Outstanding AFI - Questions:

What degrees do you have, and where did you earn them?
AA Sierra College, BSW CSUS Cal State Sacramento University, MSW UND University of North Dakota

What is your current role at your organization?
I work as an ER Social Worker and SUN or Substance Use Navigator for an Acute Care 104 bed rural non profit hospital.

How did you come to work at your organization?
I originally worked for a local non profit that my hospital contracted with for CTI coaching (Dr. Eric Coleman's Care Transition Intervention Coach) for inpatient and home visits to reduce hospital readmissions via grants from managed Medicaid entities. Eventually, the hospital asked me to work for them, and I did- still out of grant funding. They started me out as a patient navigator. Then when I finished my MSW, they had me cover for RN case managers and Medical Social Workers for some months. Then, they had me take on the SUN role for substance use navigation support and eventually created an ER social work position via the grants I work out of. Talk about creative financing. We social workers have got to be flexible!

What do you appreciate most about supervising practicum students?
I appreciate the opportunity to give back to the social work profession and help students add new tools, hone existing skills, and sharpen their focus and ability to work with diverse populations and systems. Giving back and being a part of bringing up the next wave of social workers feels good!

What does being a social worker mean to you?
For me, social work is not just a profession. It's really kind of who I am. It's a way I can put my money where my mouth is. I want to see social justice, so I am a part of educating, advocating, and supporting making that happen. I see barriers, and I advocate and model how others can advocate for themselves. Being a social worker is literally the coolest thing. Since we as individuals, communities, and the World are all connected, I take a healing approach to everything and everyone, including myself. Change starts with me, and I love that.

How does your role as a social worker relate to your role as a supervisor?
I feel like being a social work supervisor is a natural extension of being a social worker. I am just holding space and giving some guidance or being a sounding board for an up and coming social worker. I have experience, and where I see some of that would be helpful to a student to use in their practice, I share it. It's just coaching, really. As a social worker, I excel in quick assessment and triage. Supervising is the same. We, as social workers, understand working within a template of policies and procedures, and we find ways of making these work for patients, clients, people, and communities. So, working with a student is not stressful. It's a natural extension, and it flows really well.

What is the most important thing you hope your practicum students take with them into their careers?
The most important thing is that they don't have to be perfect. And that people have free will, even to make choices with negative consequences. I'd like my students not to think they have to save anyone. They facilitate choice, they support, and they don't judge. I'd like them to support healing for trauma- historical trauma, systemic oppression, personal trauma, etc. The best way they can do this is to start doing their own work and self-care. And keep learning, always keep learning, and not just formal curriculum of continuing education, but about their communities, families, Indigenous Persons' experiences, colonization, churches, etc. I'd like my practicum students to know that they've got this, and they don't need to know everything(that's what collaboration looks like, to ask others for help) and that it looks different for everyone and that if they are doing social work they've been called to it and they are in the right place!

What is your favorite quote that exemplifies social work?
I love the story about pulling people from the river. You don't just stay downriver and keep pulling people out. Social Workers see the big picture, and so they go upriver and find out what hole in the bridge people are falling through or see who is pushing them into the water and work to fix that and make a change for everyone. I love that.

Any final words of wisdom?
There are all kinds of social workers. It's not the kind of social work job you have that dictates what kind of social worker you are. Figure out who you are and work on your own stuff, and you will go miles to help someone else work on theirs. 'Nuf said.