full circle 1

full circle because when family breakdown occurred for me about 7yrs ago a friend who worked in a women's refuge suggested I apply f or a job as a child support/crisis worker there. I did and got the job despite not having any experience in community sector or any relevant  qualifications. i did however have a degree in Community Ed. and a couple of years in PhD feminist studies. I also had experience in family trauma ( personal). Unfortunately I also seemed to 'look' like I fitted the workplace culture; something about the right presentation and being educated. I took the job (3 days per week/ permanent) at an hourly rate I had not earned before ($19), The work was a mix of case management and program planning. It was ok however the team was fractured in its world view on feminism and this was reflected in the treatment of women. I found this to be very disturbing and soon identified that the culture of the service was to re-traumatise women escaping DV. 

I got to attend professional development training which was cool and did so whenever the opportunity presented. Trauma training - this was great as it gave me language to put around what was happening at the refuge; parallel processing where what was going on (often unspoken)between the workers was unconsciously reflected in the behaviours of the clients  and this was especially so as the context was a residential service. I also did the mandatory child protection training and as a group we attended 'cultural awareness' training.  We also had supervision provided by an external counsellor based largely on the premise that we as a team were 'unmanageable'. Never a good reflection on hte actual managers skills when this is the accusation. So i learned here how to be part of a community organisation and also learned what type of organisation I did not want to be part of. 

SO i guess I have identified this full circle as the professional full circle based also on the fact that I now work back in DV as a training officer with government and train refuge and other workers around court support work for women who are escaping DV/ family violence. It is a pretty good full circle on this professional front and I feel i have the knowledge and experience to do this work and look back to that refuge work as the seed of the work I do now.