Here's a couple other good links for Long Island SW agencies

Forgot I had this and this bookmarked under my faves.

This is a great site if you are looking for non-profit work in general. Do a chapter search, perhaps there's one near you. I have a daily email subscription to the one for the NYC chapter, and every day I get job postings.

My agency right now (I work in homecare) is actually hiring for some non-social workey kinds of positions (i.e. accounting, billing) so that's another tip of places to look if you aren't necessarily interested in working in human services.

Anyways, the weather here is absolutely gorgeous. I just finished cleaning my house, I am almost done with one of my library books, so I think my son and I are going to head out, return the book, get a new one, and then go sit down in the park by the water. Have a good weekend!!!!

Places in the NYC area to look for Social Work employment

I know this is the time of year a lot of new grads are looking, or people are just looking in general. In no particular order, I am going to make a list of some agencies I know that are usually always hiring, from entry-level to more seasoned positions. Some of these agencies I have also either worked for, or worked with at one point, if not currently in my day to day professional life. If I haven't listed a website, usually a quick google search can help you find the contact info of the agency. Here's my only partially-finished list............Happy Hunting!!!

1.) Transitional Services for New York
2.) New Frontiers in TBI, Inc.
3.) Gallub Services for TBI
4.) The Center for Family Support
5.) The Puerto Rican Family Institute
6.) CUCS
7.) International Center for the Disabled
8.) Catholic Charities
9.) JASA
10.) CPA of NYS
11.) AHRC NYC/Nassau/Suffolk
12.) Long Island Head Injury Association
13. YAI
14.) VNS
15.) Jewish Board of Family & Childrens Services
16.) CIDNY
17.) The Bridge
18.) Fountain House
19.) Goodwill Industries
20.) RES TBI services
21.) UCP Nassau/Suffolk
22.) SCO Family Services
23.) LIFE'S Worc
24.) Mercy Haven

I also recommend going to websites such as socialservice.com. My favorite site to do a search by key word and zip code is Indeed.com. Check out all the local hospitals as well. They are often hiring for all kinds of positions. Oh, also check out home care agencies. A lot of them often hire for SW case managers depending on the program/population served. I also have found through personal experience that they tend to pay more than non-profits since home care agencies mostly are for-profit agencies.

For those of you who may just be starting out, or wanting to get your foot in the door in this field..........remember that any kind of experience is good experience and a stepping stone to moving up. Often if you can get hired somewhere, even if it's not your "ideal" position, a lot of agencies promote from within. If you are good at what you do, they tend to promote pretty quickly. Also keep in mind, that if you work in human services, you are always meeting people from other agencies where you may choose to apply down the road.

I also keep a huge binder on my desk at work that I am constantly adding business cards of other professionals, as well as just contacts and resources I come across. You never know when this info is going to come in handy down the road.

There are even lots of good online networking groups to go to for employment information. I have found that Meetup.org, Myspace and Facebook all have active discussion groups about local employment and where to look!

A good thing I have found about our field as well, is that a lot of agencies host regular "job fairs" or welcome "walk-ins" to come in and apply at any time. Social workers often are willing to talk with you about their job and share resources of where to look as well, so definitely don't rule out that option either.

Anyways, I promise, promise, promise I am going to *try* to update this list sometime in the near future. However, I am neglecting my son at the moment who is starting to fuss. Good luck with your search and feel free to share this with anyone you know who may be looking as well :)

So

I made it through last weekend without spending money. And I also made it through the week without spending $$$$ except on things I needed like gas and my LIRR ticket into the city one day to see a client (which I will be reimbursed for). I did take out $20.00 for weekly "spending" $$$$ but I do that each week regardless, and try to follow a "when it's gone it's gone" attitude. I still haven't spent it all :D. We also made do by eating left-overs and what I had on hand already in the house. I made a huge pot of sauce last Sunday which we ate from a few times, and I also froze the leftovers for a couple more meals. So what I have observed is not spending unnecessary money can be done and I have realized that has been my issue with spending too much lately. It's Memorial Day weekend (my favorite holiday of the year since it's the beginning of summer!!) and I am planning to just grill out back, lounge around outside, read and make some frozen drink concoctions. I also am planning to go one day this weekend and use one of my giftcards for the nail spa. I love relaxing weekends like this, and thank goodness the weather is finally starting to cooperate.

In other "news" my younger sister just broke up with her boyfriend of 5 years. I don't want to look like I am judgmental or anything, but I think it's probably for the best. He is a few years younger than she is and at a completely different place in life in terms of goals and such. She even said that over the past year, she was feeling he was holding her back from doing a lot of the things she wanted to do. She is actually considering relocating to Long Island at this point where there is more job opportunity. I am helping her in this regard, by offering her a temporary place to stay and I also handed her resume in for an open position she is qualified for at my job, so we shall see what happens with that. It should be interesting!!!!

Cleaning out closets & drawers: Where shopping is NEW again.

So to follow the theme of my "$$$$ free weekend", I decided to keep myself occupied and clean out my closets and drawers this morning. I've been putting off this task for awhile, and it's started to look like a bomb exploded. I have had a lot of my pre-pregnancy outfits mixed in with maternity stuff, and stuff that I plain don't wear anymore, either because of style or because it doesn't fit anymore (Since having Matthew, my hips have expanded and I still have a bit of a "pouch"). My sister is also coming down to see me for a few days and she is on a pretty limited budget herself because she doesn't make a whole lot of money, working in the arts field. So I decided what I no longer want/can wear I will let her look through and have, the rest I will probably either donate or Freecycle.





