When I was younger, the career path I wanted to pursue was not second nature to me. I had a lot of interests, but it was difficult to picture myself doing one thing for several years to come. I remember taking personality assessments in high school that would indicate what professions I would be best suited for. And generally speaking, I would receive results such as teacher, therapist, or social worker.

Self-reflection leads to purpose

After some self-reflection, I decided to choose the field of social work due to my own life experiences and my intrinsic interest in helping others. The human experience was always fascinating to me- how we all exist amongst one another, yet we each have our own stories to tell.  There are countless people out there who just need someone to show up for them. It only takes one person to make a significant positive impact on someone’s life and I wanted to be that type of person.

Compassion + Action in work

As I have transitioned into a leadership role, how I integrate compassion and action into my everyday work looks differently than it used to. I believe that as a supervisor, my team is a direct reflection of how I choose to lead them. My team works directly with kinship families that are caring for children sheltered from their biological caregiver(s).

I try to foster an environment amongst my team that is supportive and rooted in a “client-first” perspective. Our goal is to do what is in our means to ensure kinship families receive the support they need. The work we do comes with its own unique set of challenges on a day-to-day basis. I feel that it is equally important to invest compassion in my staff, so they can show up as the best possible versions of themselves in order to help their clients.

Advice on the social work field

One of the incredible things about the field of social work is how there are many paths we can choose to take. We do not have to fit ourselves into one type of role throughout our career. Though I enjoy the micro level of social work, my advice would be to lean into change- you will not know if something is meant for you until you truly take the chance.

There are many roles within the mezzo and macro levels of social work to experience. For example, we can be grant writers, program managers or political social workers. Switching roles will also enhance your skill set and offer more opportunities for networking.

The important role of social work

There is a common misconception that the work we do is easy. Social workers do not get the recognition they deserve. Our profession has its own code of ethics to abide by, requires several years of schooling, and we have an integral role in upholding the dignity and worth of every individual we come across.

To put things into perspective: we are often the ones caring for a child at 2 o’clock in the morning while placement is pending. We may be at the other end of a phone call trying to talk a client out of relapsing. We may have spent countless hours lobbying for policy reform, or we may be helping a family process the recent passing of a loved one.

No matter what the circumstance is, we try to see things from a full-picture perspective and pour our heart and soul into others. To all my fellow social workers out there – I see you and appreciate the work you do each day!

March is National Social Work Month. The theme this year is “Compassion + Action.” Compassion is one of FSS’ core values. Click here to learn more about the FSS mission and how our core values, P.E.A.C.E., drives our culture.

Click here to see how you can be part of #TeamFSS.