One of the parts I love now, used to be the part I dreaded most when I started... working in a host setting. I had worked in child welfare and mental health before beginning working in a school setting. I was worried that differing goals and values between myself and teaching professionals may cause difficulty with communication and collaboration. I have found just the opposite.  The teachers often have different perspectives but are truly experts in fields I am not. Through good communication and open minds, we can really offer the best of education and social work services to each kid.

I feel honored to be a school social worker.  One of my favorite parts of my job is spending time with those students who really need someone to spend time with them and help them develop their social emotional skills.  My lunch groups give me the opportunity to be with these students in a safe environment where they can share how their day is going and be with others to develop some of these skills and know that they are cared for and not judged.