This document summarizes a workshop on helping social services clients and staff survive hard times. Tips included building emotional resilience in clients, focusing on solutions rather than complaints, and setting boundaries on what can realistically be done. For staff, suggestions involved processing emotions after difficult days, maintaining work-life balance through activities with coworkers, and holding management accountable for addressing compassion fatigue. The importance of self-care, positivity, and finding meaning in one's work to prevent burnout was emphasized.

1. Welcome Helping Your Clients Survive Hard Times June 23, 2011

2. What I am expecting today… Learning new information to help clients Know how to deal with participants Help low-income seniors, especially with discrimination Reminded to keep compassion What’s available to help new clients Tips for working with clients Learn more about 211info Understanding impact on staff Tips for decreasing burn out and compassion fatigue Hear about agencies and resources How to best understand and help callers, especially those in crisis Tools to help those seeking work for someone new to social services

3. Help clients facing rental assistance challenges Learning about handling difficult conversations and how to help staff Tips for being a better advocate Tips for effective communication

4. Group Themes Challenges of having people in personal lives facing challenges and then speaking with people with similar issues at work Harder not to take difficult situations home – “ticker tape mind”, practicing mindfulness Tell the truth compassionately and be a good listener Open compassion beyond field People are giving up because of the economy How can we empower people to find different solutions? The ability to say “no” is important, and keep larger context in mind Spread the word to many different groups about people who need help

5. Group Themes (2/2) Have to deal with clients who are impacted by circumstances beyond our control Serving generational poverty and “new poor” More emotions and feelings behind issues Complex needs are the norm- need for creative problem solving Feels like we aren’t doing our jobs properly

6. Tips for working w/ clients Build emotional muscles The answer isn’t just “no” Be honest and listen De-escalate and reinforce what can be done Prioritize – “you’ve done enough today” Help clients remember self care Idea: training for supervisors

7. Taking care of yourself Develop support systems outside of social service – when you leave work have something to go to Let yourself tantrum when you need to, let yourself have the feeling you have Audience Idea: powerful to trust that we don’t have to have all the answers “Do no harm”

8. Taking care of yourself (2/2) If we can’t be present for ourselves we can’t be there for clients Empower client to utilize community around them Self care: communicate w/ manager If needs aren’t being met, problem solve how to fix situation with HR or coworkers Audience: have behavioral health staff, agree with manager to “be real” with each other, helpful to know if it is a venting conversation, use humor Burnout is contagious - coworkers can help each other Recognize personal strengths and weaknesses Empowerment and mindfulness!

9. Handouts Rescue triangle Active listening Other tools emily@211info.org

10. Welcome Helping Your Clients Survive Hard Times June 28, 2011

11. Questions for Discussion How has the recession changed your work? What will an economic recovery mean to your clients? What are your strategies for saying “no”?

12. Themes from groups Lack of resources and increased work loads No longer specialists, have to bring a multifaceted dimension to our work Change behavior to everyone helping each other – break down silos, expand networks New poor aren’t used to navigating human services system We’ve changed our own behavior – “we go where they are” and change our approaches to outreach New poor still doing old behavior Listen to where client is at, adjust vernacular

13. Helping clients (pg 1) People might be looking to blame someone, use that as educational moment and pivot discussion Focus on what can be done and not get drawn into emotionally charged conversation Establish boundaries of what can be done and work within those parameters “I’m going to be real honest with you” Affirm self efficacy then deal with realities at hand with creative problem solving

14. Helping clients (pg 2) Help people prioritize needs Be as compassionate as possible Say “no” with compassion Be genuine and honest Help person accept situation and then plan Help people understand landscape of options Audience: creative problem solving barter for services advocate for self Coaching on how to access services Give person permission to self advocate It isn’t begging it is negotiating

15. Helping clients (pg 3) Audience: support group for patients online and offline, mentoring and support Give people permission to go to emergency room/seek services – “your life matters” Audience: agencies need to go with the flow and get off script – don’t go in with expectations Expectations are resentments waiting to happen

16. Helping yourself Process feelings and let your self “throw tantrum” Have to accept that you will take things home, choice is how to manage that Audience: Start with self, clear everything

17. Helping Yourself: Audience Groups What do you do at your agency to help staff stay healthy? Always go to lunch/tea together Walk to the post office Recognize “this isn’t normal” and we chose this profession Set time limits on talking about day, then move on Have activities outside work about non-work related topics What would you like to have that would help improve staff health?

18. Helping yourself Self care, boundaries, compassion fatigue One person makes a huge difference Be mindful and present about what’s going on inside yourself Recognize compassion fatigue Getting angry and impatient at client Thinking “My job is pointless” Hold leadership accountable – ask for help an any time

19. Helping yourself At the workplace Add 15 mins to end of day to extend lunch Yumm, cheese! Outside of work activities with coworkers and understanding each other Though, limit amount of coworker interaction Keep going to managers and talk with them Focus on and understand what can/can’t change (i.e. staff won’t increase) Hold managers accountable Audience: how to deal with stress of constant sarcasm? This is a red flag for compassion fatigue, be aware and try to cut down on it – can erode compassion Talk with leadership about cultural competency reminder training Focus on strengths perspective, normalize experience, reinforce positivity

20. Helping yourself Audience: Spend time highlighting success stories Send emails to staff of stories Be good example of positivity Audience: “beyond the bubble bath” – help yourself thrive with training opportunities – talk with manager Audience: Interact with others in field to gain perspective Audience: Respect position you are in and always be proud of what you are achieving Relish the impact you are making on people’s lives Have frank conversation with staff about whether this position is still right for them if you see them getting burned out Explore strength-based counseling Be willing to change the game to bring enjoyment to changing responsibility Be a clown!