Have you ever wondered what a typical day is like for a counselor working in a community agency? I clearly recall my tenure as a full-time counselor in a residential substance abuse facility. Here is a typical morning:
9:30am: Arrive at work, wondering what will happen today. One of the things I love about my new profession is its unpredictability. (It’s also one of the things I dislike. I am an organized person, and sometimes in this environment it is really hard to stay organized). I try to slip in unnoticed, as the clients are somewhat like paparazzi: as soon as they see you they are all over you with questions, requests, complaints, problems, etc. Most of the time I love feeling needed, but it can be frustrating when I have a lot I need to get done. I manage to enter without detection, and go straight for my mailbox. Keeping up with my mailbox is an absolute necessity, I get so many pieces of paper that require action that skipping a day will bury me.
9:30- 9:50am: On a typical day, it takes me at least 20 minutes to sort through the various items in my mailbox. Because I am still new at the job, and because so many things require the Program Director’s signature, it is easier for me to sit in her office and do it. I make three piles: stuff I need to do, stuff I need to ask the clients about, and stuff I need her to sign. She is very tolerant and allows me to do this right in her office.
9:50am: The Program Director receives a call regarding a financing issue for one of the clients, which may affect her treatment program. So I put down my stack of papers to give my full attention to this matter. As we are discussing the various intricacies of the situation, one of the techs rushes in, saying that one of the clients refuses to take a drug test, what should she do? The bus will be here in 10 minutes, we have to decide right now! So I listen to a crisis completely unrelated to my client: before my issue can get resolved, before I can open my mail, and before I can figure out how to prioritize my day. [Whew!]
10:15am: Ahh….at my desk finally. I love that I have my own private office where I can shut the door. I get about halfway through my stack of papers before… Oops! Forgot there is a treatment team meeting at 10:30am. I put the papers down and quickly scan my client notes so that I can summarize each client’s progress for the team. I carry an average load of nine clients. That isn’t many. But I am expected to relay in detail their progress, their struggles, any infractions they have (disobeying the rules of the house), what I did about said infractions, any family struggles they are having, legal struggles, oh, and finally, any substance abuse struggles.
12:30pm: Back at my desk after the treatment team meeting. One thing I really, really like about this job is that the time goes quickly. I can truly say that I am challenged every single day! Never bored, but it can also be the frustrating. I am a person who likes to get things done. I keep starting stuff I can’t always finish that day, and it’s really hard to stay organized. But, because of the complicated and numerous paperwork requirements of the Dept. of Corrections and Dept. of Children and Families, I have to stay organized or I put the agency at risk of failing their annual audit.
In my next post, I will describe a typical afternoon.
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Barb LoFrisco
Also check:
• https://mastersincounseling.org/education/4-reasons-you-should-apply-for-a-counseling-degree-today-2/
• https://mastersincounseling.org/counseling/3-creative-ways-to-tap-into-your-alumni-counseling-network/
• https://mastersincounseling.org/counseling/when-counseling-and-your-morals-collide-what-you-need-to-know/
