It's been a while, but I've been up in front of a group of people again facilitating. This has what I've been up to all glorious week. I've been working with a a small group, representatives from various parts of the province, who work in the frontlines. Every single participant in the training works in a position where often they are the very first face a person applying for income assistance encounters.
They work in intake.
4 or 5 appointments a day, everyday.
4 or 5 families in crisis a day, 5 days a week.
One of my colleagues pointed out yesterday that if the person she is meeting with isn't appearing to be in a crisis, she wonders if there's something wrong. I had never looked at it that way before, but I think she's right. Who wouldn't be in a crisis applying for social assistance?
These staff wear two distinct hats. One hat is for assessing financial eligibility. In other words, they are trying to answer the question: Is the person applying for income assistance worse off enough to qualify for a welfare cheque. It's a horrendous question to have to silently ask even once let alone over and over again..........
The second hat is worn after the financial eligibility is determined and the conversation can turn to immediate personal and family related issues, most of which are related to basic survival needs.......assessing how and if the human being on the other side of the desk is able to figure some of this out.......whether they have ideas to feed a plan to get out from under this dark cloud.
Handled with care and compassion...........and genuine concern. Always. I hope.
The group I have shared my week with have years of experience which is peppered with rich stories of connections, of trying to understand, of trying to help. As we weaved our way through the counselling and assessment "curriculum" as a means of honing skills, we have jumped on opportunities to share insights, to look for solutions to finding more effective ways to work within a rigid system. More importantly, our week together has allowed us a chance to talk about the world we work in. They don't often get this chance, especially these particular staff. They are too busy to take time out to share except for snippet conversations at the end of a busy day. This however, lends itself to a ripeness of learning for all.
If you were to drop by my house right now for a chat, you would find me bouncing around from topic to topic like a ping pong ball. Teaching does that to me. Though I'm exhausted from the intensive interactions, I'm FULL up to the brim with ideas, all generated from my own learning, which in turn has generated fresh passionately felt ideas. Linearity would be missing from the conversation, and in fact I'm having a tough time staying on track here.
Instead of trying to tackle topics before I've had a chance to digest them, I'll share a few of my learning insights from the week.............thought bubbles..............and write more tomorrow.
Refresh the learning........even though the topics weren't new to me, I was amazed at how fresh the learning turned out to be. A new group, a new perspective, different stories and "examples" as well as the fact that I'm in a different head space than I was the last time I taught this workshop..........allowed the week to feel new. I refreshed the learning........and added to my well.
Commitment from the frontlines...........it was SOOOOOOOO wonderful to reconnect with these staff, some of whom I hadn't met in a learning environment before, and some whom I hadn't been in a classroom with in years.......... we had a good laugh today while talking about "career" choices and paths when we realized that not one of us would have predicted we would be working in the career we are in.........and yet, here we are.......where we should be.......loving the connections we make with human beings in need.
Compassion..........every single one of them...........have it in spades. They may be tired and frustrated by the system and the ongoing changes imposed in the "delivery" of the service, but underneath the bullshit.............they have maintained compassion, and focus on who's important.
Lucky.........that we are working in a field which can be so rewarding, touching, tragic, sad, joyful, frustrating, tiring, stretching and challenging...........
Lucky that I work with such good hearted people who care deeply.
I'm tired..........it feels like a Friday...................
Tomorrow is coming soon. Bonsoir.
They work in intake.
4 or 5 appointments a day, everyday.
4 or 5 families in crisis a day, 5 days a week.
One of my colleagues pointed out yesterday that if the person she is meeting with isn't appearing to be in a crisis, she wonders if there's something wrong. I had never looked at it that way before, but I think she's right. Who wouldn't be in a crisis applying for social assistance?
These staff wear two distinct hats. One hat is for assessing financial eligibility. In other words, they are trying to answer the question: Is the person applying for income assistance worse off enough to qualify for a welfare cheque. It's a horrendous question to have to silently ask even once let alone over and over again..........
The second hat is worn after the financial eligibility is determined and the conversation can turn to immediate personal and family related issues, most of which are related to basic survival needs.......assessing how and if the human being on the other side of the desk is able to figure some of this out.......whether they have ideas to feed a plan to get out from under this dark cloud.
Handled with care and compassion...........and genuine concern. Always. I hope.
The group I have shared my week with have years of experience which is peppered with rich stories of connections, of trying to understand, of trying to help. As we weaved our way through the counselling and assessment "curriculum" as a means of honing skills, we have jumped on opportunities to share insights, to look for solutions to finding more effective ways to work within a rigid system. More importantly, our week together has allowed us a chance to talk about the world we work in. They don't often get this chance, especially these particular staff. They are too busy to take time out to share except for snippet conversations at the end of a busy day. This however, lends itself to a ripeness of learning for all.
If you were to drop by my house right now for a chat, you would find me bouncing around from topic to topic like a ping pong ball. Teaching does that to me. Though I'm exhausted from the intensive interactions, I'm FULL up to the brim with ideas, all generated from my own learning, which in turn has generated fresh passionately felt ideas. Linearity would be missing from the conversation, and in fact I'm having a tough time staying on track here.
