Self Care in Child Welfare Time Management

Self Care in Child Welfare Time Management Paul Gibson, LCSW Bay Area Academy Training Objectives 1. To be able to identify the five part strategy for time management 2. To be able to identify two barriers for time management and strategies to overcome them 3. To be able to describe three time management skills to use at work 4. To be able to demonstrate an ability to prioritize your work effectively Training Objectives 5. To be able to identify personal goals in life and how to get the most from your personal time 6. To develop a time management plan for both work and your personal life 1

Time Management Time Management Overview Managing Work Time Managing Personal Time Developing a Plan Why Study Time Management? To be more effective and productive in our work To increase the quality and enjoyment of our personal time To achieve professional and personal goals To get the most from our lives Misconceptions About Time 1. Time flies! 2. You can save time! 3. You can make up time! 2

Planning the Time of Your Life It is important for us to plan both our work life and personal life The alternative to planning is reacting to events and the demands of others Failing to plan our lives is planning to fail Time Productivity Curve Productivity Time Time Management Self Assessment Organization Procrastination Demands Overwhelmed Long Hours Productivity Planning Enjoying Life Time Off Prioritizing Time for Myself Life Decisions 3

Time Management Group Discussions Issues and Challenges Strengths and Strategies That Work Family and Cultural Influences Work and Personal Goals Group Discussion 1. What issues and challenges do you face in managing your time? At work In your personal life 2. What strengths do you have in managing your time? What strategies have worked for you? 3. How has you family and culture influences your approach to time management? 4. How would you like to improve your time management? At work In your personal life Time Management in Child Welfare Child welfare work is increasingly complex You need to organize, plan and prioritize tasks to complete what is required of you Not completing what is expected in your work can lead to stress, burnout and job dissatisfaction 4

Myths About Time Management There is no time to practice time management Other people won t let me manage my time How I manage my time is just part of who I am I don t want my life to be too controlled by time Five Part Strategy for Time Management 1. Identify Your Goals 2. Know What Works for You 3. Identify Problem Areas 4. Develop Time Management Skills 5. Prioritize Your Activities Identifying Time Management Goals Work Time Inventories Types of Goals Balancing Your Work Activities How You Want to Spend Your Time How You Need to Spend Your Time 5

Know What Works For You When do you have the most energy each day? What work style is best for you in completing assigned tasks? How much preparation do you need for assignments? How long does it take you to complete activities? What things interfere with your ability to complete tasks? Work Problem Areas Negative Work Environment Limited Personal Skills Inadequate Rewards Poor Planning and Scheduling Constant Interruptions Lack of Organization Limited Personal Skills Always feeling overwhelmed Reacting to events Unable to say no to people Difficulty completing tasks Unable to control telephone conversations 6

Poor Planning and Scheduling Difficulty keeping a calendar or daily schedule Often late for meetings and appointments Miscalculates time involved in travel or activities Unable to manage schedule when there is a crisis or last minute changes Constant Interruptions Your telephone rings constantly when you are in the office Coworkers are always stopping by to talk with you Urgent problems and crises cause you to drop everything you are working on Set regular times to receive and return telephone calls Practice being assertive with colleagues who interrupt your work Leave time in each day to deal with urgent problems and crisis situations Lack of Organization You can locate forms when you need them You make several trips to the same area in the same day You forget to or do not complete information when you have it and have to do it over Develop a filing system that works for you with the forms you use most often Consolidate field visits and activities Document information as soon as possible before you forget it 7

Time Robbers Procrastination Long Commutes Daily Time Wasters Pre-Task Avoidance Rituals Procrastination Things that are unpleasant Things that are difficult Being a perfectionist Things involving difficult decisions Reducing Procrastination Procrastination is the thief of time! Analyze the causes of your procrastination Admit when you are procrastinating Get started with small items and keep going Tackle unpleasant and difficult tasks first It is better to the right things than to do things perfectly 8

Time Management Skills Organize Your Work Plan Ahead Minimize Interruptions Use the Garbage Can Organizing Your Work Organize your work space so that you know where everything is Ensure that you have a clean space to work from Develop a filing system that provides easy access to forms and information Use calendars that work best for you and ensure that you keep them up to date Use a daily to do list to plan each day and prioritize each activity as either A, B or C Develop a project list and establish your own due dates Organizing Your Work Using Calendars Choose a calendar that works for you Make sure you have easy access to your calendar Ensure all appointments and changes are up to date Daily To-Do Lists Include tasks that are important or you may forget Prioritize each tasks as being A. B, or C Put the time you expect to work on the task Project Lists Include projects for a quarterly period of time Prioritize each project as being A, B, or C Establish your own due dates for each project 9

