Fiscal, Financial, Federal...there's probably one more "F" word I could add here...

Any one else feeling the end-of-fiscal-year crunch right about now?  I haven't posted much of late as I've had some time spent in all day trainings at I'm also trying to get all my notes, stats, logs and whatnot done in time for the end of fiscal.

Money pressures are everywhere at the moment.  When our final numbers are tallied soon, we'll find out if we (my program at work) made quota in order to maintain our current funding.

My taxes are all prepared, but I have yet to take that depressing step of actually submitting them (we owe this year due to my partners self-employment income).

And the big one of course is that both the Ontario and Federal budgets came down this week.  Like a hammer, each one.  I'm hoping to get a better look at them in the days to come.

Once I've done all this, I'm also going to go roll all my pennies to deposit in the bank before stores won't take them any more.  My old peanut butter jar is going to seem so empty from now on...*


*for those of you out of the loop, one of the federal budget items everyone is talking about is that the Conservative government has announced the end of the 1 cent coin in Canada.  No more "take a penny, leave a penny" in the Great White North.

Things to Come

Meeting with a long time client yesterday, she asked me if I was leaving.  No, what gave you that idea?  She said that just before her last worker left (there was a transition in the agency) she had a dream predicting it.  Apparently she had a dream that I was now going somewhere else too.  Could this be a sign that my never-ending job search may soon produce an opportunity?  Hmm....

I'm also looking forward to seeing what the Mental Health Commision of Canada comes up with for it's mental health strategy.  The MHCC has a new chair whose vision for a Partners for Mental Health Coalition sounds interesting.  Currently, Canada is the only G-8 country without a national mental health strategy.

Number Crunch

I had 67 appointments scheduled with clients in the month of February.

48 of them actually took place.

2 sick days for me, several clients with cold or flu.  1 who cancelled for work.  1 who cancelled due to intoxication.  A few who just didn't show up for reasons unknown.

50 is our minimum target for face to face contacts each month.

Don't Tell

My 8 year old's understanding of confidentiality: "Clients are people who are secret"

Now why can't we just write that on the forms and get people to sign it?  Hmm???

The Mental Health Worker’s Reminders to Herself

1. When my supervisor assigns me a new client she is not trying to sabotage me. She is trying to get me to do my job.


2. When a client repeatedly cancels/misses appointments, there is likely something making it hard for them to come. It’s nothing against me.

3. When it is something against me, this is okay too. Not everybody has to like me. I will not be the best match for everyone. Learn from it.

4. Doctors are people too. They are likely rolling their eyes right back at me.

5. A client’s goals for themselves need to come before my goals for them.

6. When clients are skeptical because “you look too young to help me” remember – you’re a lot less young than when they were saying this to you 5 years ago!

7. Caring for myself will help me to care for others.

8. People will come and go, but paperwork is forever.

9. It’s okay to drown your sorrows with pizza and a half bottle of Shiraz on Friday night.

Tell me Going Mental readers - what reminders do you need to keep yourself going?