LEARNING JOURNAL

Name: Rotchell A. Pelayo

Date: September 13, 2023
Agency: CSWDO Tagum

Activities:

The Student Field Workers (SFWs) reported to CSWDO after their Agency Field Supervisor
(AFS) requested a meeting. The SFWs informed their AFS about the criteria for selecting
members for group work. The AFS provided some background information about the CICL and
informed their parents about the courtesy call. She also clarified to the parents the purpose of
our request to put them at ease or prevent them from thinking negatively. We also discussed
when we might meet the CICL for the first time, and Maám Rohammah C. Labial, RSW advised
us to prepare consent letters for the parents of minor clients. When we returned to the center, I
taught a client how to count numbers and let her write her name on paper to ensure she knew
how to write it correctly. When we finished what we were doing, we cut down the grasses in
the vegetable garden to allow it to grow healthy, and we let the children clean the area when
they woke up from their siesta. Also, Maám Jovelyn was busy and spent the entire day at the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which is why she told us to do the
things that house parents do, such as ensuring that children complete their daily tasks
(cleaning) and cooking dinner for them.

Problems/ Difficulties Encountered:

Establishing rapport with a client is difficult because she is a child with a young mind. As a
Student Field Worker (SFW) who is not used to dealing with clients, I became nervous and
concerned because I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable with me. When I ask her
personal questions, such as her age or birthday, she does not always respond about it correctly.
Since the SFWs have decided to come to the center to conduct an intake interview with their
clients, Maám Jovelyn L. Cabarto, RSW has instructed us to take on their responsibilities such
as cooking for dinner, ensuring that the children are doing their assigned tasks, and assisting
the children with their assignments. It was difficult to go from preparing dinner to allowing the
children to eat because they were so noisy. As a result, you will become distracted while
cooking and preparing everything. They also don't always listen, which puts my patience to the
test.
At the evening, when I was conducting an intake interview with my client who is a deafmute, I
was really having a problem and hard time communicating with her. I don’t know how to do sign
language and I can’t understand her, that is why the time of intake interview got extended for
almost 5 minutes. Deep inside, I don’t really want to make her feel uncomfortable, that is why I
made sure to always show her that everything is alright. I do feel relieved when she smiles back
at me. When I was conducting an intake interview with my deafmute client in the evening, I was
having a difficult time communicating with her. I don't know how to use sign language and I can't
understand her, so the intake interview was delayed by nearly 5 minutes. I don't want to make
her feel uncomfortable, so I make it a point to always show her that everything is fine. When she
smiles back at me, I feel relieved.
Learning Insights:

Despite the challenges, I realized that as a SFW it is important that you must always have
patience in dealing with clients just like children. They are so playful and ask a lot, but you
should always remember that these children are those ones who has the saddest childhood,
and they don’t want to experience those cruel events of their lives. Moreover, during the intake
session with the client I learned very few sign languages (alphabetic) and realized it was quite
easy but hard to remember at the same time. As a future social worker, it is important to apply
and develop our flexibility skills since we don’t know there will be a client that has a disability
such as deaf or mute.

In the activities listed above, it is critical to establish rapport with a client because it matters the
most before gathering information from them. They will be more open and not hesitant to share
any information about themselves and will put trust in you because they know you are here to
help them with their problems. Also, it is critical that you make them understand the client-
worker relationship because children are easily attached to you and express their desire for you
to always stay with them at the center. When the social work intern arrived at the center, we had
already told them how long we would be with them, which is why they understood everything will
end soon.

Supervisors’ Notes:

Prepared by:

ROTCHELL A. PELAYO
Student Field Worker