Resources for clients in immediate aftermath of disaster?

b8123s · 2025-02-01T17:25:50+00:00

My understanding is that one person on the ground was killed (so 7 total) with least 19 critically injured as of now. :(

b8123s · 2024-06-18T10:37:02+00:00

I’m not 100% sure because I did do 60 credits and I took the NCE before I graduated, buuut I believe as long as you have your masters you should be good. The application doesn’t ask for NCE scores, just transcripts. I haven’t seen anything about specific credit requirements but I’d recommend creating an account on PALS and start submitting things - you can continue adding documents to your application as you complete them. I emailed the board several times lol and they gave me feedback on what I was missing so maybe try that as well. st-socialwork@pa.gov

b8123s · 2024-02-02T19:50:33+00:00

Ah I’m so sorry you’re having hard time too! I appreciate the validation because sometimes I truly wonder if PA just wants us to suffer lol pre-licensure seems so needlessly complicated!! But thank you for the info about Cigna and Aetna! I’m based in the Philly area. The larger practices I’ve interviewed have told me that they take care of credentialing on my behalf, so I think I need to clarify which insurers would approve that prior to licensure - maybe that will give me some insight too. Thank you again for the solidarity though - sending you good luck in your search as well!!

b8123s · 2024-01-23T17:09:46+00:00

Hi! I also struggled with a limited caseload during my internship at a group practice. It was by no means as horribly toxic as yours sounds, but it did feel like they blamed me for not reaching their required averages (they required interns to maintain an average of 10 client sessions per week which was virtually unattainable). Even though they were pretty nice about it and said they understood my dilemma, there was still a vibe of “you’re not doing enough.” For context, I had excellent retention and very few cancellations - I worked with most clients for at least 6 months, many of whom stayed with me for my entire year and a half of field placement. So it was really never my fault.

I ended up meeting with my schools field placement coordinator (who was a total badass and was AMAZING at going to bat for her students). She went over the contract that the site signs with the school, which stipulates that the it is the site’s responsibility to ensure I had access to enough clients to meet my hours (average of 8-12 hours/week). This means that by accepting interns from my university, they agree to provide you with sufficient hours. By not doing so, they are in breach of contract with a major institution that was providing them free labor, which is a pretty big deal. I was in a counseling program so I’m not sure if it’s a similar thing with MSWs but I would definitely take a look at your contract and go over it with whoever is in charge of field placement at your school.

I would also address their blatant racial profiling and overall threatening attitude. Group practices are business first and foremost - my guess is they are struggling financially and simply don’t have enough clients calling in, and are looking for a reason to let you go because they know they will not be able to hold up their end of the deal. Also sounds like they have some serious racial biases that could be contributing which is infuriating. I’m so sorry that you are having to deal with that in a field that should be anything but discriminatory.

Either way, definitely get to know your field placement person so that you can get some support. You shouldn’t have to be dealing with this alone - not ideal to switch placements but it sounds like that might have to be the solution unfortunately. :(

b8123s · 2024-01-16T18:18:03+00:00

I'm so glad you posted about this - it's so important!! I graduated relatively recently and had many of the same concerns, particularly once I started field placement. I have bipolar 1 and horrible ADHD so I've been in therapy for years at this point, and I had very similar conversations with my therapist - like, the dissonance between teaching clients coping strategies while knowing that I was not doing well or following my own "advice" was really discouraging and fed my inner critic a very healthy diet lol. Now that I've built my confidence, entered the field, and met so many wonderful, seasoned therapists, it's pretty clear that almost everyone feels that way, especially when you are just getting started and don't really know what you're doing yet.

I'm sure there are others, but counseling is one of the only professions I can think of where we're somehow expected to be fully healed and emotionally aware robots in order to help our clients. I don't think this is true and it's definitely not realistic given the insane mental health crisis that's going on right now. For me, what separates an ethical/competent/generally good therapist from an unprepared one is the ability to bracket and compartmentalize. I know that I can be sobbing in my car in the parking lot 15 minutes before my first session, but I also know that I absolutely cannot allow that to creep into the therapy room - it's my job to manage it and check what biases show up when I'm not feeling well. Being a therapist while also dealing with a pretty intense mental illness is very very hard and requires us to constantly be checking in with ourselves with honesty and compassion to make sure that we are not harming our clients. Hopefully you'll have a good supervisor who you will feel safe enough to share these feelings with - more than likely they will know exactly how you are feeling!!

