Setting: Compass House
1/19/11: Today was my 1st official day at Compass House, and going into it, I was very nervous. I have never worked in this type of setting before and also haven’t worked with the 12-17 year old age group that much. I usually prefer to work with younger children, but I wanted to try different options before deciding on a certain career path. When I arrived at 3:00pm, I was surprised to see all of the staff gathered in a room with no children, but then I was reminded that they were still at school. Today, 4 teenage girls were staying at the shelter for various reasons I have yet to discover. Once they got home from school we watched television and talked about their days. They all seemed like great girls and 2 of them are going back home later this week, but neither seemed like they wanted to go. The girls have formed friendships even though they may not have been at Compass House that long. I hope I get to meet more people tomorrow and I am excited to find out more about the girls I was introduced to today.
Number of Hours: 6 hours
1/31/11: I worked an afternoon shift today which did not allow me to see much action today. Only 3 children are currently staying at Compass House and all of them were at school. The staff encouraged me to answer phones today which was both nerve wrecking and good practice because I will later be able to confidently answer the phones. The last call I had today occurred 15 minutes before I left, but it gave me the opportunity to fill out a “blue sheet.” Blue sheets need to be filled out every time a potential intake calls and it serves as information to the staff. This call was made by the Buffalo Police and they called to inform us that they were bringing a child to the shelter because of a conflict at home. The child was just arriving as I left and I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t get to observe her intake and hear her story. Number of Hours: 26 hours
2/10/11- This past week was an interesting week at Compass House. I learned the stories of several children and they all made me realize how important Compass House is to them. It truly is a safe place where nobody can hurt them. The first girl I got to talk to was a Muslim girl who ran away from her parents because she had a boyfriend which was not allowed because she is supposed to have an arranged marriage. This 16 year old girl was afraid that she would be sent to Yemen to be killed if her parents found out she had a boyfriend. After hearing her story I was shocked and saddened.
The other day I also was allowed to observe an intake for a new resident. The intake was a lengthy process with a lot of questions being asked. Before starting the intake, Compass House must call the child's parents so that they know that their child is safe. Listening to this girl's story of abuse was upsetting, but at times it was difficult to determine if she was telling the whole truth. Intakes are intense, but it was an experience that I am glad I had the opportunity to take part in
Number of Hours: 42 hours
2/17/11- This past week at Compass House was pretty uneventful. We didn't have many kids all week, but we still tried to create activities for the kids to take part in. We watched movies with them and also played a game of scrabble. I was also informed that interns were allowed to read the current residents charts which interested me because I wanted to learn more about the children who I hanging out with. Their charts have all of their intake information such as why they came to Compass House, illnesses, suicide ideations, etc. When I read some of the charts, I was horrified and saddened at what these kids had gone through. It caught me off guard because when I see these kids, they all seem friendly, and willing to help. Finding out that the police bring most of the kids in surprised me because they seem respectful when I'm with them. This is one of the good things about Compass House, it's voluntary so kids only stay if they want to. They're all willing to help because they're out of the home environment which is beneficial to them for whatever reason. I am starting to learn about the importance of Compass House to these children because it is a place where they feel safe and independent and can bond with peers their own age in a good environment.
Total Number of Hours: 54 hours
2/24/11- Every kid at the house was off from school this week, so it was fun to be at the house every day I interned. I played video games with them, watched movies, and learned about the new residents. I don't often get to eat dinner with the kids, because I usually leave as they're about to eat, but this week I ate with them 2 times. Meal times are important at Compass House. Before anyone eats, the children are told to take a moment to themselves in silence and then can begin eating. The first time I heard this, it surprised me, but I now realize that it is a time for the kids to be grateful for what they have been given at Compass House and they can reflect on how they're going to turn around their lives. Meal times are fun because some of the kids really open up. One boy was talking about his school and hockey throughout dinner. I love hearing about their schoolwork and hobbies because it shows me all the good they have in their lives, in spite of all the bad they may have faced.
Total Number of Hours: 66 hours
3/10/11: Compass House is really starting to show me that I am going into the right profession. I didn’t think I would actually like being around older children as much as I do. I usually prefer working with little kids because they’re fun and cute, but hearing the stories of the children at Compass House and just hanging out with them has opened my eyes to a new perspective.