I came up with two huge piles of stuff, mostly pants, that don't fit anymore. I could technically hold onto this stuff, hoping my body goes back to how it used to be (HA!), or follow the rule of getting rid of stuff............if you haven't worn it for at least a year, let it go.





So that is what I have decided to do. In the meantime, I also came across of ton of spring and summer clothes I haven't worn in awhile (mostly shirts) because during the spring and summer last year, I was too preggers to fit into them. So it was like going shopping all over again, but in my own closet LOL. I also realized coming across all of this stuff satisfied my "urge" I usually get when I am sitting home on the weekends and I feel like going out and doing something (which usually involves shopping and spending $$$).





I also have been doing laundry this morning................endless loads. We have a rule in my house as well, that since I do the laundry, I get to keep whatever change I may come across in the pockets. My husband tends to NEVER empty his pockets so in addition to a few dimes and pennies, I also found a 5 dollar bill that's now mine to keep. SCORE!

Dollar-free weekend?

It seems like I've been spending an awful lot of money lately on nothing. I think one of my problems is that I tend to shop (even on little things that don't seem to cost much) out of boredom. This totally makes my heart race with unnecessary anxiety, especially when my savings account seems like it's been at the same amount for awhile now, or we've dipped into it for this or for that. Because of this, I am going to try an experiment this weekend which comes down to trying really, really hard not to spend $$$$ on anything. So far I made breakfast and iced-coffee here at home. I took some meat out of the freezer to grill out back later for dinner. I have some potatoes and onions to make as a side. We can make a can of tuna for lunch, instead of running out to Panera Bread and spending fifteen or twenty bucks just for "something to do". I am going to avoid my usual weekend trip to Target and Stop & Shop. (It seems I go in both for just a few items and end up leaving with at least fifty bucks worth of stuff from each). There's really nothing that I can think of that we actually "need" right now. Sure, I'd like to get some more facial scrub, but I think I can get by on what's left in the current tube I have by squeezing a little less out for just another week. When I need more, I will look in the 99 cents store instead of spending $3.99 (or more) at CVS. I'm going to avoid "stocking up in advance" on the dogs food and go get a new bag when I actually run out of it. Yesterday, I did meet a lady from Craigslist to purchase my son's special formula, but that was for a month's supply 1/2 the cost of what it normally goes for. Other than that, the challenge is on to NOT. SPEND. MONEY. I am hoping that if I can get through the next 2 days by not spending anything, I will throw that $$$ back into savings. Wish me luck!!! I know it's going to be really, really hard. But I am looking forward to keeping my mind occupied with reading a fun new book that I took out free from the library.

In celebration of Mother's Day (a few days late!!).........

Just wanted to share a pic of my favorite little one. I actually found out ON Mother's Day of last year that I was preggers with him. I am so, so happy that he's here. I got a couple gift certifcates for "spa days" for Mother's Day so now I just need to find a baby-sitter. It can't be my husband either because I left him home alone with the baby for an HOUR over the weekend............an HOUR. About a 1/2 hour in he was calling me to come home because he couldn't figure out why the baby was screaming (he had a poopy-diaper). Part of me thinks he PRETENDED to not know why he was screaming LOL. I think there is hope though for the future, because Matthew's primary caregiver while I am at work is his grandfather. He had my husband when he was 19 and believe it or not, never changed a diaper until my son came along. Now the two are best friends and he totally dotes on him! He even kept stealing him away from me on Mother's Day!

We are still seeing the allergist at the end of the month to find out how we are going to proceed with the milk protein allergy. Hopefully this will get the formula covered by the insurance company. In the meantime, I am supposed to meet a woman from Craigslist over the weekend to pick up a bunch of it she is selling half-price. I am still also looking for ways to save more $$$. I am planning to meet with my HR person tommorrow when I am in the office again, because she thinks she has a health insurance plan that will be a bit cheaper compared to what we are paying now. I may just stick with what we have though if the formula is covered! I really don't want to continue to jump through hoops all over again.

I have been dealing with a couple of very unstable clients at work as of late, so I've been busy, busy trying to get them to accept services so they won't continue to down-hill spiral. That is always such a challenge. Both have a mental health diagnosis/personality disorder which are so difficult to treat. I am meeting one at her doctor today to try to convince her to follow his recommendations with some of her health issues.

Well, it's time to drag myself away from the internet and begin my day. Have a nice week everyone. At least it's hump day!!

And another rant.........

I feel like quality in our country is going down the tubes. I fell in love with a puccini-print Vera Bradley diaper bag after many, many recommendations from other seasoned moms about this product. I haven't even been using it for 4 months yet and the bottom is already tattered and torn. It hasn't been washed yet (no need) and I only use it a few days a week, so I just don't get it.............I wrote to the company and I am still waiting for a response.............I guess that goes to show that even if you shell out more $$$$ for a product, you are not necessarily getting a good investment............I had a giftcard for this so it only ended up costing me 1/2 the normal price but still..........not right!!