3 weeks

Today marked exactly 3 weeks until my last day of work. To honor this occasion I thought I would introduce you all to what it is that I do...or at least attempt to explain :)

I work for Penn Foundation, which is a community mental health organization. More specifically, I work on an Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team. Basically, we work in the community with people who have severe and persistent mental health diagnoses (schizophrenia, bipolar, etc). My job is absolutely insane, busy, and requires way to much paperwork. Despite this, I love it. I love working with a population that is under served, specifically by the Church. I love getting to help people everyday and giving them hope that they can be more than they have been told.

This is also the longest I have ever been at a job. I have worked in this position for 4.5 years. It is such a long time, and because do the nature of my work, my co-workers and I have formed a second family...dysfunctional as we may be. I will miss them, and in some ways I will miss my job.  I will not miss working full time hours and then being on call. I will not miss the paperwork. I will not miss the frustration of dealing with a broken welfare system that is set up to discourage people from working and bettering themselves.

It's been the experience of a lifetime. I encourage you to click on the link about for ACT. It is a pretty good explanation. It does not include the awesome stories I can tell. We joke all the time at work how you just can't make some of this stuff up!

But only 3 more weeks. I have a pile of treatment plans sitting on my desk I need to finish. I have a client who will be homeless Friday that I need to figure out housing for, and a whole mess of progress notes. Should be a fun 3 weeks....or not :)