Closing the Semester by Jeni Kanis and Grace Snyder

It seems like just a few days ago we sat down to write you our first blogs, and now, here we are at the end of a whirlwind adventure! We cannot believe all that we have experienced and learned in such a short amount of time. As we come to the close of the semester, we want to explore a few final thoughts.

Looking back, we are so thankful for the wide variety of experiences we have had. Grace had the opportunity to work on several different units in the hospital, interacting directly with patients of all ages and backgrounds to bring them resources and address the needs of their diagnosis in connection with other medical professionals. With this range of experiences, she learned to appreciate working with a diverse group of people like mothers and children and mental health patients.  Jeni got to work with a variety of clients ranging from children to elderly over the course of the semester in addition to working with therapists to provide learning opportunities as well as resources for clients.

By being in the workplace, and having all of these experiences, we learned to appreciate the stress and fulfillment that working in this environment can bring. By working closely with professionals, we learned to take on responsibility and learned to act as professional social workers ourselves. We had the opportunity to ask our supervisors questions and get feedback while observing and eventually leading sessions or assessments.

Our city context also provided us with so many wonderful opportunities to explore, learn and eat. We both were so happy we had the opportunity to wake up in the morning and go on a run or walk which provided different sights and sounds each day. The city seems to always be changing just enough to keep you on your toes. Even though this was a simple pleasure, it was so refreshing to have this opportunity.

As we move on from our semester, Grace is planning to go to graduate school for social work in June, but in the meantime, she is looking into overseas volunteer opportunities related to counseling and resource provision for human trafficking victims. Jeni’s plans are to return to Dordt in the spring, this time as an employee working for the theater department as the technical director. Then she will be getting married in June and exploring opportunities in the Minneapolis area.

Thanks for journeying through the semester with us! We have learned so much and hope this blog gives you at least a glimpse of our experiences.

When Words Fail, the Arts Can Help - by Jeni Kanis

Throughout the semester, as I (Jeni) have been interning at the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA), I have been learning more about what creative arts therapies are and what the term means. 

One might wonder, can’t any therapist use art? Or can’t any artist help people? And to each of those questions, I think the answer is yes, to some extent. There are therapists who might use coloring, role playing or other creative arts methods to work with clients, and there are artists who have been volunteering their time to benefit others.

So what makes the therapists at ITA any different? There are three things I want to share with you (though I am sure there are many more ways to clarify the difference). First, it seems that our therapists focus on the process not the product. For example, an art therapist I work with encourages clients to explore and investigate when using paints. How can we make new colors? How can we use new mediums? What works? What doesn’t? How can we learn from mistakes? When do we know it is time to stop blending and mixing? These kinds of questions and experiments not only expose the clients to the art form, but they also prompt thinking that is related to life decision making. What happens if we act this way? When do I know I need to stop doing something? 

Sometimes, a product does come about that a group can rally around such as the wall I wrote about a while ago at the military event we did. (You can see it at www.followthewall.org.) But even this product is focused on the collaborative process of filling in the wall and remembering. It is an opportunity for people to respond and for them to reflect.

Second, the art form is always central to the therapy session. The drama therapist I work with makes the drama central to the content we get from clients. Clients are guided to create stories and connections, but the process of creating the drama is the means by which we are addressing relationships and discovering more about ourselves or about how we relate (or don’t relate very well) to other people. Through the art form and the therapeutic techniques these creative arts therapists know, clients can process things and deal with issues or responses as they arise.

Third, these mediums are used to practice and understand skills that would otherwise go unpracticed or be difficult to practice. For example, a music therapy session might be a way to practice breath–support and memory recall through singing, or it might be about practicing interactive skills by sharing instruments or playing how we feel or incorporating our drum beat in with someone else’s triangle playing.

Overall, I have learned to appreciate the depth of these art forms and the great impact that these creative arts therapies can have. After observing a number of clients from different backgrounds, I agree with a phrase I have heard and seen in the office, “When words fail, the arts can help.”

Brian Walsh Lecture

What is a home-maker to you? Today we at Chicago Semester had the opportunity to hear about a new, more Biblical definition of home-maker than we have been used to. Brian Walsh, coauthor of Beyond Homelessness spoke of home, homelessness and homecoming.

Brian began by speaking about how home is rooted in the Biblical story and covenant of God. He told the arc of the Biblical story with this concept in mind,  meaning that God is a home-making and home-loving God. This means God partners with his image bearers to restore the home that has been defiled by sin.

Brian went on to talk about our role as Christians in this restoration. He closed with a story about a former student of his. She asked a director of a local charity what she should be doing to help. The man replied that he did not want her volunteerism or her pity for people. Instead he wanted her to be a home-maker in her suburban community.

