What happened in 7 years?

 It might sound crazy, but it has been 7 years just about since I have written in this blog!

I think the time might be right to restart - refresh and regather my thoughts and do some new posts.

Well, what did happen in 7 years?

First graduation

Then registration as a social worker and employment.

I cut my social work teeth working with homeless people living on the streets of Cape Town CBD. It was intense and a steep learning curve. There were many success stories of people leaving the streets for better living circumstances but also many tragedies of people dying on getting close to death on the streets of our magnificent city.

I met with many different people whose major focus is assisting those in need of food, clothing, mentoring, toiletries, spiritual guidance and somebody who cares. They are too many to mention but made my job as a social worker easier in obtaining material goods to alleviate some of the hardship of their lives.

Students from all walks of life, interests and different parts of the globe walked into our organisation in Cape Town and contributed their time, ideas and hard work to ensure the continuation of services.

Then the bug of further study bit and in 2020 I was admitted to a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work. The coursework year has flown by, not interrupted by COVID19, yes, a bit disrupted, but the university has made a huge effort to keep the academic project going, albeit online.

Right now, February 2021, COVID is still around, but so is the vaccine. I am embarking on a Research project to investigate the effects of COVID pandemic on the provision of mental health services in our province. That is my major task for the next 6 months.

Social Work is still, I have discovered, not ordinary work.

But more about that later.

Starting the year at a gallop...

The most important tool for anyone who is working part time and studying most of the time - is a diary. A good old fashioned, paper and pen device, operated entirely without electricity and no automatic reminders. Without this aid, my work, study and social life would be in a bit of dissarray. I use software and computer tools for just about everything else. The internet for registering, submitting assignments and even study material, software for writing, recording and analysing things. But for organising tasks and meetings and generally keeping track of things, nothing beats the good old fashioned paper and pen - although the words "pencil in"also have their use.

The structure of my days has changed in that I am not at work everyday which does mean that I have to keep a look out on thos things that are lying ahead. Reports, meetings and events that need planning for and implementation even while I am out the office. Also doing the practical placement (internship) phase of my degree also means that I am doing two jobs at once. The one very practical - keeping a daily programme up and running with funding requirements and the other doing counselling and group work that is transformative at an individual and group level - two very diffrent skills - but called on everyday. The placement will start with a week at the organisation finding my feet and getting to know everybody before actual casework and group work begins.

I am really looking forward to seeing my fellow students again - some of whom I have walked part of the path with and a year of learning and personal growth. This really is the testing time for putting all the theory from the past few years into practice and of course keeping quite extensive records of the journey this year. For now the mind is at ease but soon will be filled with new places and people.

To all students embarking on their placement year - good luck. Or maybe luck is not what is called for but a clear head and clear mind and a willingness to work hard.

What happens at the end of an academic year?

Apart from taking stock of the academic year in terms of skills learnt and marks achieved there is always cause for concern relating to what to do now that I have so much more free time when not poring over books or practising possible exam questions. Luckily my family always like to see me so more time is spent visiting and catching up with news of things that have happened while I have been attending university workshops, writing exams, reading for information (as opposed to pleasure), considering and reflecting on my own values, skills and attitudes as a student social worker. Often it seems that nieces and nephews have grown up - considerably, family members have taken trips that I wasn't even aware of and even more surprising, there are people out there who actually go out at night for entertainment. My evenings are mostly spent on assignments, catching up with reports for work or taking care of really basic needs like eating and sleeping with the odd phone call to see if I am on the right track with an assignment or done the right preparation for the next workshop at university.

But now that the academic year is over I have counted the credits, tried to see if there is anything that I need to catch up on (apart from exercise and proper eating habits), found the space to write a blog entry, recycled all the old paper that I have scribbled on - bits of old essays and thoughts and references - and started to read for pleasure. Oh, the pleasure of finding those books bought but not yet read because my head has been so full of essays, assignments and preparation for the next task at hand. I have the diary to prove it! Looking back at the schedule just before the final assessments were done amazed even myself and what I was able to accomplish in a few short weeks. It did help that I was physically, mentally and emotionally in a great space and that I had the means to get to all the different places that I had to be with the minimum of fuss and commuting time, but still seemed like quite a feat that I otherwise would never have contemplated had I not wanted to do this degree so badly! Indeed, where there is a will, there is a way.

