Social Worker Rant

[kdhmps]

For those who don't know... I work in social services. It was 4:00pm, about half an hour before I usually leave work.... After an especially yucky, crummy day, I wanted out by 4:30pm on the dot.
I had an angry client--part of somebody else's caseload.

She left the office to go grab some paperwork to turn in, and I promised her I would let her back in if she knocked (our walk-in hours end at 4pm). Well, I waited about 12 minutes. It isn't that long of a walk from the parking lot to the building! Well, I gave up, assuming she just left and went home...

All the time, there was a little girl in the office, running behind the desks. She was the daughter of another client. I went back up front to the walkin, only to discover the little girl had let the angry client back into the office... The door was shut and locked! The client returned without the necessary paperwork, mind you.

I was losing my patience, a rarity for me. Finally, I told her she never gave us what we had asked for... She asked for a supervisor, and I gladly said yes. I usually try to prevent that sort of thing...

But I got to go home. lol

[winneythepooh7]

You didn't do anything wrong. It's called setting boundaries. I have no problems doing that. Especially when I know it's the short week before Thanksgiving. I have had people tell me that I should be more accessible (hello I am pretty much in the office every day by 8:30 and go in the field whenever needed to see clients) or if I am not available, I should send someone in my place (sorry, my direct care staff doesn't have access to client's funds, agency policy). Sorry, but Social Workers have lives too. If something (non-crisis) is THAT important, the client needs to make time for it. I can go on and on, like with this really difficult situation we've been working with for the past 6 months, I've literally had his guardian ad-litem tell me "Oh it takes him a long time to get it together, just stand outside for 2-3 hours and wait for him to show up". WTfreakin'fuck? NO!!!!

[kdhmps]

Sometimes my clients do have boundary issues. Thankfully, today was not so bad and was very pleasant... The week ended better than it started!