Northwest Connections

Telephone Crisis Worker

December 2017 - November 2018 • Menomonie, WI

What I liked

I really enjoyed and appreciated learning all of the County Directives for Emergency Mental Health Services for the counties that Northwest Connections contracts with. I also built a lot of strong relationships with my peers and felt supported by them and by my Clinical Supervisor.

What I wish was different

The hardest part about the job is that, because Northwest Connections contracts directly with Human Services in each county with which the program is contracted, there is a lot of documentation involved which can mean some late nights. What this really looks like sometimes is that you can end up staying past the end of your shift to finish documentation because you cannot leave until your documentation is finished.

Advice

Crisis work is difficult and is not for everyone. It can be a rewarding experience, however, and one in which you will learn a lot not only about yourself but also about the field of Social Work as well. Working at Northwest Connections means learning how half of the state of Wisconsin handles things from Emergency Mental Health Services both during and after hours as well as CPS processes, APS processes and Alcohol and Drug Detox processes to understanding Client Rights and HIPPA rights as well. The work can be tough but, if you can, stick with it and you will grow immensely as both an individual and a Mental Health Worker.

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