My Placement... Help

[lalala1234]

Im starting an MSW program in the Fall and i just received my placement.. in an immigrant nursing home.. which is definitely not my top choice. I have worked with kids and adolescents and i was hoping to gain further experience with that population. Anyone have any idea how i can stay positive about this? Im just worried im not going to get the training i need to become a clinical social worker for adolescents. I feel stuck... Also i asked my supervisor and he said first years dont have a say in their placement so i dont think ill be able to switch..

[BackNSchool83]

Hi la et al, so I hear you, I would struggle with that being my placement as well at first, if I had something else in mind. You know how first year placements go, they place you somewhere you have zero experience intentionally. Now here is the thing, you can glean a lot out of this if you think about it, but at first glance it's not very obvious.

First of all I say join the reddit forum for social work and talk about this there as well, you will get lots of great insight, and an account is free, also there is a psychotherapy reddit. I'll link them at the bottom of this post.

There is no reason that your second year can't be at a school district or doing some other kind of youth social work that is clinical and up your alley, so don't panic yet, most people get weird placements their first year that they wouldn't choose themselves.

An immigrant nursing home... well for one thing you are going to encounter kids and teens who are visiting their grandparent and may need some support. You will be working with families I'd imagine, not just the elderly members of those families. Old people were once young, many may have issues come of from their own childhood and youth that you might help them with. There is also going to be the chance I think to really learn from families in this setting, in an intimate way. You will be talking to middle aged adult children, who are with their elderly parents, the stories they talk about are often going to be from the past, as will be some of the conflicts, and you will see first hand how the struggles and imprints of childhood and adolescence grow and develop in time in the lives of those you will work with. So your training will begin at the Omega, the end of life, where the cumulative effects of childhood on life finally end. After this, you will have a deeper appreciation for the work you do for the young, a deeper understanding of what is to come, of the struggles of families, and you will delve deep into the Alpha, the beginning of life. I think you will get the exposure you desire, but maybe right now this is absolutely necessary for your complete development professionally, as well as spiritually.

 

Social Work Sub Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/socialwork/

Psychotherapy Sub Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/psychotherapy/

 

 

Edited August 19, 2018 by BackNSchool83