The past three weeks were tremendously stressful. I
inherited many cases with unresolved issues and needing pressing responses,
countless tasks, and meetings required two to three times a day. To get these
tasks completed promptly would require the assistance of more than one person.
Also, with the amount of attention needed on this one case, it would be impossible
to focus on or complete tasks for any other assigned clients.
Without giving any specific information on this case,
it involved stabilizing housing, addressing violent behaviors, mental health
issues, and countless meetings and paperwork. There are years of history on
this case that one person could not review in three weeks. However, I was
expected to know the case history in a short amount of time and also resolve
the immediate concerns with little to no support.
I felt neglected and that I was being set up for
failure. We call it being "Dumped on." When a worker gets overwhelmed and is victim
to the department's demands, it can cause burnout. It is a cycle. As a result,
workers either quit or go on leave. In most cases, a social worker leaves for
the following reasons: high caseloads, complicated issues with limited
resources, lack of support from management, social workers being violently
threatened by clients, and extreme demands from leadership, among other
reasons.
Over the past three weeks, I could not come up for
air, so to speak. I received numerous emails and phone calls regarding this one
case. Everyone wanted something from me, including answers that I could not
address because I was only recently assigned the case.
I asked my manager to throw out a lifeline. I
explained that there were many immediate needs to be addressed, some beyond my
current skill level. For example, I have worked in a specialized unit for
almost a decade. However, these newly assigned cases required skills that I am
no longer familiar. There has also been a lot of updated procedures for the
different task. The response I received was that I basically needed to learn
quickly to get the job done.
I became emotionally fatigued, experienced terrible
headaches, and felt no sense of accomplishment. They did not consider the fact
that I am a single person: a human. I was expected to work non-stop, without
error or support. . . like a computer.
Ultimately, this case remains unresolved despite all of my efforts and the stress I endured.
