Changes (Part 1)

Life is a never ending saga, is it not? Things don't always go the way we want to them to go or the way we plan them to go, but nevertheless, things seem to work out the way they are supposed to. We are in one of those eras of life where we are going, "What in the world? This isn't how we planned things to go!" We can't see the end from the beginning yet, but we are hopeful that things will work out the way they are supposed to for our family. I have an unusual (for me) amount of confidence about the decisions we have made recently, so I guess that's good at least.

But let me back up.

You all know that I started school this past summer to pursue my MSW. In doing so, my goal was simply to stay at LDS Family Services and get a pay raise for the time being, plus having my MSW would allow me much more flexibility to work outside of Utah should Devin get a job somewhere else (a likelihood we were ready and willing to embrace). Devin put pursuing a career job on hold for another year while I was in school so that he could be home with the kids during the day and work at night. Isn't he a trooper? The school thing is a big time commitment with traveling to Salt Lake for classes as well as my practicum for 20 hours per week. Luckily the practicum is local. Anyway, this has been a sacrifice for all of us, but particularly for Devin. However, we figured that it was one year and we can do anything for one year. And might I add, I only have one semester left. YIPPEE!!!

It was my first week of school this fall semester and my first week at my practicum when my boss at LDSFS called me and told me that I needed to come in and meet with her AND her boss. I was really perplexed. I had never in my almost 6 years at LDSFS been called in to meet with my boss's boss. I had no idea what to expect when I went into meet with them so I was incredibly nervous, as you can imagine. My co-worker Koleen had also been called in and we went into the meeting together. It was then (this was the last week of August) that we were told that LDSFS would be restructuring the way they do adoption services, so they would no longer have jobs for SSW's (those of us with Bachelor Degrees) starting Dec 20. We were told that we would have the couple months to wrap things up there. We were also told that a big announcement was going to come that week to all of our adoptive couples that LDSFS would no longer be working with adoptive couples, but would be referring them the community to get a home study done, which they could then bring in to LDSFS to be published on their profile-hosting website. The reason for this was to put more emphasis on finding and serving expectant parents, which in turn would serve adoptive couples as well if more expectant parents are looking at and choosing adoption plans.

I was totally blindsided by all this information. I immediately starting crying at the thought of losing my job. It has been such an incredible job and I couldn't imagine myself being happy working anywhere else. I asked about the possibility of them considering letting me stay since I would be getting my Master's a short 4 months after my job disappeared. (Remember they were keeping anyone with a Master's Degree).  I was told that my situation had been brought up specifically, but that they were firm that I would have to go in December. I was told that the only slight possibility they could see of allowing me to stay was if I were to switch internships and intern there; then if there was a job at the end of the year, they would hire me back on as an employee.

I was really upset about this news because I had desperately wanted to intern at LDSFS and had been told that I could do so all summer long by both the school and by LDSFS up until a week or two before I had to have my practicum submitted. LDSFS then came to me and told me that they wouldn't pay me as both an intern and as an employee. I volunteered to just be paid as an intern (a pay cut) and to maintain my current caseload with my intern hours plus keep up the responsibilities of my clinical internship hours. I was told no. So all the sudden I was being told that I would be able to intern there afterall? What?! This made no sense and upset me even more. I didn't take any time to make that decision and immediately told them that I would not break my commitment to my current internship. Plus, given that I wouldn't likely have a job at the end of the year anyway (LDSFS has had a hiring freeze for ages), I wanted and needed to develop other skill sets for future hiring potential. (My internship is in the substance abuse/addiction area and that is completely different from anything I have ever done).

A few days after the big conversation at LDSFS, I was riding the train to school and sat next to my former co-worker Lauren. Lauren and I talked about the changes that were coming and how there was going to be a need for people to provide home studies in the community since LDSFS was not going to be doing so any longer. Lauren had recently quit LDSFS and had been told all the same information that I had been given, so she was in the loop. We decided on that train ride that we were the perfect people to provide home studies, since we have been doing them for years and would be in a position to make the change not-so-difficult for our former clients since they know us and are comfortable with us. I don't remember officially saying that this business idea was what we were going to do on that train ride with Lauren, but it felt right and within weeks, we had a business plan and had begun the formation of our new business, Utah Adoption Specialists. (Check us out on Facebook! We also have a website coming that should hopefully be up in January. Yay!) We recruited Koleen to join us since she would be losing her job as well. There were a lot of ups and downs with getting the business going, but we will have to talk about those another time.

And, now I am sick of writing, so there is going to have to be a part 2. :) Wouldn't it be nice of that was just the end of the story and we all lived happily ever after? But of course life doesn't work that way. More like twists and turns and drama all the way. This has been no exception!