Q: What's a typical workday like for you?

A: I work primarily with middle school students. I meet with parents, kids and teachers, work with individual kids and facilitate groups. Things pop up every day, different crises with kids, parent phone calls, community agencies dropping in to see students, issues related to child protection, and a variety of meetings with school committees or teams.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger healthcare picture?

A: I refer kids to community agencies for many things, from basic resources, to housing or mental health services, afterschool programming and different community activities. I can advocate for parents in those systems and collaborate with community agencies. If students are involved in a variety of issues, I'm often the first or second call. If the issue is more related to mental health or psychosocial needs, I intervene with the child and either provide direct support or connect with the family or with a provider in the community.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?

A: I interact with students, regular and special education teachers, school administrators, other school social workers, nursing staff, speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, and community agencies.

Q: Why did you become a social worker?

A: My personal values align with social work values of accepting people for who they are, having a strong passion for social justice, standing up for what's right, and advocating for folks who can't advocate for themselves. I also want to help clients identify their own solutions.

Q: What do you like about your work?

A: I love the variety, the kids I work with and the development that happens during the middle school years. They're still kids but they're also navigating a really difficult social time. It's a unique position because I see what kids look like up close in the heat of the moment.