What attracted you to social work?
It seems I always wanted to work in the social sphere. When I was an undergraduate student, it was an unpopular profession and just starting to emerge. I started working with children and young adults with disabilities by chance, even though my major was focused on children with deviant behavior. My first contact with them was during my undergraduate years, at one of the first day centers. There was a non-verbal girl of whom they said she rarely communicates with people. When I sat next to her, she approached and literally sat in my lap – she wanted me to talk to her and stroke her. It was surprising, but also a very warm experience. Later, we guessed that I probably reminded her of her mother.
That moment stayed with me – it was then I first told myself I wanted to work with such people. It brought me deep inner joy and satisfaction.
Was Cedar your first social work job?
Cedar was my first workplace in the social sphere. I ended up there by chance – through a call from the labor office for a “team leader” position. At the interview, I met the young adults for the first time – I will never forget them. Ultimately, I started working as a social therapist. The first week was extremely difficult – I had a strong headache and was on the verge of quitting. Nevertheless, I felt internally that my place was there and that I had something to give.
People often ask me: “How do you do this job? I couldn’t – I’m too compassionate.” I reply that people with disabilities are first and foremost people with emotions. They just can’t always express them the way we can, and therefore they need support, not pity. We don’t help with pity. What we give these young adults stays for a lifetime – the skills and independence they build gives them a chance for a better life wherever they may be.
What is your favorite moment with the young adults?
There are so many. I remember, for example, when we were at Vitosha and did laughter therapy – it was so fun, we laughed so much. But these aren’t my only favorite moments. Many times, I have felt proud of their development. At camps and events, people often welcome us “with a grain of salt,” expecting problems, but they always see us off with the wish to meet again. For me, it’s important for the community to see that these are people who can, know the rules, and know how to communicate.
I also want to share a more difficult moment that shows the support we give. One of the young adults was hospitalized. In his room was a woman with her father, who asked me: “Can I hug you?”. She said that what we do for them and the care we give them is something not everyone can do. This is telling – our care is of high quality and the young adults have a family in us. When we returned to the center, the young person was happy to be coming “home” – something children in institutions didn’t have before.
What is the greatest progress in your opinion?
Something that has strongly struck me over the years is that they are now individual personalities. They know they have rights, they know what is theirs, they know what behavior is permitted and what isn’t. Even the young adults who are non-verbal give clear indications of what they want and what they don’t – something that wasn’t there years ago. Before, it was more important for them to be part of the group – how they would be dressed, what they would eat, or where they would go was determined collectively. Whereas now, individual growth and the realization that they are personalities are observed.
Another very impressive thing is that even young adults who haven’t spoken until their twentieth year are starting to express themselves verbally. This is extraordinary progress – they start to voice their needs, and initially, their words are most often related specifically to them.
What is this progress due to?
To communicating with them. To the fact that they are spoken to a lot, an individual approach is used. We use many simple and clear words that we repeat constantly; we don’t limit communication only to “Come” and “Go.” And very importantly – we don’t just speak to the group, but to the individual. We show them that they are individual personalities – this provokes them to express themselves.
For example, Ivan, who has been with us for two years, came from a foster family and communicated verbally only with very short words. Currently, he already constructs wonderful short sentences and expresses his needs extremely accurately. Or Asencho, who didn’t speak at all years ago, and now says where he wants to go, what to do, and even says the word “doctor” when he feels pain. Initially, he felt a lot of fear and refused to visit hospitals, but now he has realized that this is for his own good. In my opinion, this is true improvement – the realization of one’s own individual needs and that there is someone to share them with and who will support him.
What keeps you going in the tough moments?
Both the young adults and the team – this is my work, this is my cause. Of course, there have been many difficult moments over the years – moments when I’ve wondered whether to “go to an 8-to-5 job,” because our work isn’t like that. It is 24-hour care – the phone is constantly on and, if something happens, you must react immediately. Our decisions can sometimes cost a life. It is very important to be able to judge how to most adequately support a colleague. There have been moments when our colleagues were on the verge of quitting, but all these difficulties are compensated when you see progress. Even purely selfishly – the satisfaction that I give something to others brings me joy and I feel I have more to give. It is especially pleasant when I return from vacation and everyone crowds around me, happy, asking where I’ve been, how my child is, if I had a good time. In the morning they greet me at the door – these are the moments that truly fill you.
How do you explain to your child what you do for work?
It was easier for me to explain since we have a neighbor with cerebral palsy and he knows her. From a young age, I encouraged him to communicate with her, to greet her, not to pass her by, and that the fact that she can’t speak doesn’t mean she doesn’t hear him. When he got older, I explained that I work with people like her. It was hard for him to understand why they live with us and where their parents are, but at one point he not only understood it but also said: “Mom, I want to become a social worker like you too.”
What do you like to do outside of work?
I like being at home, I’m a homebody, but I also love to travel and the mountains are a great passion of mine. For about two years I’ve been doing sports, although lately I don’t have much time – sports help me unwind. My son trains in taekwondo and I train with him. I also love to read, but rarely have time left. I’m very interested in psychology – the various processes in the human mind and why and how they happen. This helps me both in work and in my personal life, because one can always build upon oneself – knowledge, character, and understanding toward others.
