Social Worker

As I look back at my time spent at Newark Emergency Services for Families Inc (NESF), I have noticed that I have grown tremendously. I remember how the first couple weeks, I was very unsure of myself and would always second guess everything I did. From my body language, one could tell I was nervous and most of the workers asked me if I felt well every time they saw me. This was clearly evident when I performed my first few intakes. During my first few intakes, I was overly concerned about performing the intake process correctly, and making sure everything was done perfectly. I found out I rarely gave myself the time to realize that it takes time to become an expert in the intake process. During each intake, I felt I did not know much about the program and to me this meant I could not really help any of the clients that came to me for help. I remember during my first intake I was so nervous that I began to talk so fast to the client, stumbled on my words and kept apologizing to the client. I also remember trying to make sure I did not act rude, and was so consciousness on what I said to the client. My intakes lasted pretty long because most of the clients were not able to understand me, and my nerves prevented me from believing in myself. I would check the paperwork so many times to the point I would go up to one worker to ask them to check it for me because I doubted I did it correctly. Another time I encountered a client who was previously in jail and was seeking assistance. I felt little goose bumps as I was interviewing him because I did not know if he was going to harm me. To be quite honest, I never have been that close to a former inmate ever. After I let go my preconceived notions and he began to talk, I was able to really connect with client and realize he was just an ordinary person dealing with everyday issues. The client just wanted to be treated with respect, and not to be ignored because of his past mistakes. It really showed me that