A Support Worker's Perspective

What I get out of the job as a support worker is the ability to work with a great many different types of clients with different problems.

I came from working in residential homes and in prisons but I enjoy working in the community the most because it shows me with the support from people that the clients can make out in the world with help from people like us and live pretty normal lives. Some may only need a visit once or twice a week while other clients may need visits six times a week.

But most of all I get an enjoyment out of sitting down with someone and talking to them in their home and hearing them say to me thank you for stopping by. I would not have been able to be living out on my own with out people like you.This is a better place then hospitals where I have been before. It is really enjoyable to see a smile on a clients face when there once an hour before a scared face or to hear a client talking to you instead of themselves. I do believe that you pick some of your skill up in a classroom but most of my skills are from hands on experience just trying different things to see what will work with one client may not work on another one. Supported housing has giving me back my life.

To do what I love to do even though there are long hours and hard days I am happy at what I do and like to go to work each morning and that is an important part of my life. If I can make a difference in one persons life that day then that is great.

K.M.S.