I intern at a university hospital as a veterinary social worker (did you know that's a thing? It is!), and I got to work with a set of clients on a case who were some incredibly kind and wonderful people, unfortunately beset with a tragic scenario with their 2yo dog. My role in these situations is to provide mediation between the client and care team, while providing both with validation and counseling (separately, ofc).
What I find so continually interesting about this unique role is the multitude of dissonances and simultaneously true and conflicting realities between the care team, clients, and the well-being of the pet. Having to stand in the liminal space between those separate but co-existing realities is... something.
But anyway, tl;dr another fascinating quirk is the dissonance between a "good outcome" and a job well done. This case ended in (unfortunately foreseen) tragedy, but even so, I have the reassurance that my role was needed, valued, and utilized to its full extent. The clients went so far as to say I seemed like I was in a field where I'd found what I was meant to do in life.
Now idk about that, honestly, but fuck it sure is nice to hear every now and then. Social work can be an absolutely thankless job, but not always. It's vital to remember that.