Instead of trying to tackle topics before I've had a chance to digest them, I'll share a few of my learning insights from the week.............thought bubbles..............and write more tomorrow.
Refresh the learning........even though the topics weren't new to me, I was amazed at how fresh the learning turned out to be. A new group, a new perspective, different stories and "examples" as well as the fact that I'm in a different head space than I was the last time I taught this workshop..........allowed the week to feel new. I refreshed the learning........and added to my well.
Commitment from the frontlines...........it was SOOOOOOOO wonderful to reconnect with these staff, some of whom I hadn't met in a learning environment before, and some whom I hadn't been in a classroom with in years.......... we had a good laugh today while talking about "career" choices and paths when we realized that not one of us would have predicted we would be working in the career we are in.........and yet, here we are.......where we should be.......loving the connections we make with human beings in need.
Compassion..........every single one of them...........have it in spades. They may be tired and frustrated by the system and the ongoing changes imposed in the "delivery" of the service, but underneath the bullshit.............they have maintained compassion, and focus on who's important.
Lucky.........that we are working in a field which can be so rewarding, touching, tragic, sad, joyful, frustrating, tiring, stretching and challenging...........
Lucky that I work with such good hearted people who care deeply.
I'm tired..........it feels like a Friday...................
Tomorrow is coming soon. Bonsoir.
5 comments:
cant wait for friday. big submission due tomorrow morning! thanks for your kind comment ..
van morrisson? wow! :)
Hi Awareness.
Thankyou for you kind and encouraging comment on my blog.
I have been on the receiving end of 'Assistance' in the UK for most of my adult life. I wanted to bring my kids up after their father left. I didn't want them being raised by someone else to come home to a frazzled, exhausted frayed mother at the end of every day. It's been hard facing friends/family who think I should be earning my way! (I've just this week got a small part-time job)
The benefit system in the Uk is horrendous. The staff I've encountered over the years have always been rude, unkind and made me feel like I was taking 'their' money.
My kids have grown up really good. My eldest is at Uni studying to be a nurse, my middle lad is top of the class (which isn't really that important to me!) more importantly he is a kind and compassionte lad, an excellent communicator,who is secure and well rounded as a person. My youngest aged 11 is smart, sassy, funny and extrememly in touch with her heart and her inner self. She connects with the needy in a special way and just overflows with love to everyone!
I dread to think how my kids would've turned out if they had been left all their formative years with a childcare provider.
I think ultimately I've saved the government thousands as the chances are high if I'd left my kids all those years my eldest could have a baby now and be claiming assistance. My son could be in trouble with the law and could be unemployed when he leaves school- maybe finish up in prison and my 11 year old would be a mess as she has really needed her Mom there all the time.
Governments seem to down value the role of Mother these days and in the end they will 'pay' a high price for this.
The UK are now bringing in a law to force single parents to work which is sad - as the kids have lost their father and are set to lose their mother too!!
I didn't actually mean to express all this! what I did want to say is I think it's great and it really touched me that the people you work with who deal with people like me are compassionte and care. We could use them in the UK that's for sure!
hey ricercar........bon chance! May you celebrate with panache tonight!
Julie......It sounds like you made the very best decision for you and your family. Despite the unkind comments thrown your way, and the many financial and emotional hurdles you have endured, all you have to do is look at your beautiful children and know that they have thrived.
When I read your comments, two thoughts come to mind. First, there are many here who work the frontlines that unfortunately show the same critical and judgemental attitude you have experienced. it's frustrating and awful, but we continue to figure out a way to help them see compassion and feel it........sometimes it works, and sometimes......?? The system here is horrendous as well, and it's very difficult to work within it. part of the conversations we had this week was how it seems that the system is set up to fight us every step of the way.
I live in a smallish community. My feeling is that we should know EVERY single person on income assistance, EVERY single person who is homeless, EVERY single person in need of some assistance...we should know them well. The "numbers" of individuals and families are not so daunting that this would be an issue. However, the system is cumbersome.
Many times I meet with a person in their home who has had similar experiences as you....the anger and shame and guilt has built up and I hear it! That's where, as a counsellor, I start.......to help the person vent and pick up and move forward.
the second thing I was thinking was how much I want to give you a hug......it's because you had your priorities straight and knew the importance of unconditional love and consistence with your kids that they thrived. You passed this on in spades. You passed on your values and love!!!
Time and again, I work with parents who don't know the importance of this. It shows BIG time in how their kids develop....big gaping wounds, and no way of coping. It comes out in their behaviour...
thank you for sharing, Julie.
I love the way you write about your work, Dana.
thank you Robin.
I'm struggling with my writing this week.....so it's nice to read this.
I have more I want to write about
re: work and I REALLY want to write about politics and the recent budget etc, but this isn't anon anymore, and I don't dare.
There was a time when I felt comfortable writing about anything....and did.....whatever piqued my interest. I think this may be why I'm struggling with what and how I want to write this week. My hands are a bit tied.
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