't do any of the 11 homework assignments this quarter, either of the 2 major projects, and he had a test average of 12" they still say it's my fault. Then they yell at me for not contacting them. To which I answer, "I sent 2 contact forms home with my phone number on them and left 2 messages at your home number." Then, they get irritated and tell me it's my fault again. That's generally when the conversation ends.

In short, I feel your pain.

Date: 2003-01-21 04:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
We need longer vacations.

(Oh wait, you DO have long vacations!)

Date: 2003-01-21 04:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] geniusorafool.livejournal.com
We need more money...so I can actually enjoy my long vacations without having to work a second job to live here. They need to pay both of us more money Jude!

Date: 2003-01-22 06:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
You are /so/ right!

Date: 2003-01-21 04:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] iansha.livejournal.com
That is precisely why I cannot do substance abuse counseling. I don't want to stereotype the entire population, but there is a general "its not my fault, its someone else's" thing going on and the whole lack of accountability thing fucks with me.
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.

Date: 2003-01-22 06:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
You know, I hate to say this, but I think AA (and the other "Anonymous" programs) totally foster this. One of the 12 Steps specifically talks about how the person needs to acknowledge that s/he is powerless over drugs and alcohol and (in another Step) the Higher Power needs to intervene.

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.

Date: 2003-01-22 07:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] indigodove.livejournal.com
I agree with you here -- I also think AA often fosters a different dysfunctional pattern rather than promoting healthy behavior. I've spoken with several people who seem to be as addicted to the program as they were to their various substances.

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.

Date: 2003-01-22 07:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
Oh, it definitely helps some people, there is no doubt about that. But I know what you're saying about how some people can shift their addiction from drugs to the program.

It's sort of cultish. :(

Date: 2003-01-22 08:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] indigodove.livejournal.com
Great minds think alike :)

Date: 2003-01-22 02:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lemur68.livejournal.com
Well....you can also look at it as acknowledging that you've reached a point where you have to cut your losses, not complete and total submission to the problem. There's a difference.

Date: 2003-01-22 03:36 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
Like I said, I'm not saying that AA is a bad thing. I'm just not really fond of the wording. I know it's not as poetic or as gutwrenching to say, "I know that alcohol and drugs has become an all-consuming issue for me," but to say "I was powerless" just doesn't sit well with me.

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.

Date: 2003-01-21 04:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dietbubba.livejournal.com
Of course its your fault. No one in this day and age takes repsonsibility for their actions.

Date: 2003-01-21 04:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
No one in this day and age takes repsonsibility for their actions.

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)
From: [identity profile] vorpalbla.livejournal.com
Really doesn't distress me any more. Maybe because I've been here longer than you (counting my internship and summer work in 2001).

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)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
I totally agree that it is ridiculous to lock people up for drugs and alcohol. I'm not even going to bother explaining why I think so, because it should be common sense.

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.

Date: 2003-01-21 11:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ae-osu.livejournal.com
Jude- sorry to hear that you have to deal with yet another kind and generous display of affection... I had my share of that today as well. I absolutely know this kind of person though b/c we get them all the time at Mount Carmel. They come into the ER with... "stomach pains" and go out to a psych facility- just so they can have a nice warm bed to sleep in.. It amazes me that people can get the assistance ie:Your guy already had his bed, but then they would rather continue to play the "woe me" card. So many times with people in different situations I just want them to ACKNOWLEDGE that they're doing that to themselves and if they ever really want to know why they've fallen from grace- they should take a look around at what they CONTINUE to do to themselves... Without it being anyone elses fault, but their own.. You know?

Date: 2003-01-22 06:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judecorp.livejournal.com
If there's one thing I've learned from individuals in recovery from drugs and alcohol, it's that there's something about these substances (especially crack, it would seem) that really grip people and take over them. Yes, people need to take some responsbility for their actions (you can't always expect that someone will be there to pick you up when you've fallen), but I /do/ believe that all people, regardless of their circumstances, deserve respect because they are human beings, and along with respect, they deserve compassion, a warm place to sleep, food to eat, and medical care.

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.

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