2014.9.4 (Day 10)

2) 2014.9.4 (Day 10)

            I have already interviewed a resident here at Dismas.  I remember I was nervous when conducting my first PSA because it was my first time.  The monitor up front sensed my nervousness and said, “I'll give you a nice one.”  Needless to say, I did interview a nice resident.  Conducting a psycho-social interview is like listening to a person's life story.  There are many topics to cover such as family, physical health, spiritual health, education, law, and client strengths.  Each topic can have numerous subtopics.  For example, in the “education” category, I am also required to ask how the client is doing when he was in elementary school!  I still remember my elementary years but many of the residents, some older, might have trouble remembering.  The reason why we are required to go in detail and ask these questions is because what happens in a person's childhood can affect a person's psychological well-being in his/her adult life. 

            The resident I had is talkative.  I'm fortunate.  I heard of some residents who don't talk at all.  Listening to their life stories reminds me of my story.  I find our stories have similarities and differences.  I don't want to go in detail but I find, so far, that the reason my resident got in trouble is due to logical, make-sense reasons.  Reasons that, if we were under his situation, we might succumb to that, too.  I guess in life, there are a few “critical” life decision or junctions that would affect our lives tremendously.  Me joining the Army, for example, or me getting that stupid “D” grade in English class during my freshman year in high school.  That cost me my admission to a Cal-State University back then.  :(

            I also talked to my fellow interns on why they joined social work.  One of them gave his story.

            “What is your rank?” He asked me. 

            “I was a specialist,” I replied.

            One of my intern, F, was also in the Army.  He was a sergeant when he got out.  He said the reason why he went into social work is because he does the same thing in the Army.  He conducts home visits.  He checks his soldier's homes for safety.  He conducts financial counseling for his soldiers.  He advises his soldiers on how to spend and save money.  He does safety briefings with his soldiers as well.  When his soldiers go on leave, he is required to counsel them on safety issues.  He conducts urinalysis for his unit.  His MOS, like some in the Army (including me) is unrelated in what he does.  His MOS is a fueler, but he is a re-enlistment sergeant in his unit.  So, he also does some career advising and guidance for soldiers who are thinking about re-enlisting in the Army.  He also runs the Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear (CBN) training in his unit.  Change his MOS to “social work” and many of the tasks he does will be the same.  :)

            A sergeant from my unit once asked me why am I choosing not to re-enlist in the Army.  I told him I want to help people; to be a social worker.  He gave a gesture that shows “duh, what do you think you are doing now?”  I think if I were to be promoted to a sergeant, many of the soldiering-care tasks that F mentioned would also apply to me.  I might actually do some social work there.  :p  But, I know the Army, or the military in general, also has a social work MOS as well.  They are an officer.  I might consider working in the military.

My Internship at DC (Day 4)

* I am writing this log not only to fulfill a course requirement but for personal-enrichment as well.

1) Date: 8/28/2014 (Day 4) Start: 4pm

            I am, of course, still a new intern at Dismas Charities, having my orientation on Monday (8/25).  I learned many of the procedures, my tasks as an intern, and about Dismas during the orientation.  To be brief, as a student intern, I am required to see residents.  I do this by first conducting a psycho-social assessment on them.  Then, I identify three of the main problem areas the resident may have.  For each of the problem area, I am to have a goal.  Each goal will have three objectives and each objective three tasks.  The tasks need to be timed, measurable, and attainable.  Once approved, I can start seeing my client to get those goals and objectives met.  Interns are also required to conduct educational groups to teach the resident various transitional skills.  I feel I am more comfortable conducting groups than helping the individual on the PSA or treatment session because, for the education group, I already know the material to teach.  It is just a matter of disseminating the knowledge to the other residents.  I can use drawing out and cutting off techniques.  To compare with the individual PSA and treatment sessions, however, I am not the expert.  I have to ask questions to get information.  Well, being an intrapersonal person, I might be comfortable with both.  Now if the group session is about treatment, that would be much more challenging.

            Speaking of education groups, I heard that the residents in many of the sessions tend to be lacking in participation.  Many of the groups conducted tend to be quiet with only the teacher or group worker leading it.  If that is the case, I may not have to worry too much on cutting off, a technique that I may need more practice in.  I will have to use drawing out techniques such as rounds or activities to get everyone to participate.  I think passion is also an important factor.  If the residents see that I am passionate about what I’m teaching and genuine, they may pay more attention. 

            The gist of this entry, or what I want to write about, is the nature of Dismas and the residents.  I am told and taught that involuntary clients, especially offenders, can be the most difficult clients a social worker may encounter.  However, at Dismas, I believe an exception is made.  These residents at this halfway house, are almost out of prison and almost into mainstream society.  They are almost free.  Thus, many of them will behave like angels, on their best behavior, so they can have their dream of freedom.  They know that if they mess up, they will go back in prison.  This is unlike other correctional facilities, where its residents know they will not be freed anytime soon.  To be more philosophical, why can’t people, everyone in general, behave like angels all the time?  It is certainly possible for these federal offenders to behave nicely even though they are on their best behavior for a reason.  People should be on their best behavior because it is the right thing to do, not just to gain something.  But I know that people are naturally selfish, and many will only be nice if they can get Santa’s present.  To apply Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development, many of these residents are probably at a lower stage of moral development.  To many of them, their thinking is punitive.  It is about punishment and not the reward.  It is about the short-term and not about the long-term, not about karma, or anything like that.  Social workers, on the other hand..  ok, I won’t get to that.  But, people can be bad because there are no incentives to be good or to avoid negative consequences.   

            To look at myself, I am starting to be more selfish too, after finding out that being nice doesn’t really pay.  Nice guys do indeed finish last, but clever nice guys in heart can still finish first. 

            So right now, I’m doing a lot of theory and not a lot of practical.  I still have my manuals to read (each of them is like a textbook!).  I am pending approval for my PSA practice outline so once approved, I can start conducting PSA’s.

*Only unclassified material will be included.