First field visit

Today I went to a meeting for the Greater Virginia Peninsula Homeless Consortium. We discussed the Landlord Partnership event that will take place on September 29, 2016. I was able to share several ideas that I had for the event. I then had my weekly meeting with my supervisor Mike. Then Danielle gave the interns a list of landlords to call and get email addresses from so that we could send them flyers for the upcoming event. We also asked for information about property availability. Most of the people were willing to share the information. A little bit later I went on a visit to see a client with Mrs. Williams. The client had been placed in a hotel along with her 18 year old son. She is attempting to get a new section 8 voucher. She felt unsafe due to and incident with her son. She left her old apartment before she had been there a year and is having to fight the apartment complex and person who reissues vouchers about leaving. 

Back for the second week

Yesterday I spent most of the day reading case files and reading up on section 8 and the difference between rapid rehousing and prevention. I now can differentiate the difference between the two when a client comes in and fills out the paperwork. I was able to have meaningful conversions with the housing brokers and ask questions about what I was reading. One of the housing brokers has been giving me some good articles that she comes across, today she gave me one on Welfare reform. I was able to sit in on a meeting with a client who stopped by the HBT office. One of the housing brokers showed me how to get on the general district court website to look up and see if a client has a judgement against them.
 I discussed with my supervisor going to the meetings that they have for landlords and for those who have just received a section 8 voucher. It sounds like I am going to be able to go to a landlord meeting this Thursday.

Back for another day

08/25/2016

Today after lunch I was invited along with another intern to sit in on / participate in a girls group that was led by two ladies from the program TOPS (Teamwork ~ Options ~ Pathways for Success). There were about 12-15 girls ages 9 -16 .During this group all of the girls were African American. When we first arrived they were all telling Ms.Kim how one of the girls had been in a fight recently. She had bruises and marks on her face. Some of the girls were telling the girl who was in the fight that “she did not have to fight that girl, she didn't have anything to prove”.  The girls rather quickly moved on from that conversation to conversation about boyfriends. Two of the older girls who we helpers with the girls i found out were actually young mothers. They proudly showed pictures of their 1 year old and 6 month old.

The girls worked on what they were calling vision boards. They cut out pictures from magazines and used markers and glitter glue to show their creativity. As they worked they listed to the R&B station and had some snacks.

When it was time to share some were more eager than others and no one was forced to share.

They did a raffle drawing for two bags of hair products and the girls that won shared what they couldn't use with the other girls. Each girl was also given a toothbrush, mini toothpaste and floss to that they could put it in their purse or book bag.

This was one of the last times(if not the last time) that the girls would be meeting before school starts so Ms. Kim was trying to find out from them when the best time to meet would be. This was a little chaotic and nothing was accomplished. She also was trying to organize a time when the girls could come in and get their hair done before school starts, this was also a little unorganized and there was no set date when the girls left.

Day one

08/23/2016

Today was my first day of my internship at DHS with the HBT. I got to my internship on time without any trouble.My supervisor is very nice and everyone there seems willing to help. My supervisor gave me a tour then I had to fill out quite a bit of paperwork, but it kept me busy. I was lucky enough to sit in the same room as the housing specialists and was able to read some correspondence from a case which later in the day had some unfortunate things happen.  

I am a little nervous that there is not actual social worker and hope that I will still be able to make the necessary connections. My supervisor asked for my opinion on what happened with the case and I said something about the social work code of ethics says this and his response was, that's why we're not social workers.Over all it was a great day and some of my anxieties have been put to ease.