The life of a social worker
Carolyn (L), Kristen (R)
With the school year unlike any other at a close for students all over the U.S., I look back and:
Am in awe of education’s (encapsulating everything – students, teachers, management, etc.) resilience and ability to adapt in such challenging times.
Recognize that despite adaptability, this past year has and will continue to take a toll on many – especially children and teens – for years to come.
Hope that resources, advocacy and destigmatization of mental and behavioral health will continue to be accepted, stressed and grown.
On the frontlines of this past year advocating for, reassuring and helping so many children and teens beyond the lessons in their books (or, screens at this day and age!) are social workers.
Two social workers that are very near and dear to me are Carolyn Hinkamp and Kristen Flaherty. Carolyn, Kristen and I went to Marquette together and today, they are both out in the field doing incredible work that takes a special calling to pursue. For Carolyn, it was AP Psychology in high school that ignited her interest in human behavior, mental health disorders and mental healthcare. Kristen was inspired by a social worker who led a support group that she took her grandma to as she battled lung cancer.
The two took the time to answer some questions about what inspired them to join this field of work, what their day-to-day is like, how they have adapted to the past year, and trends they have noticed among their students, patients and families.
Pre-social work:
Was studying to be a social worker in college always part of your plan?
Carolyn: I knew I wanted to work in the mental health field, but didn’t expect to take the path of getting my Masters in Social Work (MSW). I thought I would get a Masters in counseling or psychology, but a professor at Marquette my senior year of college encouraged us to get MSWs as there are more options for jobs since the degree is broader than a counseling or psychology degree.
Kristen: I always knew I wanted to pursue a helping career so I studied psychology in college with a minor in criminology. I thought that I wanted to move towards forensic psychology (especially because I love Law & Order so much), but I quickly learned how versatile social work is. There are so many fields and I felt that social work brought a wider range of opportunities than being in the psychology field.
What do people usually major in to be a social worker?
Carolyn: You can really major in anything human behavior-related… psychology, social work, sociology.
Kristen: Some colleges offer social work as a major but mine didn’t so I majored in psychology. Someone could major in any other social sciences such as sociology or political science. I’ve also met people in graduate school who had a completely different career such as business or finance before pursuing social work. Graduate school welcomes people from all backgrounds and experiences!
What is grad school like for social work and why do some do it and some don’t?
Carolyn: Grad school is about two years (full time) for an MSW. During the two years, you will complete two internships while simultaneously taking classes. The first internship is more general, and the second is more specific to your specialty and what you want to do after graduating. If you come into an MSW program with a Bachelors in Social Work, grad school is one year and your last year of undergrad is technically your first year of grad school. To work in the world of social work, it is helpful but not necessary to have a Masters. For me, I chose to continue my education and get my MSW because I wanted more career options and what I wanted to do, therapy, can only be done with a Masters.
Kristen: Graduate school is not always fun, but it provides hands-on experience on what it’s really like to be a social worker. When pursuing a Master’s in social work, you will be assigned an internship each year in the program and you will attend specific social work classes. During the internship, you work closely with a social worker at the site, who is there to guide you and provide you supervision. In the social work world, supervision means a time to reflect, review, get feedback and discuss clients or ethics related to your role with a seasoned social worker. Oftentimes, these conversations can be more educational than some of your classes (don’t tell any of my professors that)! Attending graduate school can simply open more doors and opportunities for someone’s career, but graduate school can be a financial burden on some and it requires a lot of time, which can be a deterrence. There are also opportunities for postgraduate classes, such as programs to get your Professional Educator License (PEL) to work in schools.
Are there different aspects or fields to focus on in grad school?
Carolyn: Yes - at Loyola I took the mental health track. There is also school social work, health social work, children and family social work, and leadership and development in social services.
Kristen: One of my favorite things about social work is that it is versatile and you can work in a variety of settings.
Becoming a social worker:
What social work “path” did you decide to take post-school?
Carolyn: Right out of grad school, I started a job doing therapy with foster children. I didn’t expect to stay in this job for long, just long enough to get licensed (LSW - licensed social worker). I ended up really falling in love with the population. However, the job was unsustainable and I wanted a job closer to the city, so I took a job at Evanston Hospital working with children and adolescents on an outpatient basis. I see a lot of children on Medicaid and lower-income families, sometimes even foster children, so I got the best of both worlds!
