I posted this as a response on another post, and it got me thinking that it's something I would like to put on blast on this sub and see if anyone else feels the same, or is going through the same thing as I am, and as so many others are, too. So, if you're 'one of us,' this is for you.
“I wish someone would advocate for people under the social services umbrella as much as they do for teachers, police, nurses, and so on and so forth. We have to be one of the most, if not the most fucked over field of pathetic, miserable bastards that I can think of. Most people aren't even aware of the extent to which we are getting it straight up the booty ass, and you rarely hear anyone talk about it, much less take action. I can't remember the last time I heard anyone, especially any politician, even pretend to care about us. I know it's not a competition of who gets fucked over more, and good on anyone who receives added benefits for their job by fighting for them, but god damn it's just so demoralizing to see how ignored we are. MHAs, case managers, counselors, social workers. There are many of us out there. I'm hard pressed to think of people who get fucked harder than we do. In my area, for case managers for folks with severe mental illness/substance abuse or both, and these are jobs that require a bachelor's degree and experience mind you, you're looking at maybe 35k a year, maybe as low as 32 or 33k, but nowhere close to 40k. A salary of 40k and beyond is something I can only dream of, and I've been in this field for 10 years. You're also required to carry a maximum caseload allowable by Medicaid and the work becomes so draining and untenable because more often than not the people on your caseload need more help than you, as one person, can offer them. As a mental health case manager I was basically just putting out fires, managing one crisis after another or in many cases juggling several at once, where someone's housing situation or well being was at stake. And you're doing this, day in and day out, making barely enough money to live on. You sure as shit aren't saving for retirement. You literally cannot live by yourself on that amount of money, at least here, unless you use public transportation and live with roommates, or you live by yourself in the shittiest apartment you can find.
And no one gives a damn. We don't get any news specials about how hard it is, about how we're all barely getting by despite doing what I consider to be good, honorable, and very needed work. Some people will give you the pity, “Oh, I know you guys are overworked and underpaid,” and that's about it. Motherfucker, we KNOW that. We've known this for a long time now. And still, no one cares. I bet most people don't even know what a social services case manager or MHA even is.”
Who else is in this same shitty, sinking boat with me and often fantasizes about getting out of the field, but you stay because you want to continue helping people on the front lines? I genuinely want to know. We don't get near enough pay. We don't get NEARLY enough vacation time to have to deal with the stressors of this job, nor do we get enough sick time to deal with the constant exposure to illnesses of being in close contact with clients, especially for case managers who have to do home visits, or people who work in homeless shelters, especially ones that are overcrowded. MHAs as well. When I worked inpatient as an MHA I never had more than a day or so of sick time saved up because you work in such close proximity with patients who get sick ALL the damn time. I was constantly stressed about getting sick because I'd have no time to use. We are getting fucked, and we desperately need to unionize, but it seems like we're all so mentally exhausted, defeated and demoralized that it's taboo to even bring up. And every time I have mentioned it, you're gaslit, hard. “Well, you know no one goes into this field for the money.” Yes, that is true, but we deserve a respectable wage for the work that we do. We are the only ones out there helping those our society has forgotten, and we ourselves have been forgotten, too. It needs to end.