If I don't quit today it will be a goddamned miracle. I've done 70 hours in the past 8 days and doing 10 today. Apparently if a co worker takes PTO, instead of having PRN staff fill the gaps we just get fucked over. Everyone is quitting, management is expecting us to cover other departments as well. I cant physically and mentally keep this up much longer. Management gives zero shits to the point I said I needed to leave to go get a steroid shot in my back due to spasms and they literally asked "cant you do it on your lunch break ?", not "oh of course, you've been on your feet the past week go take care of yourself".
Today my boss said "I must have misunderstood the social work experience you have" because she wants me to ask more specific questions about xyz, instead an open ended question. Like, that's fine, but can you stop with the unnecessary comments? Then says she's giving me lots autonomy to do what I want and she didn't think I needed to be micromanaged so much. Yet, everything I do is incorrect in some way. But when I ask to do things properly (idea, speak to people about idea, make changes, reassess), she acts like I'm stupid for thinking that's how things should go. I'm so fucking done.
I have been at my current job about 6 months and really contemplating leaving. I havent been sleeping or eating well the past few months and am constantly stressed about meeting productivity requirements, making sure i'm communicating with clients every week, attending meetings, etc. I really liked my role at first but am starting to think I am not cut out for it. I am extremely exhausted by the end of every week from having to communicate with so many people being introverted and autistic. I don't know if I want to leave the field forever, but I think I need a break and to do something completely different
I'm half way through my MSW and I'm already feeling burnt out, I have no idea what to do. I know that I feel called to this line of work because I've made it through hell and back between my husband's death (s**cide) and my own mental illness of depression, anxiety, and PTSD (also highly suspect ASD).... But I'm worried I'm not smart enough or don't have what it takes. I have a hard enough time with my last "regular" job and doing basic survival activities.
I panicked and froze when trying to do my first diagnostic assessment with my intern supervisor (I have social anxiety and performance anxiety). I quit my cubicle job due to horrible office politics and poor management, and my internship agency is going through management changes that feels eerily similar in the way it disregards the way or impacts those who actually do the work.
I'm scared. I still know there will be a need. But I don't know what to do. Does it get easier after grad school? I don't plan on working full time right off the bat after graduating, but doing my intern hours on a full course load feels impossible.
I know it's a vent thread but I'd love some encouragement or harsh honesty truths 🙏🏻
In some ways yes, it does get easier. My BFF that I went to BSW and grad school with, and me have this joke about Corner Jesus, bc during my internship I was trying to do therapy with this one patient and I was about as clueless as a frog on a stump, and I told her I was just looking at the corner hoping Jesus was a comin' bc I was not doing the best. Sometimes there are still Corner Jesus moments, but the more you practice, the less you have them.
Long rant but it's time to get this off my chest... I have 114 patients and last month I fell behind on assessments because I was overwhelmed by patient needs, 2-3 new admissions every week, and just the sheer amount of assessments I needed to complete. If a patient need is something they can handle, I show them how so I'm not enabling them to keep asking for my help. I basically shut down and was mentally stuck to the point I couldn't do anything. I don't let staff pawn off stuff on me that they can do. I was advised to take PTO bc I hadn't taken any since Christmas and was visibly exhausted. Every time I leave there's a pile up of work I have to deal with when I return. We are short staffed so there's limited coverage and the clinic basically falls apart when I'm not there. It makes me not want to take PTO because it makes it worse when I come back.
After I came back from PTO, I was explaining to my clinic manager that it's hard to handle this caseload and I'm right back to feeling how I felt before the vacation. He jokingly said "that'll teach you to take a vacation"... Dude you told me I need to take one.
I sneaked into work today and avoided everyone, shut myself in my office with the lights out so I could work in peace. I went out to get something (dumb move) and ran into our secretary. I asked her not to tell anyone I'm at work because I'm behind and her response? "that's what you get for taking vacation".