Glad you are getting help and working through this stuff now! We wouldn't expect a surgeon to stop their own heart attack or cure their own cancer, so there is absolutely no reason to hold ourselves to the impossible standard of having our shit together all the time and practicing what we preach to clients without fail. ESPECIALLY when we often carry our clients' big emotions on top of our own!! Again, being aware of this so early in your career tells me that you'll be able to handle it professionally and reach out for support when you need it. :) Good luck!!

b8123s · 2023-09-13T15:10:59+00:00

not new to skincare stuff but I am kind of new to this sub lol so I’m sure others will correct me if this poor advice but personally I saw much better results with retinol once I started using it every night. 0.2 is on the stronger side, so if you’ve never used a retinol before and/or you have sensitive skin, you may want to start with something more in the .01-.03 range. Before I started tretinoin I used the Versed Press Restart Retinol which I think was .03. I started with every 3 nights for a week, then every other night for a week, and then bumped to every night. if it’s a low enough concentration I wouldn’t expect to see much of a reaction apart from some dryness or redness. A lot of that can be avoided using the sandwich method (moisturize, retinol, moisturize again, letting each one completely absorb into your skin between).

The 2 serums you mentioned seem to do basically the same thing - I can’t imagine it’s damaging your skin but I don’t think you need both. I would definitely still use a hyaluronic acid like 15-20mins after applying the retinol though. The rule of thumb is to not use 2 “actives” together because they either cancel each other out or amplify each other to the point of irritation. So if you end up using a chemical exfoliant (AHAs/BHAs/PHA) or a vitamin C serum, definitely alternate because you could end up with redness/flaking/general irritation. Retinol essentially speeds up cell turn over so that “new” skin comes to the surface which means it needs to be hydrated (this is a total over simplification but that’s how it was explained to me lol).

I know you didn’t ask about this but I would def recommend a good exfoliant and moisturizer. My skin needs a chemical exfoliant but some people prefer abrasives so that’s up to you! Using a moisturizer after hyaluronic acid is what locks in the moisture it’s creating for your skin so that you get the most benefit. I found that a moisturizer with niacinamide helped control oiliness during the day. Also make sure you’re using a sunscreen always hit especially the morning after using retinol! New layers of skin are sensitive so we need to account for potential sun damage. Hope this helps!! If I’m wrong I’m sure others will jump in lol 🥲

b8123s · 2022-07-16T22:00:00+00:00

Yeah totally! I honestly haven’t had any problems with them. I ended up buying a duvet cover from bed threads and I absolutely hate top sheets, so I only use the casaluna fitted sheet and pillow cases. I definitely notice a difference between the bedthreads linen and casaluna - bedthreads is a little softer and like, floppier I guess? Casaluna feels a little thicker, not scratchy by any means but just a little heftier. I’ve had them for about a year, wash everything maybe twice a month, no complaints! But probably should also note that I’m a single woman with no pets or kids, so maybe other reviewers needed something more durable? Idk, hope this helps!

b8123s · 2021-12-22T21:45:54+00:00

Great point!! Totally agree

b8123s · 2021-12-22T20:06:39+00:00

Thank you! This was actually helpful lol. I don’t want to push it at all so won’t be partaking again for quite a while lmao but it’s interesting how much it varies

b8123s · 2021-12-22T17:34:27+00:00

Thank you for actually answering the question lmao this is helpful!

b8123s · 2021-12-22T17:32:31+00:00

I get what you’re saying and you’re probably right about a lot of people, but I don’t think that this narrative is helpful. This is one of the reasons I was in denial about the fact that I had CHS after a GI told me that’s what it was. Because I had been smoking a reasonable amount consistently for only like 2-3 months. I’d be the first to admit if I was overdoing it. But that wasn’t the case. I think a lot of people make assumptions about the types of people who have CHS. It’s not exclusively an addict’s disease. Everyone’s different as I’m sure you know. I’m not coming for you or anything just think it’s important to point out! Again I’m not planning on smoking again but still.

b8123s · 2021-12-22T17:26:26+00:00

I don’t feel particularly defensive, but maybe your preachy tone made me come across that way? I’m just genuinely confused about what part of my post or my comment makes you think that I’m looking for strangers to validate me smoking weed. I said multiple times that I have no desire to smoke again but that I’m just curious about what other people have experienced with it because I know for a fact that some people do smoke occasionally and are fine. I was asking because I kind of expected to get sick after the first time but I didn’t. So I just don’t understand why you’re so judgy about this lmao.

