Hoping, praying, wishing that you're still active.
I just got my first job as a social worker and am already on my deathbed. Fresh from uni and not a clue how to do the things they're asking me to do. I'll try though.
Working with seniors, I have to do outreach. We are distributing flyers and trying to make connections for our senior day program for seniors with dementia. I have already reached out to churches, hospitals and medical clinics, community centres, and libraries. But my manager wants me to expand on that list.
I really don't know who else to contact. Do you have any suggestions? And what was your greatest obstacle working your first SW job? ♥️♥️♥️
I'm not really active, but active enough to see this ask!
Oof, frontline social work jobs are tough. I'm assuming you're in the US (though I imagine this would probably be at least somewhat applicable to other countries), so here are some ideas:
First, search your area for social work/mental health worker networking groups. Most of them are on facebook, but some of them might be elsewhere. You can google "[City name/state/region] mental health worker networking group" and see what pops up. I say this both because you'll be able to do some outreach there, but also because you deserve to connect with other mental health workers for support for yourself. Also, try reaching out to your college and see if they have a group for alumni. Again, for outreach and networking opportunities, but also to connect with other social workers for support for yourself.
As for ideas for other places to reach out to: I mean, honestly, you've hit almost all the places I could think of! Try senior centers, if you haven't already. Try other nonprofits serving seniors in your area (try looking for Medicare/Medicaid-funded organizations), assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, and retirement communities, and see if you can find any individual therapists or group therapy practices that may serve seniors.
Also, don't be afraid to stand up and advocate for yourself in your job. If you're fresh out of ideas and your manager is still pushing for more, gently push back. Think along the lines of "I've already tried everything I can think of, including x, y, and z. I'm out of ideas at the moment. Do you have any ideas of other places I can try?" If they don't, and they just expect you to come up with... something, try, "I'm not sure what else to do. If you don't have any other ideas, I'm going to [insert idea of what you can do next that's tangentially related, like, 'follow-up with the places I've already reached out to so I can keep building those connections.'] But I'll talk with you during our next check-in/meeting to see if I come up with any other ideas."
Social work jobs are hard. They are so hard. I struggled with pushing myself too hard and not having the work-life boundaries I need to last long-term. Take your time off, take your sick leave. Turn your phone off (or at least mute work people) after hours. If you can keep from adding any work apps to your phone, do. If they try to give you more work than you can do in a reasonable work week, tell them that. "I'm not able to get x done with y and z, so I'm going to prioritize y and z unless you tell me you'd like me to do something else." And don't be afraid to look for a new job if this one is going to burn you out.
(also AskAManager.org is a great resource for finding ways to advocate for yourself in the workplace. Social workers deserve better than the field gives them. You don't have to put up with it.)
