We need more voices saying out loud what people are already saying in private. If you’ve been hesitating to post because you’re afraid of backlash, please know that you’re not alone and your voice matters.
#BehindtheDesk
I started this journey at 100 followers in June. I’m now at 13.5k and growing. I do my best to be authentic and honest; to post with integrity. My growth is owed, in part, to the awesome people on this platform. I haven't stopped caring, but I HAVE stopped giving up my peace.
#BehindtheDesk
I've been on Bluesky a little over a year now and I've learned a lot. Posting on this platform did something unexpected. It gave me confidence and helped me find my voice. It taught me that I don't owe anyone my peace. It taught me to block and move on.
#BehindtheDesk
One of the most frustrating parts of social work is the technology. Case management systems should be user friendly. However, I have yet to meet one that was intuitive. Pressing 5 buttons just to log a case note should not be a thing. Somedays I miss my old paper notes.
#BehindTheDesk
My fave part of this job is psychoeducation. No one ever explained why you do that thing? Let's name it: rejection sensitivity, working memory limits, trauma responses. I love watching someone light up because they feel seen. Few things are as priceless as info and understanding.
#BehindTheDesk
We throw the word “burnout” around in social work a lot.
We don’t talk enough about grief.
Grief when a case goes badly.
Grief when a client disappears.
Grief when someone you’ve been walking with is harmed or dies.
This isn’t you being “too sensitive.” This is what caring does.
#BehindTheDesk
Reminder for this season:
You’re allowed to take your PTO
You’re allowed to log out on time
You’re allowed to want a real day off
You’re a social worker, not an endless resource.
If the mismatch is loud right now, you’re not the problem.
#BehindTheDesk
“Here at [Agency], we’re like a family 🥰”
Cool. Does that mean I get to rest, be human, and not work through every holiday?
Because a lot of us are getting:
Guilt when we use PTO
Pressure to “flex” in ways that never flex our way
Expectations to cover “just one more” crisis
#BehindTheDesk
I always knew I didn’t want to go into private practice.
Nothing against the comfy couches and soft lamps. I just knew my place was where the chaos, paperwork, and people all collide. Where the bus schedule and the crisis live in the same 10 minutes.
#BehindTheDesk
Cross-field collab is where social work shines. We’re the hinge between health, housing, legal aid, and work. My rule: translate the jargon, convene the humans, warm handoff the client, and write a shared plan. Bridges beat silos. If you measure it, it moves. #BehindTheDesk #SocialWork
Happy Elizabeth Cady Stanton Day! Did you know that despite the majority of social workers being women, men tend to advance faster in the field? In my MSW cohort, there were fewer than 10 men. Let's work towards achieving true equality today!
#GenderEquality #SocialWork #BehindTheDesk
Engagement isn’t aa complicated as we'd like to think. Many times clients get the full blame for not staying engaged. However, we also have a large part in staying connected. Engagement doesn't always mean big actions. Little things can make a big difference #SocialWork #BehindtheDesk
Helping professionals look like we’ve got it all together...because we do… for our clients. It’s easier to see problems when you’re outside the storm. But don’t be fooled: many of us are drowning in our own chaos and terrible at asking for help.
#BehindTheDesk #SelfCare
All those redundant forms? They don’t just eat staff time...they mean clients wait longer. When you lose 5 potential meetings a week to paperwork, access suffers. Systems should serve people, not the other way around. #BehindTheDesk
Sometimes documentation feels like a Star Trek: TNG time loop. Instead of “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” it’s “Form 22-B. Completed. Sent.” Three times over. Can someone please replicate us a streamlined system already? 🖖 #BehindTheDesk
2009: our shelter bent the rules so folks could watch Obama’s inauguration together. That day, we weren’t staff and clients. We were just people sharing history, shoulder to shoulder. #BehindTheDesk #Humanity
Do I wish he had more time? Always. But I’m grateful he died happy, with dignity, on top of the world in his own space. That final chapter was his victory. Behind the desk, that’s a reminder I’ll never forget. #BehindTheDesk #SocialWork
He spent years cycling through shelters, never giving up. Then he got the call: a voucher, an apartment, a couch of his own. It was his proudest moment. A week later, he died there (of natural causes)...in his home, on his couch...not in a shelter. #BehindTheDesk #Dignity
The papers erased her name. She became “homeless woman found dead.” It was infuriating. None of the other victims were treated like that. Being unhoused didn’t kill her. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time did. She was more than the lowest point in her life. #BehindTheDesk #Dignity
I've said it before...we are all one wrong turn away from being unhoused...job loss, illness, bad luck. That’s what I’ve seen. Years ago, one woman I worked with was killed by a serial killer. It could have been any of us. #BehindTheDesk #RealityCheck
The unhoused are not statistics. They are people. People with humor, grief, opinions, and dreams. If you stop long enough to listen, you’ll hear a lush tapestry of life that most never notice. That’s what I’ve learned behind the desk. #BehindTheDesk #Humanity
They returned with a fresh resume, beaming as they secured an interview. Remember, shame stifles, but information empowers. Social workers need to help consumers view mistakes as lessons, not life sentences. Embrace growth, and you can laugh about it later. #BehindTheDesk
A consumer once handed me a resume written in Comic Sans. Comic. Sans. My brain screamed “oh no,” but my voice and face said, “Let’s talk.” Because mistakes don’t mean failure, they mean learning. Fonts matter, but so does how you treat people in their learning moments. #BehindTheDesk
I've witnessed the magic when people feel supported instead of judged. That's the perfect environment for personal growth! Let's embrace learning without fear of judgment. Remember, shame doesn't nurture skill building. #BehindTheDesk
Social workers, remember: your reaction can impact a learning opportunity. Stay non-judgmental. If someone makes a mistake, approach it as a teaching moment. Knowledge empowers, while shame diminishes. Let's focus on nurturing skills and boosting confidence. #Empowerment #BehindTheDesk
Starting where someone is doesn’t mean setting the bar low. It means listening to your client and helping with the navigation until they learn their way.
At some point, your belief in them will begin to rub off. That’s when you step back and let them find their way.
#BehindTheDesk
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4/4
“Start where the client is” sometimes means being the person willing to take that first step with them.
Not for them. Not ahead of them. With them.
Let them borrow your confidence until they have their own.
#BehindTheDesk
4/4
That’s what self-discovery looks like. We don’t crush dreams. We walk with people until they outgrow the version of themselves that needed that dream.
And then?
We cheer them on as they reach for the next one.
#BehindTheDesk
4/4
“Start where the client is.”
It’s in every social work textbook but what does it actually look like in the real world?
Today, I’m sharing 3 moments from the field, small stories with big meaning, that shaped how I understand this phrase.
#BehindTheDesk
I’ve learned more from my clients than I ever did in grad school. About grief. About resilience. About humor in the worst of circumstances. This work is a masterclass in the human experience...if you’re willing to listen. #BehindTheDesk