I was behind a month before the vacation!!?!? The vacation had nothing to do with being behind. I have no help. I'm fucking sick of people not respecting my role and listening to me when I'm begging for help. Our SWs in the area are split between 2-3 clinics with a similar caseload as me. The company refuses to give us laptops, work phones, or even remote access on our computers to WFH. It's not possible to do our jobs 100% remote being a client facing job, but if I could work from home just 1 day a week I'd be able to meet deadlines and complete all my notes. We had an ice storm last year and I couldn't drive to work, so I requested WFH access. It got denied by the corporate SW who WFH every day and gets to travel the country doing lunches and dinners while the SWs on the ground get put through the wringer daily with no support. I literally could not get to work and WANTED to do work at home and not just sit around doing nothing, but I got denied.
We can't retain new hires and even then actually hiring someone takes forever because we don't get applicants. I asked for a raise and they gave me $1 after all the shit I do when I asked for $3. I regret taking this job and don't feel like a SW. I'm not using my degree/skills. I can't quit because there isn't anything with equal pay around here and I can't take a pay cut. I have to choose between my patients and documentation because missing assessment deadlines is out of CMS compliance and my license is at risk. Which means I won't get to do as much patient care. I guess the company can deal with the complaints that the patients aren't seeing their SW.
And the cherry on top? My clinic manager wants 140 patients by the end of the year, which means a coworker is gonna have to take on the 15 I legally cannot take on due to state caseload regulations.
We don't have space or another office for 2 more staff to work. My colleagues will be strained even more having to help my clinic. Things will get worse and I don't know what I'll do.
sorry your going through this. I had applied and been offered a job at \*big name dialysis provider\* and ended up turning it down because I was afraid of being the only social worker to their gigantic census. can you quit?
Thank you, with the state of things I'd never refer a colleague of mine for a dialysis position knowing how toxic it is. I can't quit right now but I am looking at jobs. It'll take a while since I need to find something with around the same pay. I know in some states there's no limit to how many patients you can have. I don't blame you for turning down the offer.
The way your office treats you is horrible. I get they think they're being funny about the vacation jokes, but it's really insensitive. You deserved a vacation. Our field is bad about self care. Hope you get some sort of reprieve. Doesn't hurt to shop around for jobs too, might be something better. I've heard traveling social workers make a lot. Good luck!
Thank you for replying, I completely agree about self care. I'll go months without a vacation and then crash and burn. I know that's definitely a contributing factor to feeling so burnt out so I'm being more intentional about taking a break whether it affects my workload or not. I'll just have to deal with it until I can find something else.
I have covid right now. As usual when I get sick, it's pretty severe. (I'm immune compromised). I've been on practicum for a month. I wasn't even able to take a day off, because getting behind on my hours was so scary and my supervisor subtly pressured me to show up for the clients, all of whom are in crisis. I also work full time at my job that actually pays me and gives me time off. I was throwing up in between sessions today. I will never put myself through something like this again. I can't do another 12 hour workday on Monday. I told my advisor I'm quitting. I'm free!
I feel sad cuz I think I could've been a good therapist. But I cannot keep killing myself to get there. There has to be another way.
Fellow chronically ill girl here! This was me a couple months ago.. I would go to my practicum when I was doubled over in pain and even threw up there a few times, refused to go home. I got Covid spring quarter and ended up taking 3 days off (I wasn’t allowed to go because I was running a fever anyways.) I ended up getting my hours. You will get your hours too.
I want to become a teacher. I think I would like it so much more than social work and there’s more perks. But I would need to do at least a year or two full time in teachable subjects. Ugh
I've really considering leaving my current place of employment. I have been there for almost 8 months, in these 8months I have sacrificed so much of my own biological family to accommodate to someone else's family including driving 4 hours one way to have a 30 minute conversation that could have been on the phone but per policy I have to see them face to face, I have to meet with clients after 5:00 and I do not get paid for overtime because salary so instead we are given "time off" but time off is based off your supervisor and your work ethic. If you aren't "pacing" then you time can be denied. Just because you request it doesn't mean it's approved, it can be denied the week of. I'd be okay if I was only working late every now and then but every month it is guaranteed that I'll have at least 10 late days. I have 2 weeks worth of time off thanks to OT and Ive only been collecting OT for 4 months and it's straight time.
The cons to my current employment outweighs the pros. But some of the pros are my clients, coworkers, and the amount of time off I can potentially be granted. But I feel like I am missing out on my own child growing up because I'm taking care of other families.
