Fun in Chicago

Photo excerts from my adventures.  Check out my flickr page in "links" for more

A + J 2006

A + J 2006
Originally uploaded by ajdele.

Mirror Bean

Mirror Bean
Originally uploaded by ajdele.

Night lights

Night lights
Originally uploaded by ajdele.

Easter Cake

Easter Cake
Originally uploaded by ajdele.

Changes

Last weekend i was in Chicago with Julie, very good trip.  I really had trouble concenterting thati week. i think i kinda have senioritis of sorts now that i have decided that i am definitly leaving in august.

a consequence of my leaving in august is that i may not get any new cases between now and then.  kinda odd.  i got the news thursday, my supervisor came into my office and told me that the group of five that I was expecting to get in about a week were going to go to a different worker.  i was dissappointed for a few reasons.  the simplest is that i had been planning for them.  i knew what to expect and was ready to make the necessary moves for the kids.  it was going to be a challenge but I was ready for it, or at least i felt ready.  so much for that.  the other reson is that i dont want to be rewarded like that for leaving, i undestand the decision.  if i did get the case i would only have it for three months before it would have to change hands again.  changing case managers is generally to be avoinded, if at all possitle.  it is easier on the family that way.  i dont loke the idea that my case load is goingn to be kept low at the expense of others because i am getting out.  i worry that the change will put unneccessary stress on the CMs who remain.  the CM who is getting my family of five has been talking about leaving as well and is really just waiting for a positive response from one of the other places he has applied at.  This may be just what he needs to leave early.  

New Family Times Five

Today was my day off but I went in for an MDT meeting.  This is the meeting that happens when a case if first opening, we have this after the initial assesments have been completed and we (ideally) have a good idea of the family's strengths and needs (weaknesses, but we cant use that word).  Today's MDT we were staffing a new case soon to come onto my caseload, there were five kids.  Three boys, two girls, five different fathers.  As you might imagine, its a little complicated.

That said, from my end a sibling group of five is easier to manage than five separate families.  There is only one (active/involved) parent to notify of things, one case plan to manage.  Since there are no fathers involved I dont have to worry about domestic violence or one parent completing things and the other not.  These kids sound intresting though, the two youngest seem to be a dynamic duo that have not been as deeply affected by the family instability as the older ones.  I think they will do well in a local foster home.  The oldest boy is good where he is, he actually has a child of his own, if I can work out visits for them then it will probably be good motivation for him to maintain at a local placement.  I will have to stress it to him that if he gets kicked out I am sending him to double dirty south georgia.  I think the middle girl will do well at a local placement as well.  I expect to have to send the middle boy out to an outdoor theraputic placement in northeast GA.

The rough part is that mom didnt show to today's meeting and has not been contactable by anyone.  She might be in the panic phase of when kids are taken but there's no way of telling.  She has been visiting which is a good sign.  As with all these things, time will tell.

New Links

Look, I changed the links!

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