Why I hate being a child welfare social worker:

Why I hate being a child welfare social worker:

1) I am not Solomon. I do not have his wisdom. I am often placed in the position of being asked to make impossible recommendations, choices. Remember when Solomon was going to cut the baby in half, and the baby’s real mother (I hate that term) stopped him. She would have rather had the baby be raised by someone else rather than cut into two. I have rarely seen someone step up and go, you can do this better you raise her. Rather they both fight over the child.

2) I have so much damn paperwork to do. It is overwhelming. I have ADHD, and it is nearly impossible to manage all the deadlines. There is so much nit-picking going on.

3) I am micro-managed. See above. My logs and work are constantly up for criticism and “constructive criticism.” I know I am not perfect, but we have reviews, pre-reviews, post reviews, monthly reviews with the supervisor, admin just reading your cases to see what is going on.

4) It is so stressful. So often, I can see both sides, and am expected to help people find the right decision. Sometimes what the law states does not agree with what is “right” and sometimes what is “right” does not jive with the law. Sometimes neither is clear.

5) People love to personally attack the social worker. I am talked down to, ignored, and hollered at when some other agency does something. I have people consistently violate my personal space, yesterday my arm was grabbed and I was held there while the uncle explained his point of view. People come right up and talk to me in my face. People insult me, my family. I have been hit, spit on, hugged several times in an uncomfortable manner, hit on, asked out, had my butt grabbed. I love people, and there are times where touch is very important. There are times, like when you are coughing and picking your nose, where I don’t want you anywhere near me.

6) People always want to know how I would feel. I have no idea. I know loss and grief, but I don’t know what it is like to have a child in foster care. There is no right answer to that question.

7) I have to work with lawyers who think they are social workers, and want to run the case.

8) I get pressure from upper management to get cases moving, get children adopted, etc, when people just need time. They have not worked cases for so long, etc they have no clue what it is like now.

9) I hate having so many ways for people to yell at me. I am yelled at in person, on email, on the phone, to my supervisor, on the cell, on my voice mail.

10) Have you ever seen a positive portrayal of a child welfare social worker on TV or in the media? Nope did not think so. Need a rotten person to screw up a family, call a social worker. They ignore the dedication and hard work that is done on behalf of the abused children of our country. They ignore the sleepless nights, stress, high blood pressure, anti-depressant use, personal money spent, time off the clock spent to help the children and families on our cases.

11) My caseload is SUPPOSED to be 15. I am at 21. I get no leeway on the paperwork or allowances. No overtime. I would not work it anyway, I NEED time with my family. Just somehow cram it all in.

12) I see the failed war on drugs. I see the damage caused by these poisons. Meth is another way to say "voluntarily destroy my life and family."

Maybe tomorrow or later I will write what I like about being a child welfare worker. It does have its good points as well.