Plan Ahead One hour of planning is worth four hours of living Break larger goals into small, short term goals Do the most important tasks first each day Schedule time at the end of each day to review accomplishments and plan the next day Allot your time realistically estimate how long it will take and double it Set work out on your desk for the next day before you leave Minimize Interruptions Every 6-9 minute interruption takes 4-5 minutes to recover from Five interruptions can waste an hour a day Use space away from the telephone and colleagues to complete tasks needing concentration Set times aside to take phone calls each day Use assertive communication to let others know you need to not be disturbed Don t interrupt yourself by jumping from task to task Using the Garbage Can R A F T - R R efer to another person A ct on it immediately F ile it by topic or function T oss it or throw it away R ead it and then make a decision 10

Time Management Skills Maximize Your Time Set Limits and Get Support Schedule Quiet Periods Just Do It! Maximize Your Time Return phone calls during one block of time Consolidate field visits in the same area Start and end meetings and visits on time Complete case plan updates at the same time that you complete court reports or six month reviews Do CMS work at one time and read emails only once or twice a day Bring work with you to court that you need to read or review Set Limits and Get Support When you take on or try to do too much you will not be able to do it as well Know your limits and be assertive in saying no to colleagues and supervisors in a graceful way Keep your supervisor informed about your caseload and time consuming or stressful cases If you are overwhelmed, talk to your supervisor about how to prioritize your time and get support 11

Schedule Quiet Periods Don t schedule every minute Set aside quiet times each day Schedule quiet work time Review each day and plan for the next Just Do It! Sometimes a job has to be done now and the only solution is to bear down and do it We will never be perfect and an estimated 20% of everything we do will be a mistake What will happen if I don t do this task right away? What will happen if I don t do this task perfectly? Prioritizing Your Work Child and Family Safety Court Appearances and Deadlines The 80/20 Rule 12

The 80/20 Rule People spend 80% of their time on tasks that only yield 20% of total job results Concentrate your efforts on the 20% of tasks that are the highest priority and most important to complete Time Management Scenario Time Management Scenario It is 3PM in the afternoon and you realize that you have a very full day coming up tomorrow. A court report is due before noon and you need to be in court first thing in the morning on another case. You have two field visits scheduled and a family on your caseload is in crisis and wants to come in the morning because that is the only time they have transportation. You have an interview with a new client at the office in the afternoon. How do you prioritize what you need to do in the coming day? What are some ways that you can manage your time during the day? 13

Personal Time Management The Importance of Planning Personal Barriers Taking a Time Inventory Planning Your Free Time Working on Personal Goals Personal Time Management Managing our personal lives has become increasingly complex in our society It is difficult to balance the demands of work, family, relationships, home, and finances There is often not enough personal time to enjoy life and renew ourselves It is especially important for child welfare workers to get maximum benefit from your personal time The Importance of Planning We are better at planning our work life then our personal lives Complete a personal time inventory to help you identify how you are using your personal time Plan your personal time to get the most satisfaction and enjoyment from your life Keep a social calendar and make plans ahead of time to see people, go places and do things 14

Personal Barriers Household chores and errands Family and relationship demands Food shopping and preparation Not planning fun activities Not having time to relax Personal Time Inventory List all of the activities in your personal life and how much time you spend on each of them Indicate your level of satisfaction with how you are spending your time Review the areas you are satisfied with and those you are not happy with Identify goals for how you could manage your personal time more effectively Planning Your Free Time Try to balance your personal time between responsibilities and leisure activities Keep a social calendar that includes doing at least one fun recreation activity each weekend Ensure that you schedule time to do things with friends and relatives on a regular basis Make time to participate in social activities including the gym, church, activity groups, and classes 15

Planning Personal Goals The Importance of Goals The Two Minute Drill Setting Priorities Moving Forward Summing It All Up Plan every day, work or play Each day take care of yourself the best way you can Break larger goals into smaller ones and identify what you want to achieve each day Prioritize your activities and focus on what is most important Time Management Plan 1. Work Time Management Goal Two strategies to achieve your work goal 2. Personal Time Management Goal Two strategies to achieve your personal goal 3. Personal Life Goal Two steps you can take toward your life goal 16

