Trench Warfare - Other blogs - Social Work Blog - Carespace from Community Care

Sticking to the Man Via Subterfuge

Let me demonstrate for you a short conversation that, on the face of it, seems completely innocuous: Me: I need a transport please, 35 year old female, suicidal, going from Ourtown Memorial to St. Elsewhere. She's in the ER, room 12. Her: Is your...

Published 17 Nov 2009 11:03 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, law enforcement, mental health, mundane office drivel, paperwork

When You Assume

So, I walked into a hospital room not long ago and approached the patient first, as I always do. She had someone with her--people often do. I began my schtick and.... Well, maybe it's better if I just give you a play by play: Me: Hi, My name's...

Published 10 Nov 2009 10:18 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: domestic issues, in the field

You Know How You Get That Feeling....

....that something is going to boomerang? Yeah. I work for a free standing psychiatric hospital, as you may or may not realize, and part of my job is doing admissions for them after midnight. "After" being the operative word here. BEFORE 12...

Published 7 Oct 2009 3:01 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: children, in the field, mental health, mundane office drivel

I NEED Something Light Hearted Today

Something fun. Something peppy. Bubblegum. Lollipops. I need emotional sugar to wipe out the utter bitterness I heard from not one, but two teenagers last night--neither of them as yet able to drive. The murder/suicide that killed one set of parents is...

Published 1 Oct 2009 7:16 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health, teens

Did I Tell You About Getting Yelled At?

Not that is much of an opener, seeing as I get yelled at all the time. Comes with the territory, you know. Social worker = pissing people off = getting yelled at. And cursed at. And flipped off. To date I've not suffered bodily harm because of my...

Published 25 Sep 2009 8:07 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health

Sigh

Battles fought from the trenches last night, my friends, and I'm still reeling. In the light of day, after all the dust has settled, I'm seriously wondering whether I did the right thing for either of the people I saw last night. Not really a...

Published 8 Sep 2009 8:03 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, in the news, the job

On Second Thought

I'm pulling that last entry as it felt just a bit mean spirited when I read it again. So, it's Friday. I'm about to head back to the 40-minute-away hospital to complete what I tried to start last week. And yes, I called first. The magic 16...

Published 21 Aug 2009 3:33 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: blogging, in the field, life, music

Little Lesson Here

Won't take long. OK, so here's the skinny: Social workers, believe it or not, do have standards when it comes to expectations from people with whom we work. Granted, they're low, but they exist none-the-less. Basically, said standards require...

Published 20 Aug 2009 3:22 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health

The Social Work Equivalent of Throwing a Cat into Bath Water

A play-by-play. 8:45 Thursday night : Social worker receives a text from the boss (social worker would like to take a moment her to say her boss LOVES texting, that social worker gets more texts from her than anyone else.) instructing social worker of...

Published 17 Aug 2009 4:21 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: flat-out bitching, in the field, the job

Considering Social Work as a Profession?

Go for it! Seriously. Because if I get nothing else out of my job, (and I won't go on and on about the being "called" to be a social worker and how satisfying the work is and how much pleasure I get at the end of the day because I've...

Published 13 Aug 2009 10:44 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, the job

Another One Bites the Dust

Damn it. All these pop culture figures from my wayward youth are dropping like flies. John Hughes, the director of such Gen Xer classics as Sixteen Candles , P retty in Pink, Weird Science, Ferris Beuller's Day Off and The Breakfast Club died yesterday...

Published 7 Aug 2009 4:30 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, life, music

My Brush with Fame

Most of my dear (dozen) readers know by now that my job is nothing if not interesting. There is lots of down time considering the nature of my job, but I find all of the assessments I do fascinating. Granted, I hear plenty of tragic stories, and some...

Published 23 Jun 2009 1:39 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field

Natural Selection? Fine. But That Doesn't Mean I Want to SEE It...

Driving to the hospital tonight I saw something that looked a bit unusual in the road. As I got closer, I realized it was some kind of animal. A pup of the canine variety--perhaps a coyote. The poor thing was flailing around, undoubtedly rendered helpless...

Published 4 Jun 2009 9:41 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, life

Alzheimers? Thanks, but I'll Pass

I saw an elderly woman not long ago that I was forced to hospitalize. She was (please forgive the jargon/parlance about to ensue) not "oriented to time, person, place or situation". In other words, she was completely out of it. Like couldn't...

