Julie,
If you are on intake, I can't tell you just how valuable your service
is.  What people need in cricess is a friendly, patient voice on the
other end of the phone.  That first phone call, asking for help,
usually comes after a lot of fear and frustration in the home.  If
the social agency is nasty in any way, the caller, in the cricess
situation, will turn away and just keep trying to deal with things as
they are.  When I made those calls, on behalf of our family,  my
prayer was always that there would be a kind, patient, understanding
person at the other end, especially if I might end up
crying.  Fortunately, for me, God was gracious and provided wonderful
people for us to work with.  Julie, you are that first
person.  Fortunately, you are a Christian, which means that the
person who calls is talking to someone who has the spirit of Christ
within.  I'm sure that many of your contacts continue to move ahead
and seek help because of you.  That is such an important part to play.
Kathy


At 09:37 AM 12/29/2005, you wrote:
>Sharon and anyone else who doesn't know:
>
>I am a caseworker for a department of social services in the Denver area.  I
>used to work in intake and deal with all ages of kids and their parents.
>Now I'm on a specialized team that works with troubled adolescents and their
>families.  They could be in the juvenile "justice" system or just kids who
>are beyond their parents' control for any number of reasons.  Often there
>has been abuse or neglect in the home.  However, as Kathy and Phil know
>first hand, this isn't necessarily the case.
>
>What I specifically do is do phone calls and take walk-ins.  I would like to
>go into homes but can't realistically expect the agency to provide a driver.
>   However, I've found what I can do is important and helps the rest of the
>team who do drive to have the information they need.  Sometimes, too, what
>the parent needs most is support, and I can give them that.
>
>Hope this wasn't too long an explanation, and thanks for praying.
>
>
>
>
>JulieMelton
>visit me at
>www.heart-and-music.com
>Keep smiling!
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: Sharon Hooley <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: Echurch-USA The Electronic Church
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Good morning everybody!
> >Date: Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:34:47 -0700
> >
> >Praying, Julie.  What is your job and where do you work?
> >
> >Sharon