Lessons from the trenches
I have been working for a year and a half at a nonprofit that takes care of the chronically homeless. Providing permanent supportive housing, shelter, and supportive services to men & women who live on the street for years and years.
And after this short time, I'm quitting in the name of self-care. And I've seen some amazing individuals run through the same cycle in social work jobs. It takes young, spirited individuals and chews them right up. With long hours and too few staff, and too much interference from directors and boards, and too little money paid to those young souls giving up their lives to be on call 24/7.
On one hand, it feels like a failure of my compassion, character, and strength. How come the most resilient people I know, the most loving, nurturing, souls, can't cut it long-term in social work? I've learned some really valuable lessons about strength, sacrifice, and life from this experience, so perhaps it isn't a failure at all.
- It isn't failure if quitting means you will be happier. There is no shame in saying, "I'm not happy, and here is why." You should explore the reasons you aren't happy, and for each factor that you list which is bringing you down, come up with some alternatives that you think would suit you better.
- Staffing practices at social work agencies create a culture of helplessness within the people they serve. I know that most people will say a lack of funding is to blame, but I don't care for the causes, I care for the reality of how people cope. People working in social services are empathetic creatures, trying to build lives and futures. The jobs are 24/7 on-call, and that drains these once energetic dynamos that wanted to change the world. With more staff, the individuals the organization serves could bounce ideas off of more than just the single program coordinator or case manager hired to provide support to people rebuilding their lives, and working through problems in this way would build up their problem-solving skills and autonomy. Instead, everything is an "emergency caliber" issue that only the one case manager or program coordinator is asked to lose sleep over, and lose sleep they do. It takes a village to repair broken lives. One PC and one case manager can't possibly bear the weight of 24-50 grown men & women with histories of addiction, emotional abuse, and mental illness. You will break the most valuable resource you have. Which brings me to number 3...
- We are not so far removed from the issues we were hired to treat. What I mean by that, is the failure to uphold work/life balance, pay adequate and fair wages, and invest in the future of our caregivers, endangers the emotional well-being of the caregivers. I have found myself wandering around town in a fugue state, entirely out of my own body, and observed others who I have seen at the shelter, aimlessly walking around the city, losing their mind in a similar fashion. Knowing how little it would take to lose everything, and end up in the same shoes does not spur innovation, energy, and great work. It's just terrifying and stressful and makes one want to run away.
- If you're going to lose your mind, do it around people who are happy. This is probably the most important thing I've learned. Our environments have a huge impact on our mental health and happiness. Work is a huge part of our lives. If you're facing weakening resolve and emotional well-being, surround yourself with people who are in love with life, and you'll relearn how to love it too.