极速赛车168最新开奖号码 Comments on: ‘As a social worker I was made to feel shame for my bipolar diagnosis’

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:31:50 +0000

Thanks for your article. I work/ed as an OT alongside social workers in a health and social care capacity. It is so sad. I agree as has been mentioned that I had an expectation that people drawn to these job roles would have a sense of empathy, humanity or knowledge with regards to living with a mental illness. I am constantly in disbelief that is not the case. In defence, my colleagues were mostly supportive but management, absolutely not. I have Bipolar 1. Following a section a couple of years ago (which hadn’t happened for 20 years) I eventually returned to work. The period off sick was managed so badly. The build up to return, demoralising. I’ve managed to stay back in the job for 14 months. Unfortunately a mixed episode forced me to go off sick again. Without union representation (mine unfortunately lapsed), I think it’s extremely difficult. Especially in the vulnerable state of recovery. I am due to return, probably against advice of psych but I am already sensing the “we cannot make enough reasonable adjustments that are acceptable to the service” and the dismissal conversation. It’s devastating and humiliating. The fact also that even if it gets to that point, the chance of managers agreeing to early medical retirement is highly unlikely. Health/social care workers, in general, invest so much in their roles. I despair that the same investment isn’t provided following years of service. Utter discrimination at every turn. I wish I’d had the energy to reflect this back and make changes in my workplace. People with MI are absolute warriors and I hold the same sense of sadness and injustice as yourself. Thanks again for the article.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 17:18:11 +0000

I was fortunate enough to work alongside this wonderful person as a newly qualified social worker. She inspired me then, and she continues to inspire me now.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: JJf

JJf — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:26:28 +0000

In reply to NoJudgementsHere. It's great to hear how you have turned your life around. I relate to this too, as I used my acquired skills to continue working with children and parents in various settings less well paid than Social work. (BTW I do think Social workers should be paid more!)

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: JJf

JJf — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:20:26 +0000

In reply to BurnedOutSW. This rings bells for me too back 12 years ago when I was forced to take early retirement after a period of absence for what was then diagnosed as depression. Looking back I consider it was contributed to by a late menopause, where I lost many of my dyslexic strategies for coping with the work and the loss of both my parents within 6 months, 4 years previously. Like you I would have needed support to return but despite my having been a children and families Social worker for over 30 years, with 25 years in Adoption and fostering, they said they didn't have the resources to supervise me! Leading up to my breakdown, I had felt unsupported and victimised, so I was anxious and not sleeping. My Dr seemed to be the only one who truly understood or tried to. Not a caring profession when it comes to looking after their workstaff.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: Not My Real Name

Not My Real Name — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 12:09:08 +0000

Social Workers need to join a Trade Union. It’s always a surprise when I attend hearings how little managers actually know about the law. Most managers these days are just bean counters and you are just one of the beans that needs counting. Some compassionate and empathy would be good, and understanding of discrimination issues would be better, but an understanding of the law is paramount and many don’t have it.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: Duncan Ross

Duncan Ross — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 11:36:13 +0000

A very interesting article. As a social worker living with bipolar I would recommend disclosure at the interview stage. My experience has been positive. If the employer is aware of your diagnosis and decides not to appoint you on that basis then that suggests something about a working culture that would not be good for your mental health. I also believe that in some scenarios it is appropriate to disclose your diagnosis to adults that you work with as this can be a way to model that you are authentic about anti discriminatory practice.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: A

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:42:51 +0000

That’s a really good article, well written and brave of the writer for highlighting these issues. Pleased to hear that their recovery went well and that a compassionate yoga teacher was the one to help…ironic really as HR and the team manager didn’t!!!!
It seems like the professionals who should be caring aren’t, however, this isn’t always the case there are plenty of caring and good professionals, HOWEVER those that aren’t, particularly if they are managers often set the tone for the team. It saddens me to hear how social workers are targetted, often due to working high caseloads, but if they try and address this (it should be management) then they are targetted even more. No wonder more experienced workers are leaving….however, there are shirkers in the profession! It seems SW is in crisis and an ever increasing inexperienced workforce, with inexperienced managers leading (yes everyone has to start somewhere) BUT there are alot of social workers that would rather do something else. Shame as it wasn’t like this years ago.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: V

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 23:31:16 +0000

Thank you so much for writing this. I have found social work to be a hugely ableist profession. As someone who became very visibly disabled during my career the response was frightening. Suddenly going from a good social worker to people doubting my ability because of physical health issues. I can only imagine how much worse this would be for mental health. I really think we need to have a re think about our profession. Something many people who receive social work enjoy is a sense of connection or realising you ‘get it’ on a personal level too can be hugely helpful for all involved. We aren’t just the people you work with, we are colleagues and fellow professionals too.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: frustrated

frustrated — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 21:45:53 +0000

When I was a Social Worker I found it strange that there was no compassion or understanding from what should be caring, compassionate people. What made this difficult was that as a caring compassionate person I gave a lot of myself to clients, tough when nobody is giving it back.

极速赛车168最新开奖号码 By: NoJudgementsHere

NoJudgementsHere — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 20:43:12 +0000

How utterly refreshing to read this very honest and, in my experience, sadly a very true reflection of how judgmental social work has become, and as a result, ia complete contrast to its inception.
I gave up my sw career based on exactly this. I suffered PTS symptoms exactly a year after losing my dearly loved father to hospital acquired covid in the very first pandemic wave. I was overly emotional and made a decision that raised a safeguarding concern and subsequent investigation. And further trauma on top of what I had been through with dad.
I’ve reflected on the incident and accept that my decision making was not the right one, however, and key to enriching practice, should have felt able to return after the tribunal, but knew that I would be shunned and not able to work over the local authority networks due to how they ‘talk’ to each other. I should have felt my competencies were worthy of starting again when feeling better, but was not the case.
I finally gave up my registration last summer after feeling betrayed by a profession that was supposed to understand mental health, and recognise the needs and compassion required. Social workers have been the most judgmental of people, in my experience, choosing to ignore the nonjudgmental practices supposedly at the heart of our ethics. I can no longer work in a system that chooses to make judgments that significantly impact a person’s life, to the point of nearly losing their home and taking low paid work to make ends meet.
I speak of children’s social work as my student time in mental health was positive.
On to the here and now and I’m in a fantastic job I love, supporting people with mental health needs. I am a manager, with staff and many clients. My skills serve me well, but I no longer hold the sw title; another loss I’ve had to endure. I worked hard to become a sw at the age of 42, to have it ended by the very same profession that should have shown way more compassion.
It’s ok. I’m moving forward. I love my job. I’m even grateful that having been a social worker put me on a road that led to today.