Counselor Trainings: An Inside Look

In order to fully understand how a counselor/client (Neighbors Helping Neighbors!) session goes with the Benefit Bank, the last part of my new counselor trainings include a simulation.  One trainee plays the counselor, one plays the client, and they are instructed to "treat it like a real client simulation, practicing the conversation you would use."

My weekly entertainment most certainly comes from this part of my training.

I sit off to the side, answering random questions but trying to offer little guidance, as counselors won't have me a resource outside the training (teaching self sufficiency even with counselors).

Here is what I get to experience:

• Counselors making up meanings (incorrect) for program acronyms, trying to help other counselors
• Developing accents
• Refusing to give information
• Give different answers than on the script, make up elaborate stories about medical problems and bills
  act confused/are confused
• Use frequent curses at the program (current counselor says every 5 seconds: "Well, poop! Why did it do that?")
• Counselor finds out other couselor works at a place that's essentially a soup kitchen.  "Wait, you serve free food? Every day? Anyone can come? ...Where are you located again?"
• "Oh my goodness, there's more to fill out?!?  She is going to starve to death in the time it takes to fill out this application!"

Tune in for more entertaining and candid experiences with the Benefit Bank.