Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Seriously?
I have written 9 reports (at 20 pages each). I received feedback on my first three reports and made corrections to those reports. I just received feedback on the next two reports, and got the same feedback as on the first three. Well of course, because I submitted seven reports before I got the first feedback. Thus seven of the reports will have the same problems. I am wondering if I will have to have three of four meetings where I get the same feedback.
One of THOSE days
The kind of day that you find yourself, head hung, eyes closes, contemplating the un-reality of the situation, that’s where I am today.
Have you ever worked with this guy?
Here is how I want you to do this job (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, etc.) and here is a previous one to help you understand (a template/example). Later you receive and “update” and a new example that is somewhat (or outlandishly) different. Even later, you receive yet another “update” to the process, where in this one fails to even bear a likeness to the original. So you, as a conscientious worker, ask which one you are to utilize and are told of a fourth method, which is significantly different that the previous 3. Well, you have to complete the work so you follow your directions and submit the product, you are also under a deadline to get the work completed (two weeks) and a full 13 days have been wasted on the changes in the process. This does not alter the deadline! Then after your timely submission, where in you have given up significant things in the other aspects of your life to meet this strict deadline, you receive feedback on your performance. This of course occurs more than 4 weeks after the deadline. Where in numerous comments are made about what needs to occur, and of this feedback there is an eclectic mixture of comments from all four of the sets of directions. Have you ever had one of those days?
Here is another example: I was provided a rather robust example of how to put together a summary of results for a particular test. I was sent an e-mail a set of specific verbiage. I used the suggested verbiage, but when given feedback I was told that it was insufficient and I will be sent an e-mail with a better example. Of course when the e-mail arrives it’s exactly the same as the first one. In an attempt to try and do good work, I asked about this. I was told that, I was sent the wrong e-mail and the correct one could not be located, but to just rework that bit. This was followed by a huge rambling verbal example.
So my head hangs,
It shakes in disbelief,
I feel the damage of the disorganized,
But I am happy,
As someone cares -
enough to even -
give feedback.
Have you ever worked with this guy?
Here is how I want you to do this job (Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, etc.) and here is a previous one to help you understand (a template/example). Later you receive and “update” and a new example that is somewhat (or outlandishly) different. Even later, you receive yet another “update” to the process, where in this one fails to even bear a likeness to the original. So you, as a conscientious worker, ask which one you are to utilize and are told of a fourth method, which is significantly different that the previous 3. Well, you have to complete the work so you follow your directions and submit the product, you are also under a deadline to get the work completed (two weeks) and a full 13 days have been wasted on the changes in the process. This does not alter the deadline! Then after your timely submission, where in you have given up significant things in the other aspects of your life to meet this strict deadline, you receive feedback on your performance. This of course occurs more than 4 weeks after the deadline. Where in numerous comments are made about what needs to occur, and of this feedback there is an eclectic mixture of comments from all four of the sets of directions. Have you ever had one of those days?
Here is another example: I was provided a rather robust example of how to put together a summary of results for a particular test. I was sent an e-mail a set of specific verbiage. I used the suggested verbiage, but when given feedback I was told that it was insufficient and I will be sent an e-mail with a better example. Of course when the e-mail arrives it’s exactly the same as the first one. In an attempt to try and do good work, I asked about this. I was told that, I was sent the wrong e-mail and the correct one could not be located, but to just rework that bit. This was followed by a huge rambling verbal example.
So my head hangs,
It shakes in disbelief,
I feel the damage of the disorganized,
But I am happy,
As someone cares -
enough to even -
give feedback.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
I quit!
It has come to this. I am quitting as a Treatment Foster Parent.
Perhaps we simply out-grew the agency we worked for, or perhaps the agency failed to meet its obligations, but in any event I cannot bring myself to continue a relationship with them.
In retrospect, the agency has not provided what it was obligated to do. At least from a parental support role. I take some responsibility for this, as I know I intimidated the agency staff, and I did little or nothing to dispel that. This is still not a justifiable reason to fail to support their homes or fail to work in the best interests of the children they are charged with.
To this agency I say fu*k you! You need to figure out what your job is and then do it.
To the manager of this agency - You need to understand that all of the agencies (courts, county, private care, mental health providers, schools, ect.) DO NOT work well together. They all have different priorities and that causes friction. When you stop thinking that its one big happy family and start seeing the dysfunction you will be able to problems solve. Right now all you can do is slap band-aids all over the place and they don't fix sh!t!