So while there is not yet a great vacation planned and some work commitments to get through and the fact that I have no leave until the 21st December I will certainly enjoy the time that I have free to catch up with friends and family who live in the "real world", continue to read for pleasure and enjoy this great city of ours.

A fitting end to a year filled with excitement, nerves, deadlines and a fair amount of academic success.

Some reflections on group work.

While the year has run away with me and studies and work have been a priority, I have had the privilege of doing group and case work at university this year. I am a not so social, social worker in training and the thought of being in a group of unknown people sends me in either of two directions. Keeping to myself at the fringes or actually diving in and directing, giving many opinions and trying to outperform others. This year I found a very good middle road and a path that came to be as a result of being part of a very diverse and interesting university group of students that was flung together at the beginning of the year by absolute chance. No random selection procedure, no choosing to be with your friends or acquaintances - just pure chance.

The first few meetings were characterised by a calm formality as befitting people who were still getting to know each other, then came the offers of coffee and tea time treats and after 8 months of meeting each other once or twice a month, the real beauty of belonging to a semi-professional group of like minded people, sharing, confiding and helping with projects, personal issues and general encouragement to continue despite the hectic timetable of family, work and studies.

At our final assessment we were able to reflect together on what had been the highlights of the busy timetable, where people had travelled 700km to attend the compulsory sessions, where people had poured all the leave that they had from work into attending these compulsory sessions, where somebody who had been seriously ill, made a speedy recovery with the assistance of fellow students and the message was the same. Acceptance of others who may be different in values, belief and even behaviour, mutual encouragement and co-operation play a huge role in interpersonal relations and the building of personal character.

Thanks guys for a truly enriching experience.

After the celebrations.

"Let the work begin!" or something along those lines. Christmas followed by new year, closely followed by my birthday and then the first day of work that earns me an income. The beginning of 2012 has been punctuated by celebrations, get together's with friends not seen in many months, catching up with friends who are no longer in the country but having holidays and of course daring to look at the study schedule for the year ahead. Reality bites and really hard at that. While I do not have a full course load - discretion got the better part of valour on that one as well as financial constraints - it does seem as if I have a full time study schedule! Besides 5 exams there are 13 contact sessions with lecturer's and supervisors for 3rd level social work. For me this is a sure indicator of the practical nature of social work studies and something that a distance learning university has taken to heart in finding ways for their students to get to grips with the practical nature of applying the theoretical knowledge. I am fortunate enough to live within driving distance of a learning centre, but I imagine that other students will either have to make use of public transport or even get to the city to stay with friends and family to attend the compulsory workshops and supervision sessions. For me this year is definitely a shift from the reading of texts and writing essays to the actual implementation of the social work skills and being able to effectively show these skills during the sessions. So, roll on process notes, genograms, putting feelings into words, justifying certain ways of being or interacting in role plays and workshops.

"A genogram (also known as a McGoldrick-Gerson study^[1] or a Lapidus Schematic^[1]) is a pictorial display of a person's family relationships and medical history. It goes beyond a traditional family tree by allowing the user to visualize hereditary patterns and psychological factors that punctuate relationships.^[1] It can be used to identify repetitive patterns of behavior and to recognize hereditary tendencies.^[2]

Genograms were first developed and popularized in clinical settings by Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson through the publication of a book titled Genograms: Assessment and Intervention in 1985. Genograms are now used by various groups of people in a variety of fields such as medicine, psychiatry, psychology, social work, genetic research, education, and many more. Some practitioners in personal and family therapy use genograms for personal records and/ or to explain family dynamics to the client. Few if any genealogists use them.^{[3] "}

 ^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genogram}

A New Year and New Challenges

With the beginning of a new year and looking back at the challenges that were taken up during 2011, I am both grateful and amazed. Grateful for the opportunity to work and study and amazed that despite financial difficulties and some health problems, 2011 has been a successful year.

Usually my position economically is starkly contrasted with the 40% of South Africans who have no formal work opportunities and for who everyday is a matter of getting food on the table. But 2011 certainly brought the rest of the world and especially Europe and North America into the limelight with financial woes and crises of their own. The impact of higher joblessness on these continents is already being seen with reports of higher numbers of homeless making the news. I would imagine that this crisis might see an increased need for social services at these troubled times and have lasting impact on families and individuals around the world.

Going into 2012, my wish is for those in the helping profession to continue to practise the values that form the basis of this work and to keep the faith in a world that at times may seem too much to bear with the pain and the suffering encountered everyday.