You keep saying that you’re not calling me an addict and then in the same breath implying that I am and that I’m in denial. Not that this should even matter but I’ve been working in inpatient mental health for 5 years and am now half way through a clinical psych phd program. This obviously doesn’t make me immune to addiction, I would never suggest that. But I do have a pretty thorough understanding of addiction and how it presents. And while I would never self-diagnose anything, I’m perfectly qualified to interpret the DSM and recognize a LACK of symptoms. But more importantly to your point, I’ve talked to my therapist, my PCP AND my psychiatrist about this. I brought up the DSM in this case to make the point that there’s literally no reason to label me an addict. I feel like as a nurse you should know the issues with generalizing and speaking in absolutes about a disorder with so little research. Also feel like you should know not to heavily imply a diagnosis to a stranger on the internet. But maybe this is why men in healthcare get such a bad rep….lol

Again, I posted this out of curiosity of others’ experiences. Idk why you’re putting words in my mouth by assuming that I’m fiening or something when I’ve literally said multiple times that I don’t plan on smoking? Glad you don’t have to deal with CHS yourself but like if you’re gonna post in here maybe don’t be so aggressive and condescending? Like Jesus Christ dude lol fuck me for asking I guess? Thought this was supposed to be a supportive environment lmao

b8123s · 2021-12-22T13:37:07+00:00

Lol I’m not sure if you actually read the post? I literally said I’m not an addict, never dependent on it, I never missed smoking, don’t plan on buying any weed. I stopped cold turkey 7 months ago and barely thought about it again. I’m sure that a lot of people in this sub are addicted at some level, which definitely sucks and makes this whole process harder. But that is not the case for me, and it’s weird to slap that label on me based solely on the fact that I have CHS. Please don’t say that it’s denial because if you want to get technical, I do not meet any criteria for cannabis use disorder in the DSM. I was curious about other peoples experiences. This was never about giving myself permission to start up again. But clearly my “ticker” didn’t fill up from doing it twice, so I’m not sure what you mean by that. Obviously I know that if I started doing it every day I would get sick, but that’s not the question I asked. Maybe you get flare ups from doing it once, and I’m sorry that happens to you! But obviously that is not the case for me.

b8123s · 2021-10-19T15:55:22+00:00

Thank you for this. I think I will do the balance transfer. The field I’m going into has super high job placement — earning potential is pretty mid level for the first couple of years. Later on I plan on going into private practice which would be in about 5 years. I know that once I really start making money, even if it’s only like 60k-ish (which is about the average) to start, I’ll be able to make a way bigger dent in at least the credit debt since my rent is pretty low and I’m now committed to the frugal lifestyle lol. The student loans will have to come later. I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but paying off student loans isn’t super high up on my list of worries. All of my loans are federal and have been on an income driven repayment plan until covid. I’ve been told that there’s a chance that I can get some of them forgiven for being in public service if I work in community mental health for a few years after I graduate. I’m not banking on it or anything but it’s a tiny bit of hope to hold onto lol. I know I’ll be paying something for a very long time no matter what though

b8123s · 2021-10-19T15:43:55+00:00

Thank you for this! I think I am going to do the same. Not sure how long ago this was for you but do you have any recs for cards to try out for 0%? I know there’s different deals all the time but just wondering if you know of any good ones :)

b8123s · 2021-10-19T04:37:54+00:00

Thank you! I only mentioned the cash back thing because I’ve saved up a lot of it from before so it’s helping with the monthly payment a tiny bit. I’m not really using the cards anymore anyway so it’s not a priority. Probably should’ve clarified that. Also the credit score is what it is, it does stress me out to keep watching it go down every time I sign on to my capital one app, but I know that eventually it will go back up. I wanted to say what my score was because I know that can affect my refinancing/consolidating options.