For the kids I have been able to care for - I am looking forward to getting my house back and if any of you wish to send cash to repair the damage to my domicile, cars, personal property or anything else you busted, you know where I am!
Perhaps we simply out-grew the agency we worked for, or perhaps the agency failed to meet its obligations, but in any event I cannot bring myself to continue a relationship with them.
In retrospect, the agency has not provided what it was obligated to do. At least from a parental support role. I take some responsibility for this, as I know I intimidated the agency staff, and I did little or nothing to dispel that. This is still not a justifiable reason to fail to support their homes or fail to work in the best interests of the children they are charged with.
To this agency I say fu*k you! You need to figure out what your job is and then do it.
To the manager of this agency - You need to understand that all of the agencies (courts, county, private care, mental health providers, schools, ect.) DO NOT work well together. They all have different priorities and that causes friction. When you stop thinking that its one big happy family and start seeing the dysfunction you will be able to problems solve. Right now all you can do is slap band-aids all over the place and they don't fix sh!t!
For the kids I have been able to care for - I am looking forward to getting my house back and if any of you wish to send cash to repair the damage to my domicile, cars, personal property or anything else you busted, you know where I am!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Systemic & Chronic Injustice
Well the powers that be have committed yet another mortal sin. El Chupacobra has been told that his decisions and actions have harsh and bad consequences. An understanding was achieved in that if he fails to complete his school, substance abstinence, legal, and social interaction goals, he would be moved from a home setting and placed into a group home.
He is a risk to himself and others.
He was also told of his options and the consequences for his choices, but of course when it comes down to brass tacks the powers that be are failing to provide for this child.
His therapists, and other mental health professionals in his life, have advocated for structure, follow-through, and consistency. Well, as far as the agencies
go, they have consistency nailed down, dead-to-rights, locked-up, tied down, and set in stone. They are nearly perfect in their consistency. Every time they put forth a consequence, a piece of structure, or a potential response to a decision they don’t EVER do it. In every other area of his life, these people have failed, and if you think that the consistency offered above is also a failure, then they are flawless in their malfunction.
It was said that his movement to another home, and not to the professionally prescribed group home, was our idea. This is just a lie. We were told that it was state law that children must receive an education and El Chupacobra’s options were limited and finite. Should he fail in his educational goal/choice he would have to be moved to a group home or military school (where expelled students are still accepted). The reality appears to be that he is just moving to another home and being enrolled in another public school. Lies are simply sauce for the goose.
I think the agency we work with is simply looking to keep a client on the books, and thus collect money for him. They are making decisions based wholly on $ at the disastrous expense of the child.
I am left just wondering:
How do these people sleep at night?
Can they be this incompetent?
Are they brain dead?
WTF?
Conclusion: systemic failure of a profession resulting in depraved actions sacrificing children on the altar of dollars.
He is a risk to himself and others.
He was also told of his options and the consequences for his choices, but of course when it comes down to brass tacks the powers that be are failing to provide for this child.
His therapists, and other mental health professionals in his life, have advocated for structure, follow-through, and consistency. Well, as far as the agencies
go, they have consistency nailed down, dead-to-rights, locked-up, tied down, and set in stone. They are nearly perfect in their consistency. Every time they put forth a consequence, a piece of structure, or a potential response to a decision they don’t EVER do it. In every other area of his life, these people have failed, and if you think that the consistency offered above is also a failure, then they are flawless in their malfunction.It was said that his movement to another home, and not to the professionally prescribed group home, was our idea. This is just a lie. We were told that it was state law that children must receive an education and El Chupacobra’s options were limited and finite. Should he fail in his educational goal/choice he would have to be moved to a group home or military school (where expelled students are still accepted). The reality appears to be that he is just moving to another home and being enrolled in another public school. Lies are simply sauce for the goose.
I think the agency we work with is simply looking to keep a client on the books, and thus collect money for him. They are making decisions based wholly on $ at the disastrous expense of the child.
I am left just wondering:
How do these people sleep at night?
Can they be this incompetent?
Are they brain dead?
WTF?
Conclusion: systemic failure of a profession resulting in depraved actions sacrificing children on the altar of dollars.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
It should be working
Registration at school is so screwed up!
A new system was rolled out to all campuses, which was to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but what we got was a piece of crap.
It let some people register and other not. Classes filled up and everything became total chaos.
Then out comes this nasty e-mail saying that people who registered were doing something wrong (as in bad people). The system then crashed.
So two days later you could call in your registration, but no message or information went out for that!
At any rate, I have registered, but I can't get one class that I need. This means I will have to take an extra course in the summer to catch up!
