Week Three - still truckin'

This week was a good week in the agency. Here is how it went:

Monday - of course it was MLK Day, and the agency was closed. I did not realize this until I showed up and the receptionist looked at me weird.

Tuesday - I worked at the agency in the day program. I feel I am starting to build some good report with the kids in the program. Most of them are good kids, but there have been a couple that have been a challenge. For the most part, the biggest challenge they present is focusing on working on the educational learning tool. Granted if I was there age, I probably would not want to be there for three hours a day working on educational stuff either. However, Mrs. Lipscomb, the Executive Director, has told them, they were the ones who have put themselves in this situation. Lookinat the NASW Code of Ethics, I feel it could be useful in this situation in working with the kids self-determination to be reinstated back in to the school system. Through this program, they have an oppertunity to earn class credit going back to school while they have been expelled. With that being said, there were a couple of kids who were brought in to the program the week of the 14th. Ever since they have been in the program, they have been wanting to joke, laugh, bother others around them, etc. and not work. My confindence, I feel, increased this past week through talking with them and letting them know that their behavior was not acceptable. I also discussed with them that they have put themself in this situation. If they do not want to work to get back in to school, that is there perogative, but being in this program, they are expected to work on the educational learning tool.

Wednesday - This was a good day, but started off kind of awkward. I was to meet a case worker who I have been shadowing at an elementary school on the west side. I entered the school and went to the main office and asked if the case worker had made it there. They just gave me the more wierd face. This was a good learning expereince for me because it helped build my confidence of meeting people I will be coming in contact with at schools. Anyway, I ended up meeting the case worker at another school. Here, we were able to sit down and talk with the child's primary teacher. The student had moved to a new school and the case worker had not had the oppertunity to meet with the teacher.

Overall - I feel my confidence level is starting to increase. Reading this past weeks chapter on expectations came at a good time. I am the type of person who has kind of a split personality when it comes to doing something new. I feel I want to jump right in and start doing what needs to be done, but at the same time, question what I am doing to make sure I am getting reassurance that I am doing what i am suppose to be doing. This week helped me be reassured that I am new at this and it will take time to build my confidence in what i am doing. Social Work as a whole is new to me, so it has been good to take what I am learning in the classroom and see it play out in real life.

Policy/macro: What Indiana Bills & Resolutions for the Spring 08 Legislative Session are of interest to you personally? What Indiana Bills & Resolutions are of interest to you professionally? Describe their significance to you, your agency, & your clients.

For my clients - The Indiana Bill I thought was of interest for my clients was Senate Bill 0069. The Bill requires employers of a paretn to provide paid leave to the parent for school conferences when the conferences cannot be schduled during the employee's nonworking hours. I feel this would be vary beneficial for the parents of T.A.S.'s clients. Many parents do not meet with the child's teachers because they do not have the time to do so. Single moms trying to raise two or three kids may not have time to come in while the teacher is there, and they probably cannot afford to miss work to meet with the teacher. This bill would require employers to pay their employee's, while giving the parent an oppertunity meet with the teachers.

Bills of interest to me - There are actually two bills of interest to me in the House. They both deal with the same issue, but come from different perspectives. The first bill I read, House Bill 1247, wants to increase the state sales tax on gasoline from 6% to 6.4%. This would increase the gasoline tax from $0.18 per gallon to $0.25 per gallon, a difference of $0.07. This 7 cent increase does not sound like much, but if one does the math, it would be a big increse. For me personally, I fill my tank, on average, every two weeks, generally 14 gallons per fill. This would be an increase of 98 cents per fill. Filling my tank twice a month for twelve months would increase my fuel costs to $23.52. As a poor college student with a new child, that $23.50 is important to me.

The other bill that is of interest to me is House Bill 1330. This bill would eliminate gasoline tax. I geuss they are both of interest to me because I do not understand why there would be two bills in the house that deal with the same issue, and contradict each other. The other thing I do not understand is that the same representative authored both bills two days apart.....does anyone else understand that?

On a personal note, the next time I enter a blog entry I will be a new father!! :)

Weekly hours: 15
Hours to date: 46