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- Oct 30, 2006
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I'll try to keep this brief but I kind of need to get this out and would like some feedback. Don't be afraid to tell me I'm wrong and selfish, I want honesty.
I work in the mental health field as a Community Support AP, or "mentor". My job consists of working one on one with children/adolescents with mental, emotional, and behavioral problems. Typically my clients range in age from 9 to 16 and have ADHD, ODD, childhood schizophrenia, autism, and so on. Some clients receive so many hours of services that you spend the entire day with them which means actually sitting in the classroom or wherever they are with them. I've been doing this job for the same company for almost 2 years. In that time I've had roughly 15 clients. Of those 15 clients I have previously declined to work with one client after 3 weeks due to his gang involvement. Well, a month ago I was assigned to his cousin. During that time we have had a decent relationship but not outstanding. Most clients do not want a mentor in the first place and can be a real handful. I have never and will never decline services to a client that I just don't get along with or gives me a hard time as I feel that is part of my job. However, during the past 2 weeks this client has been involved in a number of gang confrontations while I have been with him. Today there was talk of guns and people being shot. The community college where I take him has many members of opposing gangs getting their GEDs. Maybe it's the whole Va. Tech situation or something but today I just said I can't do this. I called my boss and told her and she basically said "well just call me later and tell me how things are going". I don't think she really "got" that I meant it, I can't work in these conditions. I called her back tonight and left a long message but have not heard back from her. Basically I feel like I will bend over backwards for any of the kids I serve, allow them to verbally abuse me, put up with any of their issues and try to help them but I'm not going to put myself in a position to possibly be shot. I feel bad like I am abandoning a client, but I just can't do it. What do you think?
I work in the mental health field as a Community Support AP, or "mentor". My job consists of working one on one with children/adolescents with mental, emotional, and behavioral problems. Typically my clients range in age from 9 to 16 and have ADHD, ODD, childhood schizophrenia, autism, and so on. Some clients receive so many hours of services that you spend the entire day with them which means actually sitting in the classroom or wherever they are with them. I've been doing this job for the same company for almost 2 years. In that time I've had roughly 15 clients. Of those 15 clients I have previously declined to work with one client after 3 weeks due to his gang involvement. Well, a month ago I was assigned to his cousin. During that time we have had a decent relationship but not outstanding. Most clients do not want a mentor in the first place and can be a real handful. I have never and will never decline services to a client that I just don't get along with or gives me a hard time as I feel that is part of my job. However, during the past 2 weeks this client has been involved in a number of gang confrontations while I have been with him. Today there was talk of guns and people being shot. The community college where I take him has many members of opposing gangs getting their GEDs. Maybe it's the whole Va. Tech situation or something but today I just said I can't do this. I called my boss and told her and she basically said "well just call me later and tell me how things are going". I don't think she really "got" that I meant it, I can't work in these conditions. I called her back tonight and left a long message but have not heard back from her. Basically I feel like I will bend over backwards for any of the kids I serve, allow them to verbally abuse me, put up with any of their issues and try to help them but I'm not going to put myself in a position to possibly be shot. I feel bad like I am abandoning a client, but I just can't do it. What do you think?