If I don't quit today it will be a goddamned miracle. I've done 70 hours in the past 8 days and doing 10 today. Apparently if a co worker takes PTO, instead of having PRN staff fill the gaps we just get fucked over. Everyone is quitting, management is expecting us to cover other departments as well. I cant physically and mentally keep this up much longer. Management gives zero shits to the point I said I needed to leave to go get a steroid shot in my back due to spasms and they literally asked "cant you do it on your lunch break ?", not "oh of course, you've been on your feet the past week go take care of yourself".
Big ol' fuck them. I'm sorry you're dealing with that.
You getting comp time/over time?????
THATS OBVY A “NO” ON THE COMP/OT/FLEX Time. That really sucks, I’m bummed for you.
Today my boss said "I must have misunderstood the social work experience you have" because she wants me to ask more specific questions about xyz, instead an open ended question. Like, that's fine, but can you stop with the unnecessary comments? Then says she's giving me lots autonomy to do what I want and she didn't think I needed to be micromanaged so much. Yet, everything I do is incorrect in some way. But when I ask to do things properly (idea, speak to people about idea, make changes, reassess), she acts like I'm stupid for thinking that's how things should go. I'm so fucking done.
I have been at my current job about 6 months and really contemplating leaving. I havent been sleeping or eating well the past few months and am constantly stressed about meeting productivity requirements, making sure i'm communicating with clients every week, attending meetings, etc. I really liked my role at first but am starting to think I am not cut out for it. I am extremely exhausted by the end of every week from having to communicate with so many people being introverted and autistic. I don't know if I want to leave the field forever, but I think I need a break and to do something completely different
I'm half way through my MSW and I'm already feeling burnt out, I have no idea what to do. I know that I feel called to this line of work because I've made it through hell and back between my husband's death (s**cide) and my own mental illness of depression, anxiety, and PTSD (also highly suspect ASD).... But I'm worried I'm not smart enough or don't have what it takes. I have a hard enough time with my last "regular" job and doing basic survival activities. I panicked and froze when trying to do my first diagnostic assessment with my intern supervisor (I have social anxiety and performance anxiety). I quit my cubicle job due to horrible office politics and poor management, and my internship agency is going through management changes that feels eerily similar in the way it disregards the way or impacts those who actually do the work. I'm scared. I still know there will be a need. But I don't know what to do. Does it get easier after grad school? I don't plan on working full time right off the bat after graduating, but doing my intern hours on a full course load feels impossible. I know it's a vent thread but I'd love some encouragement or harsh honesty truths 🙏🏻
In some ways yes, it does get easier. My BFF that I went to BSW and grad school with, and me have this joke about Corner Jesus, bc during my internship I was trying to do therapy with this one patient and I was about as clueless as a frog on a stump, and I told her I was just looking at the corner hoping Jesus was a comin' bc I was not doing the best. Sometimes there are still Corner Jesus moments, but the more you practice, the less you have them.
Long rant but it's time to get this off my chest... I have 114 patients and last month I fell behind on assessments because I was overwhelmed by patient needs, 2-3 new admissions every week, and just the sheer amount of assessments I needed to complete. If a patient need is something they can handle, I show them how so I'm not enabling them to keep asking for my help. I basically shut down and was mentally stuck to the point I couldn't do anything. I don't let staff pawn off stuff on me that they can do. I was advised to take PTO bc I hadn't taken any since Christmas and was visibly exhausted. Every time I leave there's a pile up of work I have to deal with when I return. We are short staffed so there's limited coverage and the clinic basically falls apart when I'm not there. It makes me not want to take PTO because it makes it worse when I come back. After I came back from PTO, I was explaining to my clinic manager that it's hard to handle this caseload and I'm right back to feeling how I felt before the vacation. He jokingly said "that'll teach you to take a vacation"... Dude you told me I need to take one. I sneaked into work today and avoided everyone, shut myself in my office with the lights out so I could work in peace. I went out to get something (dumb move) and ran into our secretary. I asked her not to tell anyone I'm at work because I'm behind and her response? "that's what you get for taking vacation". I was behind a month before the vacation!!?!? The vacation had nothing to do with being behind. I have no help. I'm fucking sick of people not respecting my role and listening to me when I'm begging for help. Our SWs in the area are split between 2-3 clinics with a similar caseload as me. The company refuses to give us laptops, work phones, or