Hi Bill
Today I’ve been thinking about when I worked for The
Department of Public Assistance (DPA) in Philadelphia back in the 70s. You may
remember that I couldn’t find a job in Pittsburgh after finishing my psychology
degree (imagine that). So I took a Pennsylvania Civil Service test that
eventually led to a Caseworker position in Philly. You and Jane helped me transition
by letting me stay with you for a couple of weeks while I commuted by train
into Philly. Eventually I found an apartment on Chester Avenue just off the University
of Pennsylvania campus and near Clark Park (believe it or not).
The caseworker job turned out to be a game changer for me.
In addition to providing a decent salary, benefits, and a more professional
experience, it also introduced me to the realities of poverty and inner-city
life that was heartbreaking to witness at times. However, I was also amazed by
the determination and resilience of my clients. Most of them were good people
who were trapped in poverty. My job involved visiting clients in their homes
and office appointments with them. I had to determine their continuing eligibility
for benefits and encourage them to follow through with employment searches and
other requirements. I got to know and like most of them very well.
Nevertheless I experienced many strange and unpredictable
interactions. Raymond, one of my on-again off-again clients, was always
interesting. He had alcohol/substance abuse problems and he couldn’t seem to
follow through with his treatment and eligibility requirements. We often had to
stop his benefits and he would come to the office and confront me. My response
was “Raymond stop yelling and sit down”; “Raymond put that knife back in your
pocket.”; “Raymond let’s not do the threatening knife thing again. Put it away
and get yourself under control.” I experienced similar behavior with other
clients in the office: “James, put the folding chair down before you hurt someone
or yourself with it.” I had people swing folding chairs above their heads
threatening to hit me and others. Sometimes I had to grab those chairs and take
them away from the client. I also remember the guy who brought an ax to the
office and put it down on the reception desk while asking to see his caseworker
(not me). Of course we did have a security guard, but he never really had to
help me, although it was good to know he was there.
Walking through the neighborhoods for home visits was also
interesting. We had to carefully pay attention to the surroundings. However,
most of my clients watched out for me. I remember one time when I was
approaching a client’s door a group of teenagers formed around me in a
threatening manner. Luckily we were in front of my client’s residence and he told
them to leave me alone.
There were also some humorous incidents while I worked that
job. I remember visiting one very attractive woman client in her one-room
apartment. She was very nice and even flirted with me, but she seemed a little
strange. When I asked how her job search was going, she said, “The only thing
I’m good at is keeping house.” She was a new client and I had not bothered to
read her case record carefully. When I got back to the office I discovered that
“She” was really a “He.” That fact didn’t bother me, but it was a little surprising.
Another humorous thing about those inner-city neighborhoods was, when it was
hot, the kids would bring hoses to the sidewalk, or even open the fire hydrants,
to cool off. They also loved to fill buckets with water and dump them on
passing pedestrians and especially they loved to dump them into the open
windows of passing cars. It was actually pretty funny.
Overall, working for DPA was a great experience and I liked
most of my clients. They were mostly good people who struggled with hard lives.
However, I decided that I needed to get a graduate degree and I moved on after
3-4 years. It was the right move for me. Unfortunately, I moved out of the Philadelphia
area, which made our relationship more challenging. I am still grateful for the
help you gave me during those years.
Sincerely Clark
Clark during the 1970s
No comments:
Post a Comment