This is from my Human Services 101 class where I had to do a PowerPoint presentation to go with my Job Shadow experience.

1. My Job Shadow Experience and Professional Interview Teamwork for Quality Living and Big Brothers and Big Sisters ERIC M. PATTERSON

2. Professional Interview Chrystal Pearson, Enrollment Coordinator Phone- 765-284-4141 x 207 Big Brothers, Big Sisters

3. Key Information Gained: The organization is a mentoring program for children. Adults are called “Bigs”. The children are called “Littles”. The basic idea is to help strengthen self-worth in children that might otherwise never get positive affirmation. Littles are between age 6-14. Above this harder to instill value system because many have already had vlaues ingrained into their life. 75 children currently on their waiting list looking for bigs!!

4. Key Information Gained Continued Screening process for volunteers: Criminal background check Reference Check Sexual Offenders Check Motor Vehicle Check

5. Other Valuable Information No screening process for children to be in the program Parents do not pay for children to be involved. Bigs pay for all activities. They receive free admissions to things like the Civic Theatre that they give to their Bigs. They meet with clients outside of the regular 9 to 5 hours.

6. Chrystal Pearson and her experience Ball State University Graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work Did her practicum at Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Was going into elementary education. Realized it wasn’t the field for her. Changed to Social Work DCS helped guide her towards Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

7. Enrollment Coordinator tasks FYI: YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELORS FOR THIS POSITION!!!! Conducts interviews of all volunteers, students, and parents. Conducts home visits on the children Conducts the background checks Conducts all reference checks on volunteers Due to recent budget cuts she has a variety of other tasks. Everyone in the office has to answer phones and answer door now.

8. What Chrystal wanted YOU to know!!! She wants you to be aware of the National Association of Social Workers. If you get into them while you are student and maintain with them until graduation your fees will be smaller. They are in dire need of volunteers to be BIGS! If you feel compelled to be a big and help a child please call 765-284-7419!! If you can’t volunteer please visit their website at www.bbbsmuncie.org and donate to their cause. They need all the funding they can get!!!

9. Job Shadow Carrie Summers, Circles Coach Phone- 765-747-7158 TeamWORK for Quality Living

10. TeamWORK for Quality Living Founded in 1995 by a group of educators and healthcare workers that wanted to help their community. Molly Flodder is executive director Deals with the issue of poverty and trying to help people to get out of it. Believes in reciprocity. Give and take relationship. We all help each other out.

11. VIDEO ON POVERTY Taken from www.teamworkql.org

12. TWO TYPES OF POVERTY:

13. Ways TeamWORK helps those in poverty: Community Poverty Simulations Circles Program- Main focus of their work. Circles Dinner- A dinner just for those in circle program. This helps provide a sense of community. OPT Dinner- Overcoming Poverty Together dinner. These dinners are for the entire community to come together to help defeat poverty.

14. CIRCLES People in poverty need a circle of support. This agency helps with that. We all have to help each other out! Without a proper support system no one can live the best life they can!!! Have you helped out anyone in your community? It all starts with individuals!!! What have you done today to make yourself proud? What have you done to enrich YOUR community?

15. Carrie’s Experience in Social Work 14 years in varied realms. Began work with TeamWORK in 2006 Graduated with a General Studies degree with a Social Work focus in July Didn’t pursue a bachelors degree in Social Work due to being unable to complete the practicum. She couldn’t work that many hours with no income as a single mother. She was formerly in situational poverty herself.

16. What Carrie wants YOU to know!!! FROM A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE- If having issues with citations look on google for citation machine. It will help you with citations. EVEN APA!!! READ ALL THE MATERIAL!!! It will help you to get further in your courses than any one piece of advice. Take as many of your classes as possible at Ivy Tech!!! It will help you financially. FROM A SOCIAL WORKER PERSPECTIVE- Realize that poverty is the core of a lot of issues such as child abuse, stress, drugs, job issues, and a variety of other issues. Anyone can get out of poverty that truly wants to. She stated that she did and that abuse can stop with you as well. She had some abuse and she said it will stop with her. She took control over her own life. Don’t just focus on the core all the time. Look outside of that at other issues that may cause the main issue.

17. I NEARLY QUIT HUMAN SERVICES AND IVY TECH!!!

18. My Experience: Due to confidential aspect of some of her work was unable to see all aspects of her job. She is the Circles Coach and hooks people up to their future circles. I took part in two separate Poverty Simulations. One was a Community Poverty Simulation and the other was part of a National Training for Social Workers in 18 States. Attended two separate dinners. One for the Community and the other was for the Social Workers at the training. I shadowed for roughly 15 hours with this agency. One day was over 7 hours between the Poverty Simulation and the Dinner aspect of the day. Two hours of questions and answers with Carrie. This was part of getting familiar with the agency. Also some questions I had were left unanswered after everything so we had a debriefing hour.

19. THE VIDEO: Nicole Nordeman “LEGACY”

20. THE REALITY OF LIFE: Anyone can be in poverty. ANYONE. I am in poverty. I make roughly 674 a month from SSI due to having severe mental health issues. There are times things I want I can’t get. Sometimes I have to make choices that I don’t like. I have wondered where my next meal is coming from. I have been homeless. I say this to help you understand that poverty is close to even your doors. I am not my past, but I am my future. Make your choices in life. Only YOU control your destiny.

21. PLEASE DO NOT CLAP!!!INSTEAD STOP AND THINK OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN POVERTY. THINK OF THOSE THAT CAN’T BE IN THIS CLASSROOM DUE TO LACK OF RESOURCES. REALIZE WE ARE LUCKY. HELP BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY!! THANK YOU