That sucks!!!
A new system was rolled out to all campuses, which was to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but what we got was a piece of crap.
It let some people register and other not. Classes filled up and everything became total chaos.
Then out comes this nasty e-mail saying that people who registered were doing something wrong (as in bad people). The system then crashed.
So two days later you could call in your registration, but no message or information went out for that!
At any rate, I have registered, but I can't get one class that I need. This means I will have to take an extra course in the summer to catch up!
That sucks!!!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Writing Assessments
I am totally unmotivated to keep writing.
I have been punching in technical corrections in the form of formatting changes for the majority of the day!
I also set up a facebook page.
I have been punching in technical corrections in the form of formatting changes for the majority of the day!
I also set up a facebook page.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Angry!!!!! - VERY Angry!!!!!
Let’s talk about my kids again. So the terrible two-some left the house about 7 o’clock on Saturday night. I was just pulling into the driveway and they were leaving. It’s a bad omen when you pull into your driveway and there is some sh!tbox student grade barely runs crap-mobile parked in the middle of the driveway taking up every possible bit of space. This thing could not have been more intrusive unless it was a tractor trailer parked in front of my mailbox and idling for days at a time (but that is a different rant).
I see that the vehicle still has its driver, so I opened the garage door and pulled partway into the drive. Hoping that the kid would see me and let me park in my own garage, but of course he sees me but has no clue what he should do. How about try pulling your thumb out of you’re a$$ and moving your sh!tbox car off my property?
I roll down my window and yell at this clueless kid that I need to get into my garage. It’s like a deer in headlights! He looks at me and then at the open garagedoor and back at me. Then he imparts words of considered brilliance, “Is El Chupacobra or your Wonderful Son here?”
“I have no idea! You have been here longer than I have, but if you move your car I can go in and check.” I said, which should never ever have to have been said!
So Mr. Brilliance hops back into this box-o-sh!t and turns over the engine, I was impressed that it even started. He pulls it out into the street and waits for me to pull in (Great Right?). So I get into the garage and he pulls up behind me. When he turns off his car it sputters and lurches about a foot forward before finally killing. I guess I am lucky to even be alive.
Well, I collect up my stuff and head into the house and the terrible twosome run out the front door and pile into the death mobile. Which is fine, but they left the dogs outside, dishes all over the house, and the bathroom a total disaster. El Chupacobra then makes FOUR return trips back into the house for things he wants. All the time leaving his shoes on and just running about.
After about 15 minutes of fevered activity, I hear…no feel…bass from the rusted crap car and it pulls away. Now keep in mind I asked both children several parenting questions:
Q: Where are you going?
A: Out
Q: When will you be back?
A: Don’t know
Q: Who are you going to be with?
A: Friends
Q: Which friends?
A: You don’t know them
Off they went.
So time marches on and they return, of course it now Sunday night at 9:30 (and there is even an extra hour in there because it was daylight savings switch). I again asked parent type questions:
Q: Where were you
A:
Q: You were gone all night, where were you?
A: Out
Q: I know that, where?
A: River Falls and Sh!t
Q: Why didn’t you call?
A:
Q: Why didn’t you call?
A:
Q: Hello! What’s up with this?
A: We were in River Falls
Q: Doing what?
A: Nothing
Q: All night?
A:
At this point I gave up trying to talk to them, as I was losing my temper. I returned to my work and then My Wonderful Son comes over and asks if the Army recruiter has email me back. I had a really snarky remark, “I haven’t checked the email, because I was too worried about where you were.”
To which My Wonderful Son replied, “I don’t really care.” and walked away. I guess that means he doesn’t care if the recruiter emails him back so I won’t worry about it.
On a more somber note, these children are addicts! They have no idea, nor the desire, of how to live life without abusing substances. The biggest problem I have with this is that I have no ability to intervene. All of my parenting efforts have ended in total disaster. Either my child destroys my house [huge holes in the dry wall, doors torn from their hinges, smashed computers, broken furniture – just to name the highlights] or we get punished for doing the right thing. The last time he went on a rage spree and was destroying the house I called 911 and the cops came, he ran and they chased him down running him down with the police cruiser. They arrested him, took pictures of the damage, and got statements. They then hauled him away because he was unwilling to comply with basic safety rules. Two days later he decides he will be a good little boy and returns. The DA won’t put him on a JIPS or prosecute because he is a special needs adoption AND we get a huge bill for his incarceration.