Get The Most Out of Your Life Stress Management for Child Welfare Workers Paul Gibson, LCSW Training Objectives 1. To understand the stress response cycle and impact of stress on our health 2. To be able to recognize the signs of secondary trauma and how to address it 3. To understand the wellness cycle and coping skills for stress 4. To learn skills for managing stress and develop a personal care plan 17

What is Stress? The physical and emotional responses that a person has to any demand made by the environment Homeostasis is the need for living organisms to maintain a stable state of being despite the changes going on around them Stress in Child Welfare Child welfare practice involves a great deal of responsibility Child welfare is one of the highest stress professions If we do not take care of ourselves, we can not take care of others We can take steps to recognize, alleviate and manage our stress Understanding Stress The Stress Response Cycle The Impact of Stress Types of Stressors Coping Skills for Stress 18

Fight versus Flight How Our Bodies Respond to Stress 1. Digestion Slows Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach? 2. Breathing Gets Faster Have you ever tried to catch your breath after being frightened? 3. The Heart Speeds Up Have you ever felt your heart pounding? 4. Perspiration Increases Have you noticed yourself sweating more? More Stress Responses 5. Muscles Tense Have you ever had a stiff back or neck at the end of a stressful day? 6. Blood Clots More Rapidly Have you noticed how quickly wounds stop bleeding? 7. Sugar and Fats Provide Energy Have you ever been amazed by your own strength? 19

The Stress Response Cycle Resistance Alarm Homeostasis Homeostasis Exhaustion The Alarm Reaction The stressor activates the body to prepare for fight or flight The body marshals your internal resources to deal with the threat The Stage of Resistance Signs of alarm are diminished or gone Demands placed on body to adapt to stressor and reduce the threat Negative physical and emotional effects Resistance continues as long as the body perceives threat 20

The Stage of Exhaustion The body shuts down and the stressor has depleted our energy Resistance is decreased and the body wants to get back to normal Severity and duration of exhaustion equals the severity and duration of resistance Unhealthy Effects of Stress Stress Becomes Distress When 1. You become overwhelmed and exhausted 2. Your assessment of the situation is dysfunctional 3. Your coping skills are inadequate 4. External resources are not available or sufficient The Impact of Stress Related to 75% of health problems High blood pressure and heart disease Anxiety and other mental health issues Ulcers and gastrointestinal disorders Chronic back pain and skin disorders Smoking, overeating, alcohol & drug use Immune system deficiencies 21

Types of Stressors Change Illness Childhood Emotional Physical Social Commuting Work Family Alcohol & Drugs Social Pain Environmental Decisions Major Sources of Work Stress Chronic and unpredictable commute problems Over commitment and too much responsibility Difficult or unpleasant working conditions Not getting along with supervisors or coworkers Not being able to utilize talents and abilities Responsibility without the needed authority Counter transference and secondary trauma Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) Child welfare is a high stress profession with workers confronted with trauma on a daily basis. STS is the result of exposure to trauma experienced by others. The risk of STS is higher among child welfare staff than PTSD is in the general population. We are taught to empathize with clients placing us at increased risk of STS. A personal history of trauma places us at greater risk of STS. The symptoms and effects of STS are the same as those of PTSD. Secondary trauma has been added to the criteria for PTSD in the DSM 5. 22

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder A. Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence B. Persistence of intrusive symptoms C. Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma D. Negative alteration in cognitions or mood associated with the trauma E. Marked arousal or reactivity associated with the trauma F. Duration of disturbance for more than 1 month Symptoms of Secondary Trauma Re-Experiencing Trauma Nightmares and trouble sleeping Increased anxiety and vigilance Sadness and despair Irritability and anger Avoidance of Trauma Feeling helpless and unsafe Avoidance of people, situations, and memories Shutting down emotionally Feeling disconnected from the world around you The Effects of STS o Social detachment and isolation o Chronic anxiety and depression o Loss of interest in activities o Intimacy and relationship issues o Physical health issues o Negative world view and loss of beliefs o Aggressive behavior towards oneself and others o Feelings of victimization o Low work morale and productivity 23

Managing Secondary Trauma Monitor Your Response to Trauma Maintain Balance in Your Life Take Control of Your Personal Life Maintain a Social Support System Improve Your Work Environment Engage in Healthy Lifestyle Practices Practice Stress Management Self Care Inventory Physical Psychological Emotional Spiritual 60 Ways to Nurture Yourself Physical Emotional Mental Spiritual 24

