The boxes have been checked, meeting with IT, meeting with HR, meeting with colleagues, training for the systems, trainings for the notations, trainings for the appointment making, introduction to my supervisor, and setting up state required supervision to attain my LCSW.
I have set up my email, my signatures, my accounts needed for every fucking possible consideration, my extension, my away messages and out of office responses. Even my fucking Linked In has been updated.
All that is left is the patients, and this week saw the slow trickle of building a caseload. I’ve had a handful of assessments, treatment planning, and established patients being transferred to me. Unfortunately, there’s been more paperwork and getting through the technicalites than rapport building. It has still been there, and I’ve had 5 patients respond to me in a positive way, I’ve had 4 react with ambivilance, and only 1 gave me a hard pass. The rest have been no shows for assessments that haven’t happened, and I may get rescheduled for them , and they may go to someone else when or if they reschedule.
The bulk of my patients have been women and have been members of the alphabet mafia with a history of abuse or trauma with high levels of anxiety and depression…which is very much in my wheelhouse and in most cases where I shine. It’s been a very mixed bag of demographics, including age, race, and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as their readiness for change. I have a handful of patients who are very ready for change, as well as prepared for the work. I also have just as many who aren’t ready or unwilling to do work. Lord, help me , I have one patient who just believes if they show up, I’m just going to wave a wand and make their life better through suggestions.
All in all it’s better than I expected, and I do love the agency’s method of slowly opening time up on my calander…which has really helped me get used to the paperwork while creating my own flow and comfort in the process.
…until next week
herewesayf&@#k!!! 