Happy Halloween!!!

Today's thoughts are about boundaries. What you can share with clients, what you can't, what we put out into the world. One of my teen clients asked to "friend" me on facebook. I said HELL NO that's 18 kinds of inappropriate, but the question is out there- we are all very visible in the internet.

Said client is going to be dismissed soon, what then? I still say no, because there will always be a power differential in our relationship, but I also don't want my work life and my home life so intertwined.

So what about the blog? Since I am putting myself "out there" so to speak does it still matter? I think that the work we do is really important, and we do not have enough forums to discuss it. I also think that there is something about advocacy work that lends itself to this medium, with certain limitations.

And what about Halloween? :) YEAH, that's what it's all about. I didn't dress up today, but I am wearing orange and black and have a LOVELY tiara that Kellie bought me for my birthday a couple years ago. It has a spider on it, and it's really quite attractive. You can't go wrong with a good Tiara.

Blogging a fine line...

As a newbie social worker (student) I am very conscious of things like data privacy. Plus I totally don't want to get fired. :)

Why blog? Well, I have noticed a lack of community space to discuss the big picture issues in our "system". I also think it is important to speak out about issues as we see them. Am I doing this for work? No. For school? No. For the kids? HELL YEAH. Oh and because I am a shameless self-promoter and frustrated writer.

Plus some of the stuff we see is so bizarre, so crazy, you can't make it up. Oh, but I can't tell you about that because it might violate data privacy. hahahaha

Like I said, walk a fine line.

What can I tell you about? The seafood bisque (soup) at the hospital cafeteria is so awesome. It is the best soup in the whole world, full of creamy shrimpy fishy goodness. We don't have to go outside to get food (it's cold and wet out there). So we lurk through the steam tunnels like GAL troglodytes heading upstream towards the light and life and sustenance that is the HCMC cafeteria. I kid you not, the food there is the bomb.

I can tell you about the GAL state wide program. What happens when you take everything that you think you know about the work you do, stick it in a box, shake it and then dump it upside down? That is what the state GAL program is going through right now. Will we still have volunteers advocating for kids? YEAH. That's all we know. It may even be enough.

equality

How do we tell the LGBT youth that we are working with that they can grow up to be anyone they want? They can't be. Don't ask don't tell in the military, inability to conduct a normal teen romance without being looked at as some kind of deviant...The simple act of choosing a mate and growing a life together. "No, I'm sorry, not for you- you are gay". Ridiculous and unacceptable in 2009.

blogging up is hard to do...

OK, so all those brilliant and witty things I have been blogging about apparently didn't get posted. WHY? because I am a gen X technophobe, that's why.

I THINK I have it all figured out now.

I love that new Guardian smell in the air. 9 parts enthusiasm to 1 part they don't know what they are getting into. Here's a shout out to all the newbie volunteers form our class, love you guys.

OK, one day of separation anxiety, and now we are on to the new class. sheesh, give me some time to grieve already!

It is seriously time for the county to start opening on kids who really need help. How many stories have we heard about kids in family court or delinquencies that should have been chips kids? TOO many that's how many. even one is too many.

Almost time to move on

I had a YTC (youth in transition) conference today for my oldest client. She is starting college on Monday, and soon we will be dismissing court jurisdiction. She doesn't yet realize that when we dismiss, I get dismissed too. She's ready, she can totally advocate for herself now, and she's grown so much. I keep telling myself that normal teens don't have Guardians and workers and lawyers. It is time for her to start the normal healthy rest of her life. It's really hard though. I know we do this for the kids, but 2 years is a long time to be together. I am going to miss having dinner, and all our talks. I LOVE the endless teen optimism and energy. I am dreading the next meeting where I need to point out to her that I am going to be gone from her life soon. I think this is going to be a really hard conversation.

Having a blog is like a new pair of shoes. Well you can't wear it. Or tie it. OK it's not like a new pair of shoes. It is really intimidating to think of all the things that I can write here, and can't think of yet.

So where does a low level civil servant go to get a bite around here? East downtown by the metrodome is a vast fast-food wasteland...There ahead in the distance, reasonably priced food that is actually healthy!!!Yes, folks it is the HCMC hospital cafeteria! True this: they have the best garlic cheese toast in the entire universe. They also have a decent salad bar, and even home-made tator tot hot dish (which I don't eat because it has meat in it). If you look for us during lunch, we are probably at the Caf. Vic swears by the Tuna salad samiches, and I have managed to addict Marti to the seafood bisque which is so good it should be illegal.

2nd choice, Thrivent employee cafeteria, 2nd floor, thrivent building. Really good homemade pizza.

You can't make this stuff up...

OK rules for the blog-
1) Please do post. I want this to be a site that you can read for support, and write to support other.
2) NO Names or other identifying information allowed!!! I will take off immediately any posts that violate data privacy. No exceptions. Our kids and their families deserve that .
3) Please exercise kindness and compassion. Remember that we are dealing with families experiencing trauma and grief.
4) Have FUN!!! WE need to be able to laugh at ourselves and life to help keep things in eprspective.
5) Kitties are always welcome.

Expectations for the blog-
Remember that the views expressed in this blog are my opinions solely and do not reflect the opinion of the State of MN GAL program, district court, or anyone else in the program. Or CASA. Or anyone. :)

I will try to make daily postings, and update whenever possible, but I work and go to school, and have an internship coming up.