My term... What a great year!

The year is quickly wrapping itself up.  I find myself tying up loose ends, saying goodbye to clients and coworkers and organizing computer files for the Americorps member who will take my spot for the 2012-2013 term at Goodwill.  This blog has given me the opportunity to look back and reflect on just how beneficial the last year of my life as an Americorps member with the Campaign to End Homelessness has been.

                My term began with training.  I thought the training would never end.  HMIS, member reporting, webinars, OnCorps, internal training, shadowing on client visits… On and on.  However, looking back this training was an absolutely essential part of the term and without it I would not have been able to integrate into the successful case management system that Goodwill Housing Support has created over the years. 

                I soon found myself diving right in to working one-on-one with clients.  My role with clients was to provide follow up support with time consuming issues and intensive care that case managers did not have the time or flexibility to commit to.  In this regard I was made to instantly feel that my role was important.  The flexibility of being able to work with clients who are actively seeking help on their time frame is what makes the Americorps member at my agency such a valuable asset.  By mixing administrative duties with life skills support I was able to drop what I was doing in the office and provide assistance to clients when they needed it in the field. 

Regular paid employees at our agencies are often bogged down with heavy case loads and documentation, Americorps members are the ace in hand that allow clients to receive the care they need and are asking for.  Often, I would receive a call from a case manager in the field who was with a client experiencing some sort of crisis.  Due to pending appointments the case manager was unable to provide support to ensure the issue at hand was addressed all the way through.  Because my daily tasks were a mix of administrative and on-call client assistance I was able to provide that extra level of support that our clients needed to be successful in maintaining their housing.  The trials and tribulations, successes and failures of working with clients are many, yet I feel that my experience as an Americorps member serving with Goodwill Housing Support Services has helped to move me on to the next level in my career and personal development.  It is an experience I will look back on with pride and good memories.