The half way point of my term with IJM has come and gone. Although I expected it to go quickly, it’s a bit surreal to think that in six months I will not longer be here. And for those of you wondering (as I am) what is next… I have no idea :)
The bulk of what I’ve been working on for the past six months has been at one of our partner shelters, My Refuge House. I’ve helped them by revise their policy and procedures and led trainings for the houseparents and social workers there. It’s been great to see them grab a hold of concepts they were never taught before and improve their skills and confidence in the shelter.
In addition, I’ve had the privilege of supervising the IJM social workers in their development of group therapy curriculum and implementation. Can I just say, the social workers in this office are incredible. Hard workers, delightful to be around, and compassionate. I love to come to work every day just to see them!
The final half of my term will look similiar. I will continue to lead the trainings at MRH and invest in the staff there, as well as providing trainings for some of our other partner shelters. I will be again supervising group therapy development and implementation with more social workers. I will be conducting other trainings for the social workers in the office on topics such as counseling techniques and anger de-escalation. And lastly, I will develop a workbook about stress and burnout for partners in the local shelters.
It’s been very exciting to be placed in roles that increase the sustainability of the work already being done here. I’ve been able to invest in IJM staff and partners without stepping into any roles that have caused unnecessary dependence on my temporary position. The need is great, but the work already being done is great also. I love having the privilege of improving what’s already in place. And, to top it off, I’ve learned that I really like teaching!
The bulk of what I’ve been working on for the past six months has been at one of our partner shelters, My Refuge House. I’ve helped them by revise their policy and procedures and led trainings for the houseparents and social workers there. It’s been great to see them grab a hold of concepts they were never taught before and improve their skills and confidence in the shelter.
In addition, I’ve had the privilege of supervising the IJM social workers in their development of group therapy curriculum and implementation. Can I just say, the social workers in this office are incredible. Hard workers, delightful to be around, and compassionate. I love to come to work every day just to see them!
The final half of my term will look similiar. I will continue to lead the trainings at MRH and invest in the staff there, as well as providing trainings for some of our other partner shelters. I will be again supervising group therapy development and implementation with more social workers. I will be conducting other trainings for the social workers in the office on topics such as counseling techniques and anger de-escalation. And lastly, I will develop a workbook about stress and burnout for partners in the local shelters.
It’s been very exciting to be placed in roles that increase the sustainability of the work already being done here. I’ve been able to invest in IJM staff and partners without stepping into any roles that have caused unnecessary dependence on my temporary position. The need is great, but the work already being done is great also. I love having the privilege of improving what’s already in place. And, to top it off, I’ve learned that I really like teaching!
Most of the IJM Social Worker Team, Referred to in the office as "The Angels:"