Kristen: Based on my experience with my grandma, I decided to pursue medical social work. For my second internship site, I worked with patients at an outpatient radiation and oncology center. While I enjoyed getting to know patients and helping to connect them with resources, I wanted a more clinical or therapeutic role and I was more interested in working with a younger population. I decided to return to graduate school and get my certification to work in schools, where I work now. I am currently a school social worker at a middle school in Des Plaines, Illinois. Our school houses grades 6-8. This year, I specifically worked with sixth grade students and our BEST program, which is a special education classroom for students with emotional disabilities and behavioral needs. At school, I have a wide range of responsibilities including counseling, crisis intervention, writing individualized education plans and collaborating with family and staff to meet student needs.
Social worker life:
What is your day-to-day life?
Carolyn: Day-to-day, I see clients generally in the afternoon as they are in school during the day. I will also attend meetings, complete documentation and consult with colleagues during the day.
Kristen: I start every day in the BEST classroom. I teach them skills to manage their emotions and behavior in a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group. Then, I typically meet with other special education students both individually and in groups to work towards their social work goals. I also meet with general education students, conduct peer mediations and attend team meetings with teachers to address student concerns. I also provide crisis intervention when needed, and often connect parents to various resources. One of my favorite parts of my job is that every day is a little different and exciting!
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Carolyn: By far seeing a client having a breakthrough and understanding their situation in a clearer way. It is also very rewarding to be trusted by an adolescent!
Kristen: Building relationships and getting to know my students. They are so funny and teach me just as much as I teach them. It’s super rewarding to see a student accomplish something that they never thought possible, even something as simple as speaking in front of the class.
What are common misconceptions of being a social worker?
Carolyn: I think when people hear “social worker,” they think we are taking children away from their parents. Although some social workers are working in child welfare, I would say most are not - there is outpatient social work, hospital social work, school social work, social workers working with veterans or people struggling with addiction, among other things. We often have advanced degrees and care a lot about the people around us and the people we serve - this isn’t a profession of ripping families apart.
Kristen: The most common misconception about being a social worker is that we all work for children and family services, and that we are the “bad guys.” The truth is quite the opposite. Being a social worker means offering support to individuals and families across all settings. We promote self-determination, helping our clients become confident and successful in whatever path they choose.
How has your work changed since the pandemic?
Carolyn: Since the pandemic, I have been at home. It has become almost normal at this point, but I am seeing my clients virtually and haven’t met most of them in-person. I definitely miss being able to see my co-workers daily.
Kristen: Schools have had to navigate and utilize virtual platforms to continue educating students. Some of my students returned to school in-person, while others were remote. Communicating and connecting with remote students can be difficult at times. If a camera is not on and/or if a student is using the chat to communicate, it’s harder to assess their body language or tone of voice, which can be helpful social cues when working with children. On a positive note, teachers and school staff have put an emphasis on social emotional learning during this time. They have made an extra effort to check in with kids and connect with them. This is something I hope continues far beyond the pandemic!
Have you noticed different trends, thoughts, feelings among those you help with the pandemic compared to years past?
Carolyn: It has been interesting - the clients who suffer from a lot of social anxiety were doing a lot better at the beginning of lockdown last March, but kids and adolescents who had a hard time being home in general really struggled. Now, I am seeing most of my clients really struggling with the social isolation, and even the ones with social anxiety note that they have better days when they get out of the house and spend time with friends.
Kristen: Many of my students are experiencing anxiety about a wide range of things from the fear of getting sick to having to return to school. Because the pandemic limited social interaction, navigating social situations has become extremely difficult for some kids. In addition, lack of motivation is something I have seen across grade levels and many struggle with executive functioning skills, such as time management, while remote. I’ve also spent a lot of time on the phone with parents discussing their concerns for their child and connecting them with resources. While these are all things I see in a typical year, they have all been heightened by the pandemic.
What advice would you give to those interested in social work?
Carolyn: Talk to someone who has a social work degree to get more specific information on what you’re looking for in terms of different programs, etc. It is a privilege to be a social worker - I’ll say that until I’m blue in the face. You get to enter into people’s lives, sometimes in their darkest moments, and help people make sense of their experiences. I feel so lucky to be so passionate about my profession. If you want a career that requires a lot of hard work, but also with great reward, social work is for you.
Kristen: Social work is not easy, but it’s rewarding. You’re going to have bad days, but you’ll also have incredibly good days. Stay positive, use humor and connect with other social workers who understand your role. Don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go the way you want them to and most importantly, take care of yourself. Take a break from work and binge on that Netflix show, go out to a restaurant or spend time with family. Have fun outside of work because you deserve it!