From studying journalism to fostering community leadership
From a young age, I was always motivated by civics and government. While I thought I would pursue a career in journalism, the traveling and living I did across the U.S. for 14 years exposed me to different communities and cultures. This pivoted me into the field of human and social services. For the last nearly 15 years, I have served in either the nonprofit or public sectors, with a focus on family and child well-being. I started as an administrative assistant to foster care social workers, went on to become a neutral facilitator between family members and their CPS case managers, and then arrived at James City County Social Services in 2017, serving in three different roles here. I also took a year and a half to serve as a department director for a local Community Action Agency.
A pivotal career move for me was training to be a neutral facilitator for family teaming meetings that were focused on case planning and goal mapping. During this time, I was trained in conflict resolution, motivational interviewing, community leadership and strengths-based goal setting. These are skills that have proved invaluable not only in the work we do, but also as a human being navigating a very complex world.
Another important move I made was applying to become the first Care Team Coordinator for JCC DSS. This grant-funded program has been an innovative space for developing our team on prevention of crisis strategies and family preservation. During that time, I was able to create a program from scratch, professionally develop staff, and was afforded the opportunity to obtain both a master's degree in public administration and a certification as a Bridges Out of Poverty trainer.
My focus remains building bridges, so individuals and families stay safe and achieve economic prosperity!
Assistant Director of JCC Social Services
Lead the Services, Benefit Programs and Grant-Funded staff toward meeting service delivery goals while ensuring compliance with local, state and federal guidelines. This includes budgetary, operational and policy related tasks.
Provide supervision of assigned staff including selection, performance management, employee relations, training, prioritizing and assigning work or related activities.
Build and maintain partnerships with local human services organizations, nonprofits, and other community representatives to coordinate effective community-wide service and resource delivery.
Using input from community assessments, develop strategic goals, logic models and departmental work plans to define program activities and outcome measurements.
Provide support in the implementation of the Department’s emergency management plan and updates, shelter management and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) responsibilities; manages Special Needs list; and activates and oversees shelter and EOC teams when needed.
Represent Department and Director of Social Services Department on various occasions and serves on a variety of internal and external committees; acts in the absence of Social Services Department Director for purposes of official Departmental business; assists in development of annual operating budget; works with County staff and citizens in reviewing outside agency funding requests; makes funding recommendations to County Administration.
To support adults, children and families in achieving prosperity.
In human and social services, it's important for us to identify ways to support individuals and families who are in crisis or seemingly immovable situations. Oftentimes, the default answer can be in providing financial assistance, but I always try to encourage myself and our team to think about "non-financial resources." This can include mental and emotional health, social support systems, spiritual connections, and how to develop integrity, motivation and persistence. I find that it is very rewarding when you are a part of supporting someone to see the potential within themselves.
Stay Curious. Listen. Nothing operates alone-everything is connected.
In my experience, I have learned that it is important to always find different ways of doing things. So, consult with those impacted by your work, and with those who are doing work like yours in far off places. It's also important to help others understand how things are connected, because decisions usually aren't made for the best interest of one individual or team. They are usually made for the collective operation of a department and a community.
Developing the Care Team program at JCC Social Services
When children or adults in the family experience challenges in multiple areas of their life it can be difficult to stay healthy. In 2018, JCC Social Services was awarded the Child Health Initiative grant from the Williamsburg Health Foundation to create the Care Team. This began the department's efforts to bring professional and natural support teams together to partner with families. As the first program coordinator for the JCC team, I was able to develop the program from scratch and work shoulder to shoulder with caregivers and children to build their own future stories.
