awhitmer83
11-30-2008, 01:10 PM
I haven't posted here in ages, but I thought I would update for those interested. Mainly I just need to vent!
On Nov. 11, I hit a deer, skidded off the (wet) road, and flipped my car. Miraculously my son and I were both fine, not a scratch. The car didn't come out so well, though. The insurance adjuster pronounced it a total loss as soon as she saw it, but I made them tow it to a body shop for an estimate just in case. The estimate was over $13k not even counting labor, so I had to accept the loss and sign the car over. I still owe $3500 after what the insurance paid; I got the joy of making a car payment on Friday for a car that I don't even own any more. :mad:
I've spoken to several banks and they have all tightened up on loan requirements. My credit score, which was good enough two years ago to buy a car, is no longer good enough. The banks keep telling me there is nothing "wrong" with my credit, it's just that I only have a 7-year credit history and they need more than that to feel okay with giving a loan. I even applied through those crappy places for bad credit buyers, and THEY won't give me a loan because my credit score is too high. They keep saying I need to talk to a bank. And the circle continues. Meanwhile my husband and I are sharing a car, which is difficult since he commutes 20 miles in the opposite direction and we work the same hours.
The Monday after my wreck, my boss came into my office and asked if she could shut the door. She wanted to let me know that I was being written up because my billable hours for October were way below what they're supposed to be. (I work as a psychotherapist in a community mental health center.) Now, this pissed me off. I can't help it if my billable hours are low. Since I am in my first year of employment with this agency, I'm expected to bill 3 hours a day. I schedule a minimum of 6 hours of appointments. Problem is, people can't afford to come to therapy right now when they're having trouble buying necessities. In my first six months at this job, my no-show rate was about 14%. In October, it was 42%. They suggested that I start doing in-home therapy, but I'm a substance abuse counselor. I really don't feel comfortable walking into a home where I know there are drugs or possibly a meth lab. That's all I need, to be doing therapy and the police come in and arrest everyone there.
Anyway, I signed my write-up and my boss starts telling me that they have considered moving me to another county where they are in greater need of a therapist. I already work in a different region from where I live; the county I'm in is the closest one to home. The county they wanted to send me to is TWO HOURS from my house. I told her there was simply no way I could make that kind of drive, especially since they weren't going to pay mileage.
A few days later she tells me that, since I refuse a transfer to another county, I will be reduced to part time starting January 5. I'll lose all my benefits, will have to pay for my supervision out of pocket ($100/week), and will be driving 80 miles round trip for half of what I make right now. "It's nothing personal," she said. "We don't want to lose you altogether." Well, what a lovely way of showing it!
Every therapist in my office (and the company itself) is having a hard time with billable hours right now. In my case, it's particularly difficult because my caseload is only 100. A typical caseload for this type of work is 300+. Since I've been there less time than anyone else, I'm the one getting thrown under the bus. People in our other offices are giving notice left and right; I get at least 5 internal job announcements via email every week. It's scary to think that things are so unstable so fast.
It's really hard not to feel completely hopeless. I have no car, my job is a mess, and there is no easy way out of either situation. I don't know whether I should accept the part time hours and look for a second part time job, or if I'm better off just getting out of there entirely. It's not easy to find something right now, though, because people in my field are hanging on to their jobs for dear life. I'm also tired of changing jobs. This is my fourth job since I got out of grad school in 2006. I'm starting to think I'm cursed!
So that's my whine for the day. I know you're all dealing with your own stuff and things are hard for everyone right now. Like I said, I just needed to vent.
On Nov. 11, I hit a deer, skidded off the (wet) road, and flipped my car. Miraculously my son and I were both fine, not a scratch. The car didn't come out so well, though. The insurance adjuster pronounced it a total loss as soon as she saw it, but I made them tow it to a body shop for an estimate just in case. The estimate was over $13k not even counting labor, so I had to accept the loss and sign the car over. I still owe $3500 after what the insurance paid; I got the joy of making a car payment on Friday for a car that I don't even own any more. :mad:
I've spoken to several banks and they have all tightened up on loan requirements. My credit score, which was good enough two years ago to buy a car, is no longer good enough. The banks keep telling me there is nothing "wrong" with my credit, it's just that I only have a 7-year credit history and they need more than that to feel okay with giving a loan. I even applied through those crappy places for bad credit buyers, and THEY won't give me a loan because my credit score is too high. They keep saying I need to talk to a bank. And the circle continues. Meanwhile my husband and I are sharing a car, which is difficult since he commutes 20 miles in the opposite direction and we work the same hours.
The Monday after my wreck, my boss came into my office and asked if she could shut the door. She wanted to let me know that I was being written up because my billable hours for October were way below what they're supposed to be. (I work as a psychotherapist in a community mental health center.) Now, this pissed me off. I can't help it if my billable hours are low. Since I am in my first year of employment with this agency, I'm expected to bill 3 hours a day. I schedule a minimum of 6 hours of appointments. Problem is, people can't afford to come to therapy right now when they're having trouble buying necessities. In my first six months at this job, my no-show rate was about 14%. In October, it was 42%. They suggested that I start doing in-home therapy, but I'm a substance abuse counselor. I really don't feel comfortable walking into a home where I know there are drugs or possibly a meth lab. That's all I need, to be doing therapy and the police come in and arrest everyone there.
Anyway, I signed my write-up and my boss starts telling me that they have considered moving me to another county where they are in greater need of a therapist. I already work in a different region from where I live; the county I'm in is the closest one to home. The county they wanted to send me to is TWO HOURS from my house. I told her there was simply no way I could make that kind of drive, especially since they weren't going to pay mileage.
A few days later she tells me that, since I refuse a transfer to another county, I will be reduced to part time starting January 5. I'll lose all my benefits, will have to pay for my supervision out of pocket ($100/week), and will be driving 80 miles round trip for half of what I make right now. "It's nothing personal," she said. "We don't want to lose you altogether." Well, what a lovely way of showing it!
Every therapist in my office (and the company itself) is having a hard time with billable hours right now. In my case, it's particularly difficult because my caseload is only 100. A typical caseload for this type of work is 300+. Since I've been there less time than anyone else, I'm the one getting thrown under the bus. People in our other offices are giving notice left and right; I get at least 5 internal job announcements via email every week. It's scary to think that things are so unstable so fast.
It's really hard not to feel completely hopeless. I have no car, my job is a mess, and there is no easy way out of either situation. I don't know whether I should accept the part time hours and look for a second part time job, or if I'm better off just getting out of there entirely. It's not easy to find something right now, though, because people in my field are hanging on to their jobs for dear life. I'm also tired of changing jobs. This is my fourth job since I got out of grad school in 2006. I'm starting to think I'm cursed!
So that's my whine for the day. I know you're all dealing with your own stuff and things are hard for everyone right now. Like I said, I just needed to vent.