I have been at the Centre nearly my 25 hours, the expected time. They wanted more, but I am reluctant to do more. It already is feeling like full-time.
I have read all of the files now, and spent time building relationships with the adults. Ms. Augustine is the "House Mother," but really has the role of Director. She is delightful to know! She works way too hard and feels guilty when she takes a day off. But she is taking Friday off to supervise workers building a cement fence at her house! She cooks them lunch, then charges them, thus reducing the cost of the fence! I love it! She tells stories about her early years of working as a case worker in Belize, when she had to ride the bus or walk to homes. She told a wonderful story of taking a bus to a village and then told that she had to spend the night in the public accommodations there. As it turns out, those were the barracks for the military, and she was the only woman. She decided it was not a good idea to take a shower! In the middle of the night, she heard a familiar voice over the half wall. Her brother was stationed there! He stood guard so she could take a shower! She tells stories of taking the bus, walking through a village with a teenage murderer to his court hearing. By herself! Belize is very different now. Human Services has vans or cars for transportation, and teams of case workers go out, none alone. I think Ms. Augustine thinks they are wimps! LOL!
I sat in on an evaluation of a first year social work student's evaluation with Ms. Karen Simplis, a professor of the social work (bachelor degree) at the University of Belize. Right now there are only 3 professors, though they are set up to have six. They have some adjunct professors, but there is such a shortage of social workers that they have only half that they need. The evaluation was rigorous. I really like the young woman, a mother of a four-year-old who works full time at the Immigration Dept. I was a little taken aback by the level of criticism, though she took it in stride. The staff at the Centre were much more supportive than the professor. The bad news here is that she is one of my supervisors. I'm anticipating some critical supervision, which I'd say I'm not used to. I have had the good fortune of having supportive supervisors (for the most part) throughout my career. And I took exception, gently, to one of Karen's examples of using self in therapy, advocating for more boundaries. I only said that due to my own experience of early counseling students, and I have to be cautious about the cultural differences.
On the other hand, I am being treated at the Centre with uncommon generosity. I told Ms. Augustine that I am rather uncomfortable with it. I have a new office, small with a huge desk, which of course is not where I would normally sit. The office is so small that I don't think that I can turn it around! Plus I am cornered should one of the teens take exception to me. I have a brand new lap-top (eat your heart out, NM Solutioners!), and a printer. And I have an assistant who manages the files. I have insisted that she needs to have the file cabinet in her office, as well as the printer. A board member will install a wireless router once we get internet wired to the office building, this week, we hope.
Now I must go inspect my laundry. Today I did laundry like the Belizeans. I washed it, and hung it all out to dry! No dryer today! However, wouldn't you know that the landscape guy came to mow and weed-eat. I may be doing laundry again now.
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