For some readers who asked what I do....

So my day started, not the usual routine of going to morning rounds at the Health Center but walking to office at 830 AM and taking off the call forward on the phone... From there this morning has been just non-stop!!

 Needing to drive out to the airport to drop off copies of some documents to a family leaving on the 1005 AM flight, hiked up to the Health Center to use the Social Service vehicle. Well it is relatively brand new but for some reason would not turn over. The NIC had to go out to the flight anyways and drop off some lab specimens so I hitched a ride and left the keys for the mechanic to take a look. No flights out yesterday as “ mechanical failure”, so my family had been delayed a day and the NIC was certain some of the blood samples and urine specimens would be outdated. Back into town to drop off NIC and out again to DEW line to talk to  someone on another case. Got some coffee and ice cream yum!!

Drive back long route and make sure in process not to go over any packed snow that are not roads in the construction areas….learned in the past the difference between roads and snowmobile trails and how easily to get stuck in latter!

Dropped off truck. Walked back to office.

Check email and faxes…An email requesting completion of a statistical report for last month...new policy since November and you know how I love stats. Another fax that stated I missed one signature on an agreement that I had faxed yesterday to another community and needed to call this parent again.

At 1130 AM hit with a phone call from health center re: family in need of some supplies for a newborn infant. Spoke with parent, with nurse and other social worker. Normally very cautious in such situations as often it is a matter of family budgeting, finding other resources with relatives or unemployment insurance or income support. For example, if on income support but the social worker will suggest to the couple that they split their checks, to every two weeks instead of monthly.

Left two voice mails for my supervisor who is in another community and ended up my calling nurse manager to authority to use purchase order book in special circumstance.

Home for lunch from 12-1 PM. On email and chat with roommate who is visiting a occupational therapist.

Back to office. Gave out the brightly colored toys to a waiting pre-schooler only later to discover he had taken all my office toys home with him. In lobby, ran into one set of parents who will be traveling to the south soon for a family visit with to their children receiving medical treatments Informed them of travel itinerary dates.

1:30 PM call from parent to arrange 2:30 PM meeting in my office. Thinking I would get everything done in 45 minutes, was I wrong!   Set off walking to health center to pick up purchase order book. Social Services usually has its own, but all chits used up. Waved at teachers through school windows as walking by from office. Remembered needed cloth bags, short detour to my house for some and my debit card. Picked up book at health center. Back to COOP to pick up supplies for client, completing forms, talking to store manager on process, and getting some of my own groceries…. My debit card inserted at the cash till was rejected, so here it was 2:30 pm and $48 worth of groceries. Fortunately could go to store office and card worked to get some cash for a $2 service fee.

Headed back 3 blocks to office all walking with my cane and two cloth bags of groceries!

Met with the parent who was graciously waiting outside. Inside client meeting in my office, getting family details, discovered wrong brand of item purchased! It was not available at COOP, had to be returned there and go to the Northern Store! Toted my own bag in process, dropped off at home, parted ways with parent. Great conversations on our walk about carving, sewing and family relatives in different Nunavut communities. Stopped in street to talk to OT in Health Care van…” No I am not able to go to visit elders sewing class as planned”.

On way back to at office at 4 PM, outside ran into one of my foster parents, and got updates on about 5 family situations I am dealing with. In lobby again, encouraged clients waiting for appointment with other social worker, to take any clothes needed from those in 3 donated bags; conversation and introductions to elder lady who spoke only Inuktitut and asked if I was the new social worker and how long would I be in town; call from a community member wondering if I could help with plane fare to another community to attend funeral; drop-in interview with a young man who wanted to go out for a drug and alcohol treatment program, whom I advised and took details for when MH nurse is next in town;

….and just before 5 PM, a young family toting two young children asking, “So you are the Social Worker?...:” Yes” I replied somewhat reluctantly. “ I heard they were advertising on the radio for foster parents and we would like to apply . How lovely!!!  Getting details of parents and children in household, I advised they needed 3 references, Criminal Record Check and medicals done.

Sent emails explaining the use of the purchase orders and exchanges and why we had to use the one from the health center and not social services as we were out.

So ended my official work day…

BUT alt least I was not today, as yesterday afternoon, dealing with a power outage or crawling under my desk to connect and reconnect fax and phone machines, or talking to NW TEL on why the cordless phone in my office would not work and being told it would cost $100 if a technician had to come out. The only way I could call the local telephone company, was sitting in the lobby using the “plug in” phone from the income support workers office, whose cord was brought out from under his door. Final solution asked operator to dial my number and it WORKED but had not before!

THE BEST THING ABOUT TODAY WAS THAT THE WEATHER HAS BEAUTIFULLY WARMED UP..possibly a prelude to a blizzard but lovely walking around and I had some great conversations!!!

So after all this, walked out of the office at about 6 PM.