working with people in your own age range...

Hey guys! This summer at Alternatives has been very interesting so far! I have come to see how difficult it is to set boundaries with clients who are similar in some way to myself. I'm working with a 18 year old guy, 20 year old girl and 25 year old guy. The 20 year old girl, I must say, is the most difficult to set a clear cut boundary with. She is quite vulgar yet hilarious. She says exactly what is on her mind in the most nasty way possible (sometimes I think she is just trying to get a rise out of me!). So sometimes she will say something that I should definitely disapprove of, but her presentation of it is so ridiculous that I can't help but smirk. Example: *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED ;-)

We are the rep-payee for Vikki* because a psychologist has determined that she is unable to manage her own money. While she does have her own say about her money, we can suggest as much as we want. Vikki recently received a stimulus check and my supervisor said "Really try as hard as you can to convince her not to take the whole thing out at once, I heard that she has been smoking pot every day and just let her know that we are concerned if that is where her money is going. Also if she says she wants to do certain things with the money, try to go with her"

Amy: Alright so I know that you said that you wanted the entire stimulus check...
Vikki: Yes, you are giving me the entire stimulus check.
Amy: $250 is a lot of money to have in one week. What about taking out a little bit extra each week, like $50, then when you really need or want the money for something specific, you will have it.
Vikki: I have specific things that I want. I want it all, NOW!
Amy: What are these specific things?
Vikki: I'm going to get my hair cut and colored, buy shoes for my boyfriends sister, buy my boyfriend an outfit, get some new clothes, I owe my boyfriends dad some money.
Amy: Oh, you want new clothes, how about I take you to the store sometime this week then.
Vikki: HAHA! No. I'm going with my boyfriend.
Amy: Well I have to tell you that we have heard that you have been smoking pot everyday and we are concerned.
Vikki: HAHAHAHHAHAHAA!!!! Well let me tell you, you guys don't need to worry about me spending my money on that, I get my marijuana FOR FREE!!! HAHAHAHA!


the delivery of that statement was so impossible not to smirk at. That same day she asked me "Are you a hippy?" What do I say to that? lol

I shared this next part with some of you already.

She was talking about her boyfriend, I forget exactly about what but I accidently blurted out, "Oh yeah, my boyfriend does that too"

Vikki: You have a boyfriend? I had pinned you as a lesbian!
Amy: A lesbian? Why?
Vikki: I don't know you just seem like an earthy crunchy lesbian!


So if anyone of you can tell me what crunchy means, please let me know!!!!


<3Amy

grad party

Hey everyone!
Just a reminder, tomorrow is my grad party and I would love it if you guys could come. It really would mean soooo much to me. And we're going to the beach on sunday!!!! so get here!! hahaha i love you all.

kelsea

Yay!

Thanks for writing Mary! The rest of you that haven't posted should follow her lead. :)

Don't worry about having new classmates. I understand that feeling. My first day I was like "This is weird, I can't do it!" But it's really OK. Definitely not the same, but it's refreshing as well, to get perspectives not only from different people, but from different schools. I continue to believe that we went to the best BSW program (just cause I'm biased) and I continue to think "what would the morning chatters say about that?" when people say stuff that I question. Nobody will ever replace us, that's for sure, but it's kind of exciting too. Report back and let us know what the school is like!!
My classes continue to be wonderful. My teacher for HBSE introduced us to the DSM (which is the basis for the course) the other day by explaining to us the history of mental illness and the theories which, looking back, were ridiculous. She was trying to show us that we shouldn't look at the DSM as a bible for our profession by any means because it is absolutely not set in stone, and is still very much theoretical even though most professionals fail to recognize that. It was cool to hear about how much has changed since she was in grad. school in the 80s, and how we view different diagnoses today vs. then. There used to be a diagnosis for homosexuals, and now there isn't, but there is still a gender identity disorder of some sort that I can't recall the exact name of right now. It's so exciting to think of how much things will change throughout our career, although sort of discouraging also because we're spending so much on an education right now, haha.

Ok I'll stop now. Write more, lovers! I miss you all so much! <3 xoxo
Marcia

hi everyone!!

hi everyone!!
I'm awful with blogs I don't really know how they work sooo I'm going to give this a try and if it ends up in a funny location I'm sorry! So I'm really starting to miss everyone too much and it's starting to sink in that I'm never going to be in class with all of you again! I'm going down to Pittsburgh tomorrow for the weekend to look at the school and I'm so nervous!! I wish I could take all of you with me, I don't know if I'm going to like having different classmates our class was just too perfect! So aside from working at the bank all day everyday that's my news!! Whats everyone else up to?
<3 Mary!!