To end is a poem on the change of year:

"How beautiful the turning of the year!
A moment artificial yet profound:
Point upon an arbitrary chart
Passing like a breath upon the heart,
Yearning with anticipation wound,
New hope new harbored in old-fashioned cheer.
Even when the boundary line is clear,
We recognize the oneness of the ground.
Years, like circles, do not end or start
Except we lay across their truth our art,
Adjusting dates as they go round and round
Revolving to a tune long sung and dear." 

Turlough O'Carolan

"Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence." Aristotle.

I have a portfolio at work that requires an attitude towards life and people in particular. I am not about to change my name to "happy", but it does start to get complicated when people ask what department I am in and I have to reply "happiness" or when the agenda for team meeting asks for the happiness report. It could read something like this...

"Many people have been involved in making the daily lives of the residents much happier. The craft club got off to a roaring start with a breakfast at the centre. All the residents who are getting ready to make items for sale at the Christmas markets were involved. A Bingo morning was run by volunteers with lots of spot prizes and was enjoyed by many of the residents and this resulted in a games morning being set up with card games and board games.

The Rugby World Cup opening ceremony and all the Springbok pool games were shown on a big screen at the centre and hot dogs and tea and coffee were served."

So with that in mind how do residents in a setting for those who are in their older years go about pursuing happiness? I am of the opinion that those who have a reason to get up in the mornings and have regular contact with others in their house or community enjoy a happier life than those who are secluded or hidden away from sight. The beauty of independent living in a community is that life is far more extensive than the confines of the room or house but includes trips to the library or the clinic or just to have tea and play a few games of cards with music in the background at the community centre.

In hindsight I have never been happier as I am now working with a human attitude as an objective as opposed to those targets that are financially driven or related to statistics. These do play a role in reporting in order to ascertain whether the programme is having an effect and maybe sometime soon I will come across a measurement tool to assess happiness.

Translating theory into practice...

So now I have this new job that I was looking for... Now what. It is very easy to talk the talk but now its time to walk the walk. Not on my beloved mountain here at the southern tip of Africa but in the day to day walk at work. I know a lot, I have been studying for 4 years, ok, so maybe I have also forgotten a lot. But I look forward to the challenge of starting to be able to put into practice all those ideas and ways of being that are described so well in the textbooks and that I have spent hours putting into assignments that test my knowledge.

So where in actual fact do I begin. I think Carl Rogers four conditions for being person centred come into play here. Congruence, empathy, respect and unconditional positive regard. What a way to be with people! So there are also times when I might feel a bit stressed and having to meet deadlines, both for the organisation and with the end of year exams, and all might fly out the window. But I have the grounding and a few years of experience to build on, its not that its going to be a huge mind shift - like being sent to Ethiopia, its just down the road in my own city, so its not going to be too foreign.

The first week of orientation is behind me, to get acquainted with the structures and mindset of the business and all seems well. I imagine that week two is where delivery is expected and there are already a few ideas that are running around my brain/mind that may be worthwhile exploring at our weekly team meetings.

So look out for some more posts of a student social worker in the field of older persons in a changing South Africa.

Ready for work?

Every now and then a position becomes available that seems just right for the part-time student seeking part-time work that does not entail working on an ad-hoc basis in a bookshop (as interesting as this can be) or waiting on tables (as lucrative as this is made out to be by others.) So now I need to go through that checklist again for the interview as it has been more than two years since I was last interviewed.
So first the updated CV which looks pretty good with my improved computer skills and a few more years of practical experience behind me. I can already see or hear some of the questions coming from the panel regarding my lack of experience working with older people in community housing....
What to wear, oh what to wear? To dress up or dress down? Yes, even males ponder these questions every now and then. I have always shied away from suits, far too uncomfortable at the best of times but at the opposite extreme jeans and a hoodie may be frowned upon. OK, the middle path then.
The dreaded question, "what would you expect to earn?" I am not going to be a Lotto winner on this question but at least my experience with NGO's gives me an idea of what may be viable for them. I also know that some candidates have literally priced themselves out of a position by expecting too much renumeration. So lets hope that my math is right so that I get what I need and the organisation can afford it. A negotiation without any union support...
Next thing - listen to the questions and answer as fully as possible  within a short space of time to allow the interviewers to ask all their questions. Don't forget they have also prepared and want to find out about the candidate but they don't have all day to hear my opinions on government policies or knowledge of the person centred approach to facilitating change...
Fingers crossed