El Chupagobra and his disappearances have become so frequent that the local police won’t even call us back for ¾ of a day, and then they don’t even look for him. He is a complete delinquent and nobody at the county will put this kid on paper or give him any consequences. Here is a brief list of the things he has done and NEVER received any consequences for:
Smoked Dope in Public
Over Dosed on non-drossy Dramamine
Drinking alcohol on the school bus
Broken into a car
Frequent ditching from school
Repeated tobacco possession/Use in Public
Mail theft
Possession of pornographic material
Theft
Running Away
Trespassing
My faith in man is severely shaken. That is because I live with two insufferable losers (I mean rabble) and the system which we are to use to maintain our sanity/safety/self is incapable of doing their jobs.
I see that the vehicle still has its driver, so I opened the garage door and pulled partway into the drive. Hoping that the kid would see me and let me park in my own garage, but of course he sees me but has no clue what he should do. How about try pulling your thumb out of you’re a$$ and moving your sh!tbox car off my property?
I roll down my window and yell at this clueless kid that I need to get into my garage. It’s like a deer in headlights! He looks at me and then at the open garagedoor and back at me. Then he imparts words of considered brilliance, “Is El Chupacobra or your Wonderful Son here?”
“I have no idea! You have been here longer than I have, but if you move your car I can go in and check.” I said, which should never ever have to have been said!
So Mr. Brilliance hops back into this box-o-sh!t and turns over the engine, I was impressed that it even started. He pulls it out into the street and waits for me to pull in (Great Right?). So I get into the garage and he pulls up behind me. When he turns off his car it sputters and lurches about a foot forward before finally killing. I guess I am lucky to even be alive.
Well, I collect up my stuff and head into the house and the terrible twosome run out the front door and pile into the death mobile. Which is fine, but they left the dogs outside, dishes all over the house, and the bathroom a total disaster. El Chupacobra then makes FOUR return trips back into the house for things he wants. All the time leaving his shoes on and just running about.
After about 15 minutes of fevered activity, I hear…no feel…bass from the rusted crap car and it pulls away. Now keep in mind I asked both children several parenting questions:
Q: Where are you going?
A: Out
Q: When will you be back?
A: Don’t know
Q: Who are you going to be with?
A: Friends
Q: Which friends?
A: You don’t know them
Off they went.
So time marches on and they return, of course it now Sunday night at 9:30 (and there is even an extra hour in there because it was daylight savings switch). I again asked parent type questions:
Q: Where were you
A:
Q: You were gone all night, where were you?
A: Out
Q: I know that, where?
A: River Falls and Sh!t
Q: Why didn’t you call?
A:
Q: Why didn’t you call?
A:
Q: Hello! What’s up with this?
A: We were in River Falls
Q: Doing what?
A: Nothing
Q: All night?
A:
At this point I gave up trying to talk to them, as I was losing my temper. I returned to my work and then My Wonderful Son comes over and asks if the Army recruiter has email me back. I had a really snarky remark, “I haven’t checked the email, because I was too worried about where you were.”
To which My Wonderful Son replied, “I don’t really care.” and walked away. I guess that means he doesn’t care if the recruiter emails him back so I won’t worry about it.
On a more somber note, these children are addicts! They have no idea, nor the desire, of how to live life without abusing substances. The biggest problem I have with this is that I have no ability to intervene. All of my parenting efforts have ended in total disaster. Either my child destroys my house [huge holes in the dry wall, doors torn from their hinges, smashed computers, broken furniture – just to name the highlights] or we get punished for doing the right thing. The last time he went on a rage spree and was destroying the house I called 911 and the cops came, he ran and they chased him down running him down with the police cruiser. They arrested him, took pictures of the damage, and got statements. They then hauled him away because he was unwilling to comply with basic safety rules. Two days later he decides he will be a good little boy and returns. The DA won’t put him on a JIPS or prosecute because he is a special needs adoption AND we get a huge bill for his incarceration.
El Chupagobra and his disappearances have become so frequent that the local police won’t even call us back for ¾ of a day, and then they don’t even look for him. He is a complete delinquent and nobody at the county will put this kid on paper or give him any consequences. Here is a brief list of the things he has done and NEVER received any consequences for:
Smoked Dope in Public
Over Dosed on non-drossy Dramamine
Drinking alcohol on the school bus
Broken into a car
Frequent ditching from school
Repeated tobacco possession/Use in Public
Mail theft
Possession of pornographic material
Theft
Running Away
Trespassing
My faith in man is severely shaken. That is because I live with two insufferable losers (I mean rabble) and the system which we are to use to maintain our sanity/safety/self is incapable of doing their jobs.
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