Four Part Strategy for Managing Stress 1. Identify causes of stress in your work and personal life 2. Determine the consequences and signs of stress for you 3. Identify coping skills and solutions for your stress 4. Develop an individual stress management plan Signs of Stress Behavioral Overeating Increased drug or alcohol use Physical High blood pressure Ulcers and stomach problems Skin conditions Muscle tension, aches and pain Signs of Stress Emotional Increased anxiety Irritability and anger Depression and hopelessness Cognitive Poor concentration and task management Forgetfulness Sleep disturbance 25

Coping Skills for Stress Physical Responses Exercise Nutrition Relaxation Behavioral Responses Manage your environment Strengthen support systems Assertive communications Time management Coping Skills for Stress Cognitive and Emotional Responses Changing negative beliefs Revising stressful thoughts Mental health counseling Medications for sleep, anxiety and depression 26

STRESS MANAGEMENT PLANNING A. Work Stressors What are 3 sources of stress for you at work? B. Personal Stressors What are 3 sources of stress in your personal life? C. Impact of Stress What are 3 negative consequences of stress for you? D. Relaxation Methods What are 3 activities that give you relaxation? E. Coping Skills What are 3 coping skills or solutions you have for stress? Managing Stress Gone Fishing Breathing Exercises Social Support Communication Skills Cognitive Techniques Exercise and Nutrition 27

Markleeville Breathing Exercises One Full Breath Breathing Meditation Life Change Management Change can be a stressor and modern life presents us with more change than ever before The Social Readjustment Rating Scale was developed by identifying life events that preceded major illness People with high life change scores were more likely to contract an illness It is important for us to assess the amount of change in our lives and use it for making decisions There are some life changes that we have control over We can anticipate these life changes and plan in advance to pace ourselves and not be overwhelmed 28

Social Circles Activities Friends Partner You Family Classes Interests Cognitive Behavioral Techniques Assertive Communications Revising Negative Beliefs Effective Self Talk Passive Communication You avoid saying what you want, think or feel. Goal: You want to please, be liked or avoid conflict. Effects : You may feel anxious, ignored, hurt or used. Others may feel irritated or frustrated. They lose respect for you and take advantage of you. Outcome: You don t get what you want. You feel resentful of others and disappointed in yourself. You avoid conflict but stress and anger build up. 29

Aggressive Communication You use you statements to say what you think and feel in accusatory or blaming ways. Goal: You want to control, dominate or get something off your chest. Effects: You may feel self righteous or powerful. Others feel humiliated, disrespected or hurt. They are fearful and resentful of you. Outcome: You get what you want but at the expense of others. They dislike you and may want to get even. You may feel stress and remorse. Assertive Communication You use I statements to say what you want or feel in honest and respectful ways to others. Goal: You want to communicate and be respected. Effects: You feel confident, in control and successful. Others respect you, know where you stand and trust you in expressing themselves. Outcome: You often get what you want. You feel good about yourself, reduce stress in your life and improve your relationships with others. Assertiveness Formula 1. I feel (think or believe) 2. When (what they do without blaming) 3. Because (how behavior affects you or them) 4. It would be better (or) I would like it if 30

Changing Negative Beliefs A. Activating Event B. Irrational Belief C. Stressful Consequence D. Disputing Your Belief E. Less Stressful Response Effective Self Talk What we silently tell ourselves has a profound influence on how we feel Negative thinking and self talk can upset us and increase our anxiety and anger Positive thinking and self talk can help us to overcome and prepare for anxiety and anger Memorizing coping statements can help us stay calm and positive in stressful situations 31

Exercise Benefits of Exercise The 10,000 Steps Aerobic Exercise Increasing Activity Nutrition Guidelines Food Variety Weight Management Fats & Cholesterol Fiber & Carbohydrates Sodium & Potassium Alcoholic Beverages 32

Keys to Sleep Be Physically Active Relax Before Going to Bed Avoid Eating Late or Overeating Limit Alcohol and Drug Use Ask About Medications Personal Care Plan A. Work Stress Reduction B. Life Stress Reduction C. Quality of Life Goal PERSONAL LIFE CARE PLAN A. WORK STRESS REDUCTION GOAL List three steps or actions that you could take to reach your goal. B. PERSONAL STRESS REDUCTION GOAL List three steps or actions that you could take to reach your goal. C. PERSONAL LIFE GOAL List three steps or actions that you could take towards reaching your personal life goal. 33

Stress Management Planning Establish clear goals Start small Do something now Start where you are Start with what is important to you Change one thing at a time Make it easy Choose ways that work for you Reward yourself Do it every day! Stay in Balance Enjoy Life! 34