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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Child Protective Services and/or the like....
Is anyone else in Child or Adult Protective Services? What about case management or any other sort of DSS work?? I want to know your opinions/advice/struggles/joys that come along with the job.
Re: Child Protective Services and/or the like....
I work in the public sector. I am also looking to leave it. I am only 22 and the job is just too much for me. My mental and physical health have deteriorated in the 8 months that I have been here. I have a B.S.S.S in Psychology...so....not really sure what jobs are out there right now for me. It's a very confusing and scary time in my life.
That sums up what all my friends have said. Your skills may be able to transfer to other sectors. Something along the line of non-profit. Have you considered social work in the hospitals or schools?
My mother in law is an investigator for DSS and has been for the last 15 years. Before her promotion she was a case worker and before that, she was in career counseling at a college. She is also a therapist on the side and sees patients one day a week.
MIL does not love her job and when it effects her, you can really tell. But most of the time, she does not let it get to her. She works very hard and truly cares about the people she works with and the children she protects.
I think being a traditional therapist on the side has helped her with the pains of her day job.
I was a CPS worker for approximately two years before I quit. You know you are helping kids, but as time went on the cases got more and more intense. It's a thankless job and I greatly appreciate those who can do it, and not let the job affect them.
I would try to stick it out (and I know how tough that can be). I don't know which state you work in and how it works, but can you put in for an internal transfer or to a position with different casework or a non-casework position. For example, my friend does adoption cases only. Still stressful and still in the field but the cases are more stable and not as intense as someone going out on a new investigation.
You should also look around for jobs. Someone in my friend's office was there for a few months, got a promotion in another county and quit social services completely three months later.
You can't become any kind of social worker without a B.S.W.. Not even if you had a Ph.D. in Psychology. You could have a similar role, I suppose, but any job specifically for a social worker will require that.
I agree with other PP's... try and stick it out. My MIL did night school for 3 years to earn her masters and then eventually her CAGS. Both of these degrees have opened up immense opportunities for her which she would have never had before.
I'm actually surprised that you are an investigator without a masters in social work. In my state a masters is pretty much a must for the field.
In NC you only have to have a Bachelors Degree. I am the youngest person here and trying to tell a family how to raise their kids is just to intimidating. I look like I'm about 17 so a lot of people think I am "an intern" or right out of high school. I wish I could stick it out, but I think if I do I will be so physically ill and will also be compromising my marriage. My husband is having a very hard time seeing me like this and everyday gets worse.
Start looking for something else ASAP. Anything that affects your health and marriage is not worth doing. I was a parents' attorney in DCF cases and it is exhausting (and none of the parents appreciate any criticism from their case managers regardless of their age.)
As for what else you can do it depends on where you live and what the market is like. It would be a good idea to try to contact former case managers in your area to find out what they are doing. I took my useless Psych B.A. and went to law school (warning: it took me 3 years to find a full time position as an attorney after I was licensed to practice and I had good grades and a judicial internship.)
Start looking for something else ASAP. Anything that affects your health and marriage is not worth doing. I was a parents' attorney in DCF cases and it is exhausting (and none of the parents appreciate any criticism from their case managers regardless of their age.)
As for what else you can do it depends on where you live and what the market is like. It would be a good idea to try to contact former case managers in your area to find out what they are doing. I took my useless Psych B.A. and went to law school (warning: it took me 3 years to find a full time position as an attorney after I was licensed to practice and I had good grades and a judicial internship.)
I did this job for 5 years before I was completely burnt out. And apparently the statistics say there is a 5 year burnout rate in child welfare. I enjoyed it at first. I know that I did the job well, but there were always so many "system problems" that got in the way and prevented me (and other SWs) from doing the job we wanted to do. Its challenging being the front line person - and then not being listened to by the Courts and other people that make the decisions. Like others, it got to the point where I was taking the job home with me... I'd lay awake at night worrying about the safety of 40 kids that were not my own. I'd come home cranky, and DH (as hard as he tried) just didn't understand how I felt. Then there were days where I'd see disgusting horrible things, and be completely desensitized to it. The more frequently that happened, the worse I felt.
I finally transferred to a new job, still within the social service field. And it changed my life. I'm happier, I sleep better, I have less stress/anxiety. It takes a certain person to do that job. And if you can do it, even for a short time, then its worth it. The burnout rate is so high that good workers are always in high demand.