How do you say good bye to somebody you support?

Question

you are working in a group home and you have to leave, the people have developmental disabilities, how do you prepare them psychologically and emotionally to the fact that you will no longer work with them again?

Answer 1

The process of preparing both yourself and your clients for your upcoming departure is an important one, and is most often called "termination" in therapeutic settings. The fact that you are already wondering about how to go about it certainly suggests that you are a thoughtful worker at the Group Home. Consultation with your supervisor is key here, as there may already be existing standards for how your employer recommends such good-byes take place. Ideally, your supervisor will also be able to offer you, and the residents additional support at a challenging time.

That being said, were I your supervisor, I might suggest that you bring up your departure with the residents as soon as you are aware of the date that you will be leaving. Ideally, you would have a few weeks to share multiple conversations with your clients, however even a few days is better than none when it comes to termination. Take the time to say goodbye to everyone personally, perhaps genuinely reflecting on their positive qualities or your experience of working with them.

Learning how to say good-bye is an important part of ones emotional growth. By choosing to say goodbye in a conscientious and caring way, you will potentially be providing your clients with a healing experience since no doubt many have of them, like most of us, have already suffered losses or abandonments when a proper goodbye could never take place.

Lastly, don't forget that there are two parties involved in saying goodbye - it is just as important for you as it is for your residents!

Answer 2

The best thing to do is to just be honest. If you are going to have difficulty leaving, you have obviously developed a relationship with thesse kids. If you have a good relationship with these kids they should be able to understand. They will react at first, but once they start to heal, they will realize how much you helped them and understand that you had to do what you had to do.

Also if your willing, you can setup a different e-mail or PO box and give them the option to still keep in touch. That or you can periodically send them cards to let them know you have not forgotten about them.

I suffered from ED as an adolescent and I had the same therapist for years. She ended up taking a different job because she wanted to go in a different direction somewhere else in the mentak health field. She sat me down and explained everything to me and let me and used my new therapist as a middle man to recept letters and cards. At first I held allot of resentment towards her, I felt as though she was aboandoning me. After I healed myself I understood and still think about her to this day and about how much she helped me and influenced my life in a positive way.

Good luck to you and your future ventures!!

Answer 3

give subtle hints long before, then get more and more direct, eventually like a week before or so say that you're leaving in a week, and the last day say bye to everybody you knew, in private if possible

Answer 4

this is something you should ask your supervisor. All group homes have dealt with this situation. I am sure they have procedures.