When I graduated almost 2 years ago from grad school, the job search and the possibilities for employment seemed overwhelming, daunting even. Should I work in a school, hospital, skilled nursing facility, outpatient clinic or home health? In what type of work setting did I want to foster my newly acquired skills? When I landed my first job I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work in both a pediatric outpatient clinic and in a nursing home. Both settings offered challenges and a chance to learn totally different skills. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to do both. But I would quickly realize that a healthy work environment was the key to happiness. There was office drama, and little control over my schedule. I felt opportunities for growth were limited, and that the patient's needs were not being put first. It all came down to management, and choices that were being made that indicated that the company I was working for was on a downward spiral with no looking up.
So I began exploring other options. I had several good friends who worked in home health who loved it. At the same time I began reading blogs about individuals who had adopted children, or worked with non-profit groups. In my heart I felt a longing; a longing to work with a company that put children first, and who supported the therapists that worked for them. I wanted to work in an environment where I could grow and learn. I wanted to make a difference in a big way. I wanted to create opportunities and really change the lives of my patients. Friends shared their stories of working with low income families and I felt inspired. And so I began my search and found my current job.
Nine months later I see no turning back. For one, I found a company to work for that truly embodies and shares my core values. On top of that, working in home health has been an incredible adventure. I love being in the homes of the children I work with. It's amazing how different therapy can be when the parents are there, involved and working with you to help their child. For example, one little girl I see, I started out seeing at her daycare. But when the daycare closed, the family had no choice but to keep her at home after school. So I started seeing her at home and what a difference. For the first time I am starting to see a real difference in how this little girl communicates. The family has been involved and learning to carry over the techniques I use with her. I have even seen a change in her feeding skills. The point is, that as a home health therapist I have a unique opportunity to see my kids in their natural environment. The parents of my kids are the most important people on my team. By counseling parents I hope to empower them to be advocates for their children. And in the home, it's so much easier to get them involved than in a clinic setting. I can take the child's toys and show the parents how to play with their children. I can involve the siblings in feeding therapy. I can go to their pantry and see what food items are available. I can go to their room and play with them to teach them language using their toys. I have learned to be a minimalist and in doing so I am starting to sharpen my therapy skills. It's easy to do therapy when you have everything there at your fingertips. But when you're forced to work with what the child has, you learn to go with it. And in doing so, the activities become that much more meaningful to the child because it stemmed from their interest.
That's not to say there are no challenges. Some days I walk in and the TV is blaring, or the dogs are barking. Or they have the running water turned off because of a leak they cannot afford to fix. There are weeks when I get cancelation after cancelation because a child is sick, or I show up at their door on the coldest day of the year and they aren't there because they forgot about another appointment they had with a doctor or the WIC office. But these are minor inconveniences. And I'm learning to train my families. I'm training them to organize, and stay on top of things, because God knows they are overwhelmed. Some are just better at managing it all than others.
I have a families where the parents are just young and need a lot of support. A lot of times people give them a bad wrap...accuse them of not caring, or accuse them of being irresponsible. Many would say of my 19 year old mom, who got pregnant before she graduated from high school "she should have known what she was doing." I say to anyone who says this, "whoever is without sin, let him be the one to cast the first stone." Sometimes people make mistakes and then they have to deal with the consequences. And sometimes those consequences can be more difficult to handle than could have ever been anticipated. When that happens what they need is someone to say, "you have the power to make the best of this situation". And as a therapist, I have to look at the child I serve and focus on the fact that no matter what the circumstances are, this child needs help. So there are days when being a therapist means being a counselor, cheerleader, encourager, or even an older mentor to help a child raise a child. It's messy sometimes, and sometimes it's not pretty. And some days planning gets thrown out the window, but that's okay. I am a part of their lives. The most rewarding part is getting that text or phone call from a parent saying "thank you so much for all you're doing for my child." Or seeing a young parent begin to grow in confidence and take responsibility as she begins to learn how to navigate the murky waters of being a parent of a child with disabilities.
So in the long run home health was for me. I've found a way to be involved with my families in a way that I was not able to be involved before. I've found a way to feel like I'm really making a difference. And that's what it all boils down to. I think each of us has to look deep in our hearts and ask ourselves where we feel our skills could be used the most. We have to look back to the day when we decided to become a speech-language pathologist and remember why we chose to go into the profession of helping people. And then when you step out into that job market, find what setting speaks to you most. Every one of us has the power to make a difference, no matter what the setting. But even though a lot of us SLP's are wired alike, there are things that make us all different. I think the most important thing is to 1) find a company that shares your core values as a therapist and that will allow you to abide by our code of ethics, and 2) find a setting where you feel you can blossom as a therapist. Discover what's out there by talking to others, reading blogs and the ASHA leader. It's not just about research, it's about a wonderful supportive community of SLP's who know the day to day struggles that come with working in this field. I'm learning to lean on them more and more. And day by day I'm finding my passion in this field. I'm developing my own set of skills, and learning skills beyond what I ever would have dreamed.
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