This meant she opened her home to those around her, inviting them to gather and enjoy community there. She should invite children from the community to play in her yard and eat cookies and milk. If she opened her home for these joyous and simple activities, people would know it was also open if they had trials or frustrations as well.  So the boy thinking about running from home might come to her, or the man so frustrated that he didn’t know what to do might ask her to help, or the woman so flustered that she didn’t know where to turn would have a support. This definition of home-making challenges us to be attentive and to look with eyes opened. We are to be this kind of Biblically defined home-maker in our communities.

"Connections at the Zoo" by Jeni Kanis

On Sunday, I (Jeni) had the unique opportunity to help with an event for the Institute for Therapy through the Arts (ITA) where I am interning. They work with an organization called Illinois Connections for Families of the Fallen (ICFF). This organization hosts events to connect families of fallen military members to each other and to services.

Sunday’s event was called “Connections at the Zoo.” And I wanted to share with you all one thing that was really amazing and interesting to me. ITA always brings a “wall” to each event. This wall has four wooden panels and space for people to use grout and mosaics. They can write on the pieces, create designs or just fill in as they like. This gives an opportunity for people to commemorate the lost and to create something out of it. 

I was struck yesterday by how art can help us process difficult things like the sudden loss of a loved one. When there are so many questions, emotions, needs and more, art can place something concrete in your hand and empower you to create when you feel powerless. So they could take ownership of what they put on the wall and create something of meaning and value to them. 

Our art therapist, Leslee, shared with me that she knows she cannot fully understand or empathize with these families because their loss is something she cannot begin to imagine or comprehend, but she finds joy in facilitating workshops and in helping with the wall because the families find ways to connect to each other, and because she gets to see families come back and how much they grow and change between events. She shared that she gets to see the healing process at certain points, and it is so encouraging for her to see that.

The event was a great opportunity to see more about what the arts can do in people’s lives, and how arts therapists can have a unique impact that allows people to create when they cannot find the words to discuss what has happened. I am learning that through creating art can come healing. 

                                                                      

 If you want to learn more about these events and where Leslee has taken the wall, you can see the blog at: http://followthewall.org/

Pilsen Neighborhood Tour by Jeni Kanis and Grace Snyder

Today, we took a program-wide trip to the diverse and culturally rich neighborhood of Pilsen. First, we split up into separate group tours around the neighborhood to see the amazing murals located on the sides of buildings and to visit different influential sites. We also met back together and went to the National Museum of Mexican Art for a tour of the Day of Dead exhibit. Lastly, we went to the Instituto Del Progreso Latino (IDPL) for a presentation and our program community dinner. 

On my (Grace’s) small group tour, we visited an arts education and career-training program called, Yollocalli Arts Reach. This is a youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art that provides a safe and nurturing environment for the youth of Pilsen. As is expressed in their mission statement, Yollocalli is a space for experiential learning, collaboration with emerging artists, and the autonomy for youth to realize their own vision. This youth initiative provides free classes, exhibitions, visiting artists, video screenings, workshops and more!  It was so interesting to see this space and to look at some of the art that was produced by the youth involved. Yollocalli Arts Reach is just one impactful example of the communal and cultural resources for the Pilsen neighborhood. 

At the end of the day, we all met at IDPL. To me (Jeni), the institute just seemed like a school when we arrived. However, after we met with a couple of their staff members, it was obvious that their work included so much more. They work with adults and students in order to give them the experiences they need in order to succeed in the job market. For adults, this means that they find out from employers what skills they need and then they do trainings with the adults. The institute also houses an alternative high school where students can take extra science and math classes in order to prepare for careers in the medical field. The speaker told us that they emphasize and require these extra classes so that students are prepared, not overwhelmed, when they reach college. The organization also works with businesses and other organizations in the community. In addition, people also receive help with applying for and taking classes for citizenship and in all this work IDPL is working for a better community, not just changing individual lives. It was challenging to see the high quality and comprehensive work they are doing in the neighborhood of Pilsen.

This was such a great opportunity to see the rich culture of Pilsen and to learn more about organizations working there to encourage the community to thrive.

Interning at West Suburban Medical Center, by Grace Snyder

Hi, my name is Grace Snyder! I am one of the Social Work students in the Chicago Semester Program. So far my time here in the Windy City has been better than I could have imagined! I cannot believe that it has already been just over 5 weeks since I moved in. In the past several weeks I have come to realize that Chicago, and the Chicago Semester program, has so much to offer.