Next year I plan on going to graduate school for my MSW and Compass House has given me experience in the field. I am able to hear from case managers and the kids themselves about what brought them here and how they feel. Although I do not necessarily want to be a social worker, learning about the field is still interesting.
The past couple weeks, an influx of children has been coming into Compass House. I’m not sure why, but we have been pretty busy lately and have had about 5-6 children. I have found that most children come to Compass House because they are disagreeing with their parents for various reasons. The most important aspect of Compass House is that it is a voluntary shelter meaning that no child can be forced to stay. They come on their own (unless brought by the police) and only stay if they want to. This sense of independence that the kids feel is freeing for them and actually makes them more responsible because they are not forced to stay.
Total Number of Hours: 86 hours
3/24/11: The past 2 weeks have been unusually busy at Compass House. Last week, we had almost every bed full for a couple nights which made the house extra fun. I love having a busy house because, even though it is loud, there is always something to do and someone to do it with. I played a lot of games and I have realized that, even though it may not seem like much, playing board games or cards makes the children feel more welcomed and at ease with us.
Last week, I was particularly disturbed by one story. Two sisters came to Compass House because their mom was abusive and didn't want to put up with them anymore. One girl was 15 and the other was 12. I have never seen someone so young at Compass House and it broke my heart to see a little girl going through a struggle I cannot even imagine. After reading about their story, I also saw that they were adopted by their current mother when they were very young and that now their mom was thinking about putting them in foster care. I felt so bad for these girls after reading this and hoped their situation would work out. I came back the next day to find the younger sister gone, but the older sister still there. The mother took the young girl home, but left the older one at Compass House for several more days for some odd reason. I truly hope these girls have found a way to work out their problems with their mother.
This past week, many of the children left and there were about 5 kids by the end of the week. This was still fun because this group of residents was so much fun and very respectful. I have not heard their stories yet, and don't know if I will, but while they're at Compass House I plan on making their time relaxing and care free.
Total Number of Hours: 106 hours
3/31/11: Today was my last day at Compass House. I am actually really sad to be leaving and am even thinking of applying for a fill-in position. At first, I was unsure about Compass House. It is obviously a great program, but I just felt like I wasn't doing anything and wasn't helping. As soon as a resident started opening up to me, I felt like they'd leave Compass House the next day. Now I realize that just creating a relaxing and open atmosphere means more to these kids than anything. Having new residents all the time is a good thing because it allowed me to learn about more children and it meant that the kids who left somewhat resolved their problems at home. I have come to LOVE Compass House and feel comfortable around the kids even though at first I didn't think I would. As I stated previously in another post, I didn't think I would like working with older children, but I love it and feel like I can relate to them and speak to them comfortably and make them feel comfortable around me. These kids really just need to feel like someone cares about their welfare and it may be as easy as playing a game of Uno with them to make them feel safe and happy. These kids have been through more than I can even imagine which has made me realize why they may have made poor choices in their lives thus far. Compass House serves as a means to turn their lives around for the better and work towards a goal of happiness. I expected to feel like I was changing lives actively, but just providing these kids with a warm atmosphere may have helped them in ways I may not know. This week, only 4 girls were at Compass House but I especially felt connected to them. One girl was very shy and wouldn't talk to anyone at first, but once I got her to play a card game with me, she opened up to me right away. Every time I came in this week, she immediately gravitated towards me and we played several board games with the other girls too. She told me her story and her conflicts and talked about problems in school too. I felt like I was actually helping her and making her feel more welcomed at Compass House. I hung out with the kids a lot this week and just listened to what they talked about. Most of them were having difficulties with school work so I tried to encourage them and remind them how important getting an education is now.
Compass House has made me realize that working with children is what I want to do with the rest of my life. Whether it's just hanging out with them, or giving them advice, I enjoy being with kids. As I said before, I plan on applying for a fill-in position and then hopefully will become staff one day. This not only looks great as experience for a future job, but also increases my knowledge about children and social work.
Total Hours: 120 hours
