My responsibility at the shelter was to be a mentor to the kids there, as well as helping out the counselors there. The amount of kids at the shelter varied from day to day. A typical day at the shelter consisted of the kids playing games, watching TV or a movie, or doing crafts. The counselors always encouraged the kids to always be busy and doing something. My job was to interact with the kids in this way, by playing games or just being there for one of them to talk to. Most days the kids would have to go to group therapy, sometimes it would be at the shelter, but most of the times it would be at the main building of compass house.
Another thing I was responsible for is helping the counselors make lunch. I would help them out whenever they needed it. I would also assist in clean up or setting the table for lunch. A typical day for me was to just help out the counselors with whatever they needed, including answering the phone. On one day in particular, I got to sit in at an intake ( a kid who would begin staying at the shelter). There was a lot of paperwork that had to be done along with a number of questions the child had to answer.
My practicum at compass house was overall a good experience. It gave me an insight into how difficult it was for kids to live in foster homes or have an unstable situation at home. From my experiences, most of the kids were there because of dispute with their families. It was also highly likely for a child to come to the shelter more than once. The children there were a mix of different ages and came from different backgrounds which exposed me to new experiences and taught me to respect that. I wasn't familiar with that kind of atmosphere before i came to compass house. Being at compass house has helped me in my career choice and will help me in the future with the path I choose to pursue.
My practicum at compass house was overall a good experience. It gave me an insight into how difficult it was for kids to live in foster homes or have an unstable situation at home. From my experiences, most of the kids were there because of dispute with their families. It was also highly likely for a child to come to the shelter more than once. The children there were a mix of different ages and came from different backgrounds which exposed me to new experiences and taught me to respect that. I wasn't familiar with that kind of atmosphere before i came to compass house. Being at compass house has helped me in my career choice and will help me in the future with the path I choose to pursue.