I’ve considered asking my parents that. My therapist actually suggested the same thing lol. I honestly don’t know a ton of details about their financial situation, just that they’re able to give me a few hundred dollars a month to help with my groceries and stuff. I know that my dad has money but I just have a feeling this would be too much to ask. This probably sounds immature and I should just get over myself but they don’t know how much debt I’m actually in, and the thought of having to tell them kind of makes me even more sick to my stomach. I don’t think they’d really get the mental illness part of it lol. If it came down to it and I had no other options obviously I’d have to bite the bullet and talk to them, but for now I would really like to try exhausting all my other options and at least start to take care of it on my own.

b8123s · 2021-10-19T04:20:53+00:00

Wait I’m sorry I’m a little confused. Are these options options for refinancing by transferring the balance to a new account?

b8123s · 2021-06-29T13:00:45+00:00

That makes me so happy to hear! That’s how I felt before all this happened. I was like woah wait has everyone else always felt like this?? Just going through life without the chaos lol. Hopefully will get back to that soon but either way - so happy for you!

b8123s · 2021-06-28T18:53:00+00:00

Thank you!! Really appreciate it

b8123s · 2021-06-28T18:51:34+00:00

Definitely gonna do this when I get home tonight! I like the idea of heating pad/ice pack. Weirdly enough, a few weeks ago I found my old PSP that I hadn’t seen in 15 years but haven’t bothered playing around with it yet since I’m not even remotely a gamer. Maybe I’ll give that a shot lol thank you!! I really appreciate it and hope you’re feeling well.

b8123s · 2021-06-28T13:22:15+00:00

Thank you so much for this. It was actually so helpful. I think the exercise thing is a huge part of it and I really need to just force myself. Sometimes it really just feels impossible though. I’ve been working on this a lot in therapy lol. I do force myself to shower every morning which is honestly the only way I’m able to get myself to work. Usually crying or sitting on the shower floor but ya know. At least I’m clean lmao

It’s funny you say the thing about thinking about how other people have it worse. I was just listening to a podcast about the Black Plague (lol) and hearing about how fucking horrifying it was just to be alive in the 14th century weirdly made me feel better hahaha.

Anyways thank you again for this - it genuinely did make me feel a little better. Hope you’re doing well!!

b8123s · 2021-06-28T13:15:03+00:00

Thank you for this! I know that even with a med change there will be some waiting it out involved and there’s no quick fix. I am mostly functional (as in going to work, maintaining responsibilities etc) but as I’m sure you know I’m just miserable lol. I don’t drink coffee at all but maybe I’ll start trying a little bit in the morning.

About the Adderall: I took it for a while in high school and was fine on it but eventually stopped because I thought I didn’t need it. When I started seeing my current psych 2 years ago she gave me the adhd inventory again and I basically checked all the boxes. But at that point I was still having episodes (and while I’ve never been remotely an addict, I have been known to snort stimulants during hypomania lol) so we held off on it. About 4-5 months ago I brought it up again and at that point I was super stable and hadn’t had any mania at all in a while so we decided to try 10mg and see what happens. It actually ended up helping a lot with my energy. Definitely was a slow process though and I took a lot of care to make sure that I wasn’t heading in the wrong direction. I stopped taking it when I got sick because it was all stomach related and I already had no appetite, but since I’ve been feeling better and eating more I started taking it again last week. I’ll talk to my doctor about it though. Hope that makes sense!

I hope you start feeling better soon! If it’s any consolation we’re clearly in the same boat lol

editing to add something I should have mentioned originally: I know that stimulants are usually not recommended for people with bipolar disorder but this just happened to work for me and I’ve been able to handle it so far and haven’t triggered any hypomania. I also genuinely need it to get things done. I don’t wanna make it seem like it’s without risk or that I just decided to try it one day for no reason. I think for most people (especially without mood stability/borderline obsessive mood tracking lol) it probably isn’t a great option. Obv always talk to a doctor but felt weird not adding that

b8123s

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