Newby Here: Mid-Life Career Change and Significant Issue

[Vannilee]

I am a 58yo woman who returned to college 10 years ago to become a psychotherapist and substance abuse counselor. I am passionate about my work with my clients and am very successful in building therapeutic relationships. However, time management of my record-keeping and documentation is difficult. The related stress increases my anxiety which is self-perpetuating. I need input on !how to be more effective with my paperwork, please!

Van

[Birdwatcher19]

I am struggling with the same issue, Van. I am in my second year as a clinical social worker (also a midlife career change), and I am completely overwhelmed with the documentation, despite working only part-time and having a small caseload. It was making me so anxious that I was pretty much ready to quit earlier this year when I began seeing my own therapist. Have you asked your supervisor for suggestions on how to be more efficient with your paperwork? Do you have a therapist or coach? Are you taking medication? One of the things that has helped me, aside from medication, has been using a task manager within our EHR that tracks deadlines and alerts me and my manager if something is overdue. One of the issues for me was the fact that my supervisor was not monitoring my deadlines, so there was no urgency for me to get things done. You could also ask someone to provide that accountability for you if that’s an issue for you. I’ve also started blocking off specific times to do paperwork and identifying my top 3 priorities for that time. I generally don’t get them all done, particularly if they are lengthy, like assessments or treatment plans, but it helps me at least get something done, and then the next thing on the list moves to the top slot for the next day, and so on. The more I capture on my to-do list, the less things are likely to get overlooked (though that does lead to anxiety-provoking moments when I first look at the very long list). If you can say more about what you’ve already tried, or specific things you are struggling with, I can try to offer some other ideas. Maybe we can help each other with this.

[Vannilee in reply to Birdwatcher19]

Thanks for the note. I have seen therapists for years due to childhood abuse issues and have been to the same one for over 10 years. He helped me get through college and the end of my marriage. I have learned about myself and grown a lot over the years.

My agency is smaller and we use Celerity for EMR. It has a dashboard that I can go into to see if there are things not completed, but it is not very user friendly (I am computer literate). What helps me the most is if I take my meds (Adderall XR, bupropion, and alprazalom) and am not interrupted during the day. My office door is almost always shut. My issues stemmed from when I first started 2 years ago there were several holes in my training We had a stated audit as we were opening a residential tx facility, and I was given time to only get all my files caught up. That was very helpful as I was extremely triggered by a similar experience of my past supervisor who is abusive to his interns/supervisees. He was very punitive and narcissistic. I was his only drug counselor in an outlying clinic (he is not one himself, I was hired for drug court in that county) and when I put my notice in and went to my current job, he had filed a complain with the state licensing board about paperwork. I am now being reprimanded by the state (6 hrs paperwork training and $1100 fine!) and triggered, once again, as that boss/supervisor knew about my ADHD (my ex and I were clients in 2006) and did not not assist me while I was doing my training hours. I wish there were trainings specifically for ADHD and time management/paperwork, as that would be most helpful for me.

This second issue with paperwork surfaced after I took on an additional evening group 2 nights a week and did not think to then come in later so my days were not 10-12 hours long. I get tired and then it lengthens the day even more with my ineffective work habits. I am trying to complete assessments before I leave for the day and not take on any additional tasks. I am lucky to have a co-worker who has helped me with boundaries such as not taking work home with me. Then it does not seem like I EVER get done!

I really struggle with shame and overwhelm, and when I get too much on my plate, productivity goes down. I am working on assertiveness with my supervisor and asking for what I need. I am trying to be mindful of self-care matters, as well. Boundaries in the form of telling myself, "Just because I CAN do that (__________ fill in blank), doesn't mean I SHOULD!" I have also said this to my supervisor.

So, this got long, but I appreciate your listening. Have you had official reprimands for your issues? Do you feel supported in your workplace?

Take care,

Van