A large majority of my time is spent at my internship with the Social Services department at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. Interning in the medical field as a social worker is a very rare opportunity and I feel extremely lucky to be at West Sub. West Suburban Medical Center provides a wide variety of comprehensive medical, surgical and rehabilitation care. Social Services hold a significant role in interacting with patients who receive this care. Specifically, West Sub Social Services provides continuity of care planning, rehabilitation, counseling and long-term care.

Throughout the course of the semester, I will have made rounds to all of the units Social Services covers. These are the Progressive Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Nursing/Orthopedic Unit, General Medical Inpatient Unit, Sub-Acute Rehabilitation/Skilled Nursing Unit, and Mother Baby/Labor and Delivery Unit.

Working in the hospital setting as a social worker has been a very eye-opening experience. Each day is unpredictable as patients are admitted and discharged. The units are fast past and the work is plenty, almost never-ending! I have been challenged with the presence of ethical dilemmas, confronting emotionally charged incidences, feeling helpless and hopeless for patient situations and simply learning how to do the daily tasks of a medical social worker.

Despite all of the challenges involved in this internship, I have never felt more blessed and content. I love the diversity and large cultural presence seen in the patients and professionals at West Suburban. Directly interacting with patients brings me so much joy. I love the connection that is formed during those times. It is so fulfilling to counsel, listen and be a support when needed.

I am excited to continue to learn and grow at West Sub. I am so grateful for what I have experienced thus far, and am looking forward to what is too come. This internship is educating me on how to perform social work roles effectively, identify strengths and weaknesses, and helping me to recognize what career direction I want to head in the future. Five weeks ago I would have never thought interning would be so impactful. Thank you Chicago Semester!

Jane Addams Hull House visit by Jeni Kanis and Grace Snyder

This past Sunday we (Jeni who you heard from earlier this week and Grace who you will hear from next week) toured the Jane Addams Hull House for our practicum class. 

It was really inspirational to be at such an important historic site for the field of social work. The Hull House was started by Jane Addams and others and offered services to immigrants for over seventy years. We were amazed by the breadth of services that were offered to immigrants, they had access to a kiln for pottery, child care, health services, and English classes. They even had the opportunity to teach and share their own skills and crafts.

We were excited about the opportunity to learn about who Jane Addams was and glimpse a bit of her life. We learned about the people who surrounded her and worked with her such as Ellen Gates Star and Florence Kelly. All of these strong women seemed to have a solid understanding of the needs of immigrants and worked endlessly to meet those needs.

One object in the house that exemplified this for us was Jane’s “partner desk.” Jane wanted her desk to be symmetrical so that she and whoever she met with were seeing eye-to-eye and were equally positioned. This helped her to place herself in an empathetic position to her clients, which is something we still try to do as social workers today.  

This experience encouraged us to continue to uphold Jane Addams’ values and vision while we are here in Chicago and in the future.

Finding my Role in Chicago by Jeni Kanis

Hello, my name is Jeni Kanis and I am a Social Work and theatre major interning in Chicago this semester. Now that I have been here about a month, I would like to share with you about my experiences and what I am learning. 

Ever since I got here, I have been trying to figure out my role. That seems like a natural struggle when one moves to a new place or finds herself in a new situation. I have found that relationships, situations and places seem to help define roles for me.

One of my major roles this semester is that of being an intern at the Institute of Therapy through the Arts (ITA). This is an organization that provides art, drama, music, and dance/movement therapy; I enjoy being a part of the work because it connects social work and theatre. My tasks range from administrative projects to aiding therapists in sessions; through this variety of experiences I have begun to see and appreciate that there are many aspects to this organization. One of my favorite things about this internship site is that ITA works with so many populations, so I get to see school age children one day and the next I see elderly clients.

Though, there is much to love about this role, it can be difficult to see the obstacles and struggles of clients. Whether they struggle with mobility, income level, behaviors, or something else, I empathize with the struggles and hope that they can use some of the things that the creative arts therapies might help them discover. Sometimes I have gotten to see these clients, some of whom struggle the most, succeed which has been a joy that reminds me of the hope and success that can come from a helping relationship.

I have been talking about roles, and finding my roles here in Chicago. I have loved the process of finding my roles in the last month, but sometimes I feel lost in the search. One of the things that has helped me remember what a student like me might be doing in a city like Chicago has been the scenery on my daily walk. When I walk along the lake shore, I find a never ending horizon of water stretches on my right. It calls to mind the hope I have for right relationships and renewal. On the other side, the city skyline looms large, and I am reminded of daily existence, wrapped in  concerns, joys, hardships, and celebrations of the here and now. For a moment on my walks, I am in between, and I find myself thinking maybe part of my role is to connect the two.