First official day on the job at Guardian Ad Litem yesterday. This week I began orientation and training to become a Case Advocate Manager at GAL. After a long day of orientation and paperwork at the main office downtown Monday, I made my way to the Clay County courthouse Tuesday morning to report. I walked in the front entrance, taking my various bags through security. I brought all the things with me. Purse, backpack, lunch bag. As I ventured to the GAL office in the courthouse, I was welcomed by the amazing staff. One staff member recognized me and gave me a big hug. Everyone was all smiles. I couldn’t have been more excited.
The admin showed me my new office space. I share a space with another newly hired CAM named “Q”. Q is super sweet. I think we will have a great time working together. As I walked into our office, have a huge working desk, computer monitor, laptop, and, phone. I could hardly contain how ready I am for this change. Later, the sweet IT guy set everything up, and even took my laptop to install a new hard drive. Later this week I plan to decorate our office some. I think the meantime I am working to get trained up through courses and videos. I am observing other CAMS in court, to see how hearings are moving along. My job is to advocate for children in the foster system, have a caseload, attend court, and manage my volunteer child court advocates on my caseload. Since summer 2020, I have been volunteering for Guardian Ad Litem. Now I will be staff and doing similar work but with more cases and more responsibility and management. I am so grateful for the opportunity and it really is more in line with what I want to do in the long run with social work schooling and working with kids.
I hope that one day, as I get started with school for the Summer or Fall next year 2023…. (Yes I am deferring one more semester so I can get accustomed to working the new job)…that I will continue to see what I am capable of and know that I can manage part time school and full time work. I will start FSU in 2023, for a three year part time online MSW degree. I cannot wait to go, I am getting rather hyped with a water bottle, FSU stickers and tshirt. I want more than anything to pave this path of working with children, adolescents and young adults. In today’s world there is so much misdirection. So much easily accessible information on social media. So many dangers. I hope that I can help children and anyone struggling with various traumas or conditions to see the way out of their darkness and to achieve everything they want in life.
Finally I am just super excited to have my own work space, to be able to work independently. I am over the moon ecstatic to have such wonderful staff to work together at GAL. I cannot wait for what the future holds here. In the meantime, ever cognizant that I still have my own limitations. At the end of the day yesterday, as I was somewhat mentally drained…I could feel decompensated,. I know it will take some getting used to the new schedule of working full time. I am up for the challenge and feeling the best mentally I have felt in a long time. Thank you everyone for the support and encouragement here! Off to get ready for the work day!
The Seascapechronicles 