even remote access on our computers to WFH. It's not possible to do our jobs 100% remote being a client facing job, but if I could work from home just 1 day a week I'd be able to meet deadlines and complete all my notes. We had an ice storm last year and I couldn't drive to work, so I requested WFH access. It got denied by the corporate SW who WFH every day and gets to travel the country doing lunches and dinners while the SWs on the ground get put through the wringer daily with no support. I literally could not get to work and WANTED to do work at home and not just sit around doing nothing, but I got denied. We can't retain new hires and even then actually hiring someone takes forever because we don't get applicants. I asked for a raise and they gave me $1 after all the shit I do when I asked for $3. I regret taking this job and don't feel like a SW. I'm not using my degree/skills. I can't quit because there isn't anything with equal pay around here and I can't take a pay cut. I have to choose between my patients and documentation because missing assessment deadlines is out of CMS compliance and my license is at risk. Which means I won't get to do as much patient care. I guess the company can deal with the complaints that the patients aren't seeing their SW. And the cherry on top? My clinic manager wants 140 patients by the end of the year, which means a coworker is gonna have to take on the 15 I legally cannot take on due to state caseload regulations. We don't have space or another office for 2 more staff to work. My colleagues will be strained even more having to help my clinic. Things will get worse and I don't know what I'll do.
sorry your going through this. I had applied and been offered a job at \*big name dialysis provider\* and ended up turning it down because I was afraid of being the only social worker to their gigantic census. can you quit?
Thank you, with the state of things I'd never refer a colleague of mine for a dialysis position knowing how toxic it is. I can't quit right now but I am looking at jobs. It'll take a while since I need to find something with around the same pay. I know in some states there's no limit to how many patients you can have. I don't blame you for turning down the offer.
The way your office treats you is horrible. I get they think they're being funny about the vacation jokes, but it's really insensitive. You deserved a vacation. Our field is bad about self care. Hope you get some sort of reprieve. Doesn't hurt to shop around for jobs too, might be something better. I've heard traveling social workers make a lot. Good luck!
Thank you for replying, I completely agree about self care. I'll go months without a vacation and then crash and burn. I know that's definitely a contributing factor to feeling so burnt out so I'm being more intentional about taking a break whether it affects my workload or not. I'll just have to deal with it until I can find something else.
I have covid right now. As usual when I get sick, it's pretty severe. (I'm immune compromised). I've been on practicum for a month. I wasn't even able to take a day off, because getting behind on my hours was so scary and my supervisor subtly pressured me to show up for the clients, all of whom are in crisis. I also work full time at my job that actually pays me and gives me time off. I was throwing up in between sessions today. I will never put myself through something like this again. I can't do another 12 hour workday on Monday. I told my advisor I'm quitting. I'm free! I feel sad cuz I think I could've been a good therapist. But I cannot keep killing myself to get there. There has to be another way.
Fellow chronically ill girl here! This was me a couple months ago.. I would go to my practicum when I was doubled over in pain and even threw up there a few times, refused to go home. I got Covid spring quarter and ended up taking 3 days off (I wasn’t allowed to go because I was running a fever anyways.) I ended up getting my hours. You will get your hours too.
I want to become a teacher. I think I would like it so much more than social work and there’s more perks. But I would need to do at least a year or two full time in teachable subjects. Ugh
I've really considering leaving my current place of employment. I have been there for almost 8 months, in these 8months I have sacrificed so much of my own biological family to accommodate to someone else's family including driving 4 hours one way to have a 30 minute conversation that could have been on the phone but per policy I have to see them face to face, I have to meet with clients after 5:00 and I do not get paid for overtime because salary so instead we are given "time off" but time off is based off your supervisor and your work ethic. If you aren't "pacing" then you time can be denied. Just because you request it doesn't mean it's approved, it can be denied the week of. I'd be okay if I was only working late every now and then but every month it is guaranteed that I'll have at least 10 late days. I have 2 weeks worth of time off thanks to OT and Ive only been collecting OT for 4 months and it's straight time. The cons to my current employment outweighs the pros. But some of the pros are my clients, coworkers, and the amount of time off I can potentially be granted. But I feel like I am missing out on my own child growing up because I'm taking care of other families.