Published 1 Jun 2009 6:44 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: domestic issues, elderly, in the field, mental health

Listen Kid....

I'm trying to have a good week here. It's my birthday week and all--I'm trying to go all fluff on my blog. So when I hear that you tried to set a fire to your 84-year-old-neighbor's house? Well--that sorta puts a damper on my mood. ->...

Published 28 May 2009 4:27 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: blogging, children, in the field, mental health

Damn Canine

Remember this one I wrote last week? Well, there's more to the story. She wasn't suicidal in the least and I stand by that. But she sorta did get mad at her husband in the early evening hours and threaten to kill herself if he left with the dog...

Published 19 May 2009 3:26 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, law enforcement, medical professionals, paperwork, social workers, suicide

Drama Comes A-Courtin'

So not long ago I assessed a young man who had the ubiquitous laundry list of issues that the people we see tend to have. He was in foster care for ten years of his life. Numerous placements. Numerous hospitalizations. Considering that he had been in...

Published 18 May 2009 2:10 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, law enforcement, mental health, suicide

Delusional Thinking: An Illustration

I cover more than one hospital. In fact, I cover three of them. (You know how every once-in-a-while I'll tell give you a heads up about foreshadowing? This is one of those times.) Most of the time, the primary on-call person is able to juggle the...

Published 12 May 2009 5:43 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, medical professionals, the job

Dude? I'm Not Your Babe, 'K?

Not long ago another mental health social worker called our hospital looking for a bed for someone he had in his own hospital. This happens all the time--it's part of the gig. We talk to each other regularly when our own places are full and we need...

Published 11 May 2009 4:31 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, the job

Manics, Cops, and Tags

I got pulled over. Again. Same damn suburban town, same stretch of road, relatively the same time of night. This is the second time this has happened to me in three weeks, not to mention this incident last month . I didn't blog about it before because...

Published 28 Apr 2009 9:10 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, law enforcement

Head Desk

Me, to the tech at my hosptial: Hey, it's Reas. Listen... The Tech: Hold on, let me get the nurse Me: I'm not calling to give report... (click) The nurse with the (exceedingly) heavy accent: Halloo? Me: Hey, it's Reas. I spoke with Dr. Who...

Published 16 Apr 2009 8:07 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, medical professionals

Court is Now in Session

So part of our assessments includes us making a decision as to whether the patient we evaluated has "good judgment." Actually, it's a multiple choice question: JUDGEMENT Good Fair Poor And then we're supposed to circle our answer and...

Published 14 Apr 2009 3:06 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health, paperwork, the job

And By The Way, My Parent's Don't Know

Visiting with a young college guy, asking all the usual stuff.... Drinking? Not much, now. Not much, ever. School stressing you out? Yes, but loves it, so it's a good stress. Grades? Great! Job? Just a part time one, it's fine. Easy. Friends OK...

Published 6 Apr 2009 11:00 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health, overdose, suicide

Bi-polar Week Continues...

A quick grammar lesson. OK, let's be fair. This is a rant. It won't take me long, and then I'll let you get back to it. "It" being your life. You'd rather be in yours than mine, I guarantee. Say you: What makes you so sure? Say...

Published 2 Apr 2009 9:25 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: for your information, in the field, medical professionals, mental health

Paranoid Delusions Are the New Black

Didn't you know? I've seen two different men in two days, both bi-polar, both off their meds for a while, and both delusional as hell. One man was convinced everyone in the ER was trying to kill him. That the medi-flight called in was the ER's...

Published 1 Apr 2009 7:29 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health

OY!

Most of the times these days, another person's tragic stories just don't affect me all that much. I'm able to go in, listen with all the empathy in the world, come out of the room, do the job I'm expected to do, and go home and sleep with...

Published 26 Mar 2009 12:59 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: alcohol, domestic issues, domestic violence, health insurance, in the field, mental health, suicide

Geodon Took Him Away!

All right docs, looks like we need to have another little chat. This won't take long, so stay with me. I know you're busy. I know you see a LOT of weird, wacky people in the emergency room on any given shift and that some of those weird , wacky...