The joy of reading

I may have mentioned my passion for reading in a previous post, but I think it deserves further attention. To tell you the truth there is nothing more enlightening for me than reading an academic text (or novel) that is really well written and draws me into the world of experience as understood by the author. It makes studying so much easier when it seems that the person responsible for putting all the words together has such a good understanding and insight into the subject matter, combined with a passion for the field of study, that it reads like a gripping story of human endeavor rather than a university textbook. I had such an experience at the beginning of my course in social work where I had just received my study guides from the university. After opening the package I thought that I would spend an hour just browsing the material. I couldn't put the book down and I lost all track of time, so much so that I had to phone and apologise for not making a meeting that I had scheduled and had to use words to the effect of "I got caught up reading." I think it may have been the first time that the receptionist had heard that apology but I did detect a smile on the other side of the phone and was given the chance to reschedule.

Another reason that prompted me to write about the joy of reading is Alan Paton, author of "Cry, the beloved country" and "Ah, but your land is beautiful." Alan Paton describes South Africa as it was in the 1950's and 1960's using the most exquisite prose and descriptions that I have come across. In both books the harshness of apartheid South Africa are spoken about and lived by fictional characters. Although fictional and the dialogue imagined by the author, the stories of these characters is so well described it is as if I am walking alongside as the story reveals itself. Although Alan Paton died in 1988 and did not see the transition to democracy, he leaves behind two powerful stories that tell part of the struggle for a democratic South Africa.

Deadlines

I have tried to organise my life in such a way that I am able to accommodate part time work and my social work studies. The operative word in the last sentence being "tried". At times everything seems to cascade into a week of deadlines and events. Something along the lines of a final teaching day, present a workshop to 50 parents, submit a 40 page assignment to the university and a youngster that calls me dad has a matric dance. All has to be done, no postponements allowed and no extensions granted. The light at the end of the tunnel is the increase in the bank balance, work completed as required with my credentials intact and a teenage couple being ferried to and from their final school year social committments (although I don't think this is the last time I will be driving around in the small hours of the morning!).

You can imagine what this is doing to my sleep patterns - it is certainly not early to bed early to rise. Much closer to bed early in the morning and get up a few hours later. It is not all doom and gloom as most of it is now behind me and I can still claim to be pretty sane and not only enjoyed what had to be done, but also had the priviledge of meeting people who are alive and vital in their approach to life despite the hardships that they face.

This weekend will be filled with text books, reading and writing and I have politely informed friends and family that I will resurface next week once the postal service is in possession of the assignment.

Who can teach empathy?

Empathy - a definition: "a fearless exploration of another's inner world, a sensing of meanings unknown....wholly accepting of that world." - Janet Tolan, pg 18, Skills in person-centred counselling and psychotherapy.

A sub-title for this blog could have been, "how do we learn empathy?" Certainly not an inborn trait and if it is we have to learn/re-learn it in our training as social workers.

Every now and then I babysit my niece and nephew - a pigeon pair according to my mother - that is a brother and sister who are 18 months apart in age. Little boy is just starting to string words together but little girl does come up with some gems. How can you not react empathically when after supper and some telly and a bedtime story and the final goodnight and the lights off and the door closed just so, out pops, "I love my mommy, I really miss her." And that look comes into her eyes that tells me that the tears are going to flow. All I am able to come out with is "Your mom is really special." Tears no longer but a smile and satisfied look in her face that tells me she knows somebody else shares her opinion about the special place her mom has in her heart.

There is nothing like a 4 year old to express her feelings in such a way to let you actually feel what it must be like to miss your mom while she is out and one of her uncles is seeing to bedtime routines.

Children as teachers - indeed!

Full speed ahead...

My one exam for this semester is over and results are still out on this one. A massive 60 page document/assignment is on its way to the university (hopes and prayers for a safe delivery through the erratic postal service for this). Planning for the assignments that now follow for the year subjects is taking place and I have to find the time to read, read and read some more. Interestingly this year we have been "prescribed" two DVD's to watch and then answer questions with regard to the human interaction that takes place. I think that a lot of pause, rewind and play buttons are going to get worn out in the process.

