Ever. At all.
I am flexing today off. I am flexing today off because I worked 55 hours last week, being with families, coming together with them in an effort to prevent placement of their children. I am the live in therapist. Only, I don't live there. It just feels like I do.
I have had yay moments and oh no moments and this isn't safe at all moments. I have had healing moments and scary moments and I have witnessed, in the last week alone, four drug deals. I have called the Vet School, where we take our darling Rosie, to make sure I cannot bring home the Parvo virus because one of the apartment complexes I am in so often is infested and dogs are dying left and right. It is truly heart breaking.
{It is highly unlikely I will bring home the Parvo virus. I knew that, but I had to make sure. This might be the reason my darling Rosie is co-dependent. In any case, the Public Information Officer I spoke with gently suggested euthanizing the dogs that are there. It is so very sad. And more than that, this is the environment in which young children live.}
In flexing today off, I get to turn off my work phone. I get to not read my work email. I get to have lunch with my mother in law. I do have to catch up on paperwork, maybe an hour's worth?, but that's it.
And tomorrow I will be up bright and early for another 13 hour day. And I will work Saturday morning. Part of the issue here is that we're still working on generating local referrals. Until that happens, I have to take families in a town an hour and a half away. That's a lot of driving. That's 15 extra hours to my work week right there.
It's a juggling act. But, in the end, when one counts all the benefits and costs, this is still a better deal than the last agency I was in.
It's amazing how much of a factor professionalism, professional growth and clinical support mean to a social worker / therapist.
So, onward. On to catch up on this paperwork and go drink wine at the golf course with MIL. On to an afternoon nap. On to a mission to find clearance patio furniture for the deck.
Onward.
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Sounds like a whirlwind, but I'm glad it is better than the last agency! Hope you soaked up all things good and relaxing on your flex day, did you find any patio furniture? We've had some good success with yard sales this year but it takes some perseverance and patience! Praying too for all the situations your work entails, so glad someone like you is out there in the field :)