Published 19 Mar 2009 12:57 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, medical professionals, mental health

Karma, I Do So Love You

So I'm driving down the highway heading for an assessment and I noticed a cop parked on the side of the road. I instinctively looked down to ensure I wasn't speeding (as, I will freely admit, at times I am wont to do. Especially in the middle...

Published 5 Mar 2009 10:09 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, law enforcement

Flash Dance

Years ago when I worked for a local mental health center, I was assigned to the "intensive case management" unit for a short time. This, in short, meant you had fewer clients who were more sick and therefore required more of your time. Often...

Published 2 Mar 2009 2:18 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: elderly, in the field, mental health

All Right You Silly Teens.....

It would appear we need an object lesson in anger management. It is definitely OK to feel angry, frustrated, hurt, and confused. We've all been there and these feelings can sometimes be completely overwhelming. You're only human and you need to...

Published 12 Feb 2009 7:40 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, teens

Time is (Decidedly NOT) On My Hands

There's real time. We all abide by it, right? You're supposed to be somewhere at 6:30 and you show up at 6:30. Well, most of us do anyway. If you're my father-in-law, then you show up at 6:10, which is completely annoying. (But I'm not...

Published 4 Feb 2009 5:55 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, medical professionals, rants

Basement Cat has Spoken

more animals And thus I have taken down my most recent post. Perhaps this is an indication that I am in desperate need of medication, and believe me when I tell you I'm not ruling that out. But I would like to think that really it means I'm just...

Published 15 Jan 2009 8:20 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: blogging, in the field, the job

Tales of Entitlement

The Players: Dr. Who Dr. Suess Mayo Medical Center Mustard Medical Center Patient Zotbot Silly Social Worker A Big Fish The Situation: Zotbot arrives at Mayo Medical Center's emergency room flanked by Friend One and Friend Two. Zotbot, merely visiting...

Published 15 Jan 2009 7:46 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, medical professionals, mental health, suicide

Shakey Foundation

It just doesn't matter how much money you have. When you discover your spouse is a felon on several counts (read: DUIs and embezzling), then that carefully constructed 13,000 square foot house of cards will come tumbling down. At that point all you...

Published 12 Jan 2009 1:59 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: alcohol, in the field, wealth

This One's For the Docs

All right all you medical professionals, apparently there's a bit of confusion on a matter so allow me to clarify: I cannot throw someone in the psych ward just because you think he's an ***. That diagnosis has yet to make it into the DSM, and...

Published 7 Jan 2009 2:53 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, medical professionals, mental health

Let's Talk About Addiction! And Pulling Teeth...

A recent interview, abridged: Me: Any kind of struggle with substances? Alcohol? Her: No. Me: Anything else? Her: No. Me: Pot? Her: No. Me: Any other street drugs? Her: No. Me: No cocaine, crack, heroine.... Her: No. Me: Prescription pills? Lortab, Xanax...

Published 1 Dec 2008 2:16 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: drug addiction, in the field

Here's My Number. I'm Sure I'll Never Hear From You Again.

I don't really get much follow-up with people. The nature of my job just doesn't allow for it. I see people when they're in crisis and refer them to others for long-term care. Every-once-in-a-great-while, however, I will get some additional...

Published 26 Nov 2008 3:39 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: alcohol, in the field, the job

Perception is Key

So I saw a kid recently at my (psychiatric) hospital--a kid that was sent to us via an ER. He took some Advil almost a full day before I saw him, and ended up in the admissions office after a long ordeal. A psychiatrist apparently assessed him at the...

Published 6 Nov 2008 12:29 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field, mental health, teens, the job, thoughts

A Wee Bit of Advice.

So I get that you're tired and confused and angry and want to leave the ER in a huff. It makes a statement and furthermore, it's you're right to do so. And the Obama shirt? Perfection. However. You might want to consider putting on some shoes...

Published 22 Oct 2008 11:00 AM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: in the field

Full Confession Forthcoming, an Act That Will Likely Cost Me 50% of My Vast Readership

I'm sure I'm going to take a hit for this one, but here goes: I only have so much emotional energy going into an assessment and that energy I usually reserve for people. As opposed to dogs. So when I make entrance into the inner sanctum of the...

Published 21 Oct 2008 4:54 PM by Trench Warfare

Filed under: dogs, in the field

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