Although I am studying through a distance learning university my thoughts are turning to funding for my studies for the next year. I have to negotiate the corridors of corporates, government departments and NGO's in search of funding for a social work bursary/scholarship. University education in general is pretty expensive and there is a great deal of need for financial assistance in order to pay for tertiary education. Even though distance learning is less expensive than residential universities, if you take a full year of subjects/courses, it is inevitable that a student would not be able to take up employment with such a workload. If you are like me (an older student in career change mode), these are the years where I would otherwise have full-time employment and independent. Social work studies demand a lot of attention, self reflection, volunteer work as well as reading and writing. So for full time distance learning funding is also important.

Thus far the indications are good from both government and NGO's - it seems corporate interests are not moved to fund social science students. 

Exam Stress Reduction

In the run up to my exam with time pressures to fit in all the work as well as everyday practical matters, it was a good reminder to practice stress reduction techniques. There are loads of techniques and programmes and methods out there that claim to help during stressful times, but how does one find one that works. To go on the recomendation of a friend is a common way but then so is the top results in the Google search engine, which is often paid for by an organisation.

I had the pleasure of hearing about Jon Kabat-Zinn and the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programme (MBSR for short) held in Cape Town. Initially the programme seemed to cause me more stress than reducing it as I had to fit in a new daily practice of meditation and yoga as well as a weekly class. But soon the benefits became apparent. The meditation practice encourages one to pay attention to and focus on breathing, acknowledging the thoughts that prompt one to action or to judgment and to let them pass - like sitting on the bank of a river and watching the thoughts rush by - all the while being aware of the breath continuing to flow. The 8 weeks passed quickly, way too quickly in building up this new practice of living in the moment and new activity everyday of checking in on myself and my body.


It was to this practice of watching my breathing and being aware moment by moment, without judgment and having to spring into action, that I turned when I was preparing for and writing exams. I was able to remain focused and fairly calm - despite at times feeling pretty edgy and anxious. I suppose the success of this way of life will be borne out by the results of the exam. I will have to wait and see....

Exam Stress Reduction

Exam Stress Reduction.

"I need to see my social worker..."

As part of my recovery from my appendectomy it was necessary to take myself out to have a meal and watch a game of rugby on television that was being played at the stadium across the road from where I live. 


Due to the large number of cars carrying fans into the suburb, there is money to be made by "guarding" cars while the drivers are in the stadium. This is often done by homeless or unemployed people who have managed to get hold of a reflective bib and look like "official" security guards and for a small fee you car should be untouched by the time you return from the game. I had been in the restaurant for about 30 minutes and was making my way through a glass of good red wine and a beef baguette when two guards, reflective bibs and bags in tow, decided it was time for a "tea break". The tea consisted of 2 local beers each and before they went back into the cold autumn evening I overheard something along these lines....

"I have to go and see my social worker this week. She is nice! I know that she can help me!"


So despite the fact that social workers may have a bad reputation in some quarters, there are still clients and service users who have faith in the assistance that they may be able to access through a social worker.

Expect the unexpected

Well who would have thought that I would have had to undergo surgery in the weeks before my 1st semester exams. Definitely not something I had factored in to my timetable - or my budget for that matter. The fact that after 4 days of suffering in a fair amount of pain, saw me visit a doctor, get passed onto a surgeon, directed to the hospital across the way and an hour or so later on a gurney into the operating theatre gave me great faith in the ability of the healing profession to make a difference in the lives of those who are suffering. The non medical staff along the way also seemed to be able to empathise with my painful appendix predicament. Two hours later and I was making lame jokes with the recovery room staff who were checking if I was still of sane mind and healthy body.

No appendix to take home in a bottle - that burst on the way out, but the scars to prove it and a bit more pressure on the exam timetable.

Reading and Writing as a student

It is always interesting to read new authors and to try and understand a fresh perspective on human development and social problems. There just seems to be SO much. At every turn of a page there are multiple references to articles, books reports and compilations. The internet makes it so accessible and easy to get hold of and then comes the sifting through what is important and relevant and trying to understand my own stamina for reading for hours at a time. As I once said to a Grade 12 student - "stick to the curriculum!" That has become an important reminder for me too - I want to get to grips with the primary texts of Carl Rogers and Paulo Freire, but there just doesn't seem to be the time to be able to currently read all these great authors. But at least I am able to read those that are passionate about their work such as Janet Tolan and Prof. Schenck.

The writing after such reading is difficult, given the myriad of ideas and concepts that are presented so lucidly. I have to accept that these are ways of understanding the world and the people that live in it and that this theory serves as a guide in the way that I am being taught to be a helper.