The first step in hospice social work is to know what to do: Fill out this form; ask this question; refrain from saying things that make an awkward and difficult situation more awkward and difficult. Hospice social work can be done simply by following steps.
Being the kind of hospice social worker who thrives and continues to serve impeccably, through the ongoing traumas and confusing organizational climate, requires something else. It requires personal development. It requires deeper understanding. Or counseling. Or at least some conscious planning about who you want to turn into as this impactful job inevitably changes you.
Change is inevitable. Changing into a master instead of a burnout requires some focused intent.
Later in this book [blog], we’ll go into what to do and who to be to avoid burning out and how to manage the challenges inherent in the organizational climate of your average hospice. The need to focus on these topics is quite real, so I should probably go into them sooner, but I won’t. The chapters [articles] that follow will focus on cultivating excellence in our field.
Dare to be excellent in this field
You have good reason to be excellent at what you do. First, how amazing is it when a skilled musician, writer, photographer or dancer demonstrate true mastery. I’ve studied martial arts most of my life, but I never achieved a level where I thought I was as amazing a martial artist as Prince was a guitarist.
I’ve been told by many that I’ve achieved excellence in this role. If it’s true, it’s likely the result of a combination of attitude and learning. I like adventures. I’m relentlessly devoted to accomplishing my mission and helping to make things easier for people. I believe in working to improve systems that aren’t functioning well, even when most people within those systems seem to doubt improvements to be possible. I believe that solutions always exist, and there’s a way to find or summon them.
The plan
In the next few articles, I’ll use examples to illustrate the attitude that I believe makes for a fantastic hospice social worker. Later, I’ll go into other levels of being so that the presence you provide is truly supportive, so much so that any action you take will be beneficial for those you serve.
Most agree that presence is one of the most important contributions anyone can make to those who are grieving. Who is present? You are. The difference between providing a supportive or unsupportive presence depends on who you are more than what you do.
For those who perceive being rather than doing as passive, be assured that a beneficial presence is often an active presence: a willingness to jump in the car and head towards crisis when no one else knows what to do. You might not yet know what to do when you jump in the car, but you can outline half a plan on your way there. You won’t be doing nothing. And you can develop various beneficial ways of being by taking actions that I’ll recommend throughout the following articles.
This section will also focus on some advanced skills, such as counseling, knowing when and how to report abuse, and navigating around dilemmas. Whether you are a human being or a human “doing,” read on.
Join in
Feel free to use the form below to subscribe and receive articles in your email.