The words the guest speaker had to offer on Tuesday really hit me.  I hadn't thought about homelessness in Lincoln.  I mean, I see homeless people on the corners downtown, but they're always older people.  I've never seen teenagers down there, so even the thought of a 15 year old living under a bridge...I don't even know how to describe how that makes me feel.  That, along with the other stories he told us about girls having 3 kids by age 18 and guys losing everything they have because of meth, made me start thinking about working with that population.  He was so passionate about what he does, and it was awesome to see his enthusiasm; however, I know that I could not work in that environment - not because I don't want to help runaways or homeless people, but as a professional, I know I couldn't handle those situations. 

As a helping professional, it's important to consider what areas you can see yourself working in and what areas you know you could not offer the best services for the clients.  Forcing yourself to work in an area you know you don't belong is not only going to hurt the clients you're trying to serve, but it's also going to hurt you as a professional adding stress and leading to burnout.  

As I'm starting the job search, I've found lots of jobs available in the helping profession; however, most are working with "at-risk" youth.  As much as I need a job to support my family, I know that applying for those jobs is not the right thing to do because I would not be able to give the youth the best support they need.