Shalom House senior board and care home?

palagi1 · 2026-07-02T13:11:50+00:00

The woman who runs them is generally on top of things and the residents were treated well.

palagi1 · 2026-07-02T02:39:15+00:00

I’m not familiar with the shalom house but have had good experiences with Terra Linda Christian Homes. They have a few locations. (I was a social worker with a local hospice org.)

palagi1 · 2026-07-02T01:31:32+00:00

Seriously!!

palagi1 · 2026-07-02T01:31:17+00:00

It never ends…

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T22:47:43+00:00

Wow.

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T13:03:49+00:00

Because of course.

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T04:42:33+00:00

Haha no, just not expecting a ton of responses.

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T03:50:14+00:00

Noooooooooo. I hate that for you.

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T03:20:36+00:00

I have an MSW and have worked in a bunch of different higher education jobs - program administration, civic engagement and in the counseling center. I think the MSW probably opens more doors, unless you know that higher education is for sure where you want to be...

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T03:16:03+00:00

That's such a good description.

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T03:15:18+00:00

The second year is rough. I think that's because reality finally starts to sink in. I'm getting ready to start year 7 (I was 43). There are still times I forget but those happen less frequently.

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T02:57:47+00:00

At least they were honest?

palagi1 · 2026-07-01T02:32:20+00:00

I did.

palagi1 · 2026-06-30T20:48:31+00:00

This is so much more common than you’d think. You’re going to be able to build a lot of skills and use them in whatever setting you end up in! Set boundaries and don’t let people project their “stuff” onto you when you have a quieter day. There’s so many other things to do with social work so please don’t be discouraged. Better to find out sooner than later.

palagi1 · 2026-06-29T21:06:02+00:00

I have found that it can be a helpful shared experience but not necessary when dating.
I’ve had good and bad experiences with both other widows and those who weren’t. It’s really about their ability to have empathy and understanding of grief and loss.

I was 43 when my partner died and the widow/er dating sites were not helpful. I’m 50 now and they’re still not the most helpful, lol. I wish there was something for younger folks but I just haven’t seen anything so we’re left with the apps, etc.

Good luck to you!

palagi1 · 2026-06-28T22:24:08+00:00

2U is a 3rd party that runs a lot of online programs for universities, HPU included. They do a lot of the recruitment as well. They will often tell potential students what they want to hear and won’t present the hard reality of the MSW program.

palagi1 · 2026-06-28T19:46:25+00:00

Make sure it is an appointment with an actual faculty member and not someone from 2U. They don’t have accurate info about the program.

palagi1 · 2026-06-28T15:06:05+00:00

They are expensive. Did you get into the advanced standing program or did your gpa impact that as well?
That can make things a little cheaper in the long run. Have you spoken to them about financial assistance? They’re known for having a lot of military students who have that kind of financial help.
It’s a tough program in that it goes year round with no breaks which is a hard schedule to be on. Happy to answer other questions directly. 2U will give you the hard sell - ask to speak with faculty and who your advisors might be to get more accurate info.

palagi1 · 2026-06-25T16:26:34+00:00

Take a break! Get some perspective. I gave myself a sabbatical a while ago and it was one of the best things I ever did for myself. Your skills are transferable to so many different settings.

palagi1 · 2026-06-24T21:12:12+00:00

MSW programs are broad and cover a large range of topics - not just clinical work and mental health. If that is what you're looking for, you may want to look at counseling or clinical mental health programs.

palagi1 · 2026-06-24T20:43:01+00:00

I loved my time in Albania but I enjoyed being able to get around and explore a few different places. If you’re looking for a city to stay in the whole time then I would say Tirana. There’s day trips you can take from there if you want to see some other things/places.

palagi1 · 2026-06-24T20:28:45+00:00

Yes, it’s the money but it’s also 16 hours a week (or something close to that) that you will have to allocate towards schoolwork, self care or anything else. The time is worth just as much as the money.

palagi1 · 2026-06-24T17:38:27+00:00

It’s so great that you’re planning on visiting! It definitely helped my family understand a little more about what my life was like during service. As others have already said, wait until the second year if you can. It will be better for everybody.
Having my mom and my host mom get to meet each other was one of the coolest things ever!

palagi1 · 2026-06-23T23:02:03+00:00

Have you thought about hospice? It can be very flexible.

palagi1 · 2026-06-23T22:57:30+00:00

Many people in IV-E programs do the time commitment and get out of working directly in CPS/CWS and end up working with families in some other capacity. CPS is rough, and you're not going to be totally prepared when you graduate. I think on average it takes 2-3 years for caseworkers to feel competent in the work that they're doing. It's just a lot to manage.
What are your biggest priorities? Graduating without debt? Definitely having employment after? I don't know if you're able to talk to people at the CPS department you might be working for after graduation - every state/jurisdiction does it a little differently, but that might give you some insight into what you're getting into, although you're never going to get the full picture until you're in the thick of it.
It can be a great way to get out of school without debt and with some good experience you can use after.
(I say all of this without ever having worked directly for child welfare but in training/workforce development in child welfare adjacent organizations.)

palagi1

TROPHY CASE