Since graduating with an MSW from Sussex University, England in 1980, I have practiced in several fields of social work, including forensic (probation, parole and prison liaison), community mental health, and medical social work. From 1998 to 2018, I taught in the BSW program at SUNY Plattsburgh, retiring as an Assistant Professor.
The biggest impact on my social work career has resulted from team participation. In my MSW program (1978 – 1980), students were organized into tutorial groups, and I am still in contact with members of my group in the UK and Australia. From 1982 – 1986, I worked in a 6-person team in Brighton, England, providing forensic services to probationers, parolees and prisoners in Sussex and SE England. When I immigrated to Plattsburgh, NY, I was employed for over 20 years in a community mental health agency, as a clinician and program director, and team work was an essential element of our services. I truly believe that a well-functioning team can achieve extraordinary outcomes.
Of course, the most important team in my life has been my family. After moving to the US in 1986, I met my late husband, and had three children (a son and twin daughters). I am so proud that my daughter Martha Schultz is a practicing LCSW in the North Country– I look forward to working with her on social work projects in the future.
While I’ve enjoyed and learned so much from all the areas of my social work experience, my favorite part was working with BSW students in their field internships. Living in the North Country for over 30 years, I have developed good working relationships with local agencies and colleagues, and it was always fulfilling to supervise students in their 2-semester placements. I was very proud to witness their personal and professional growth, as they progressed from the first day of their internship to graduation, becoming competent social workers in many different fields. Now I hear from them as they advance in their social work careers, and see them as colleagues in agencies in the community – it’s encouraging to know that there are dedicated people out there, committed to social work values!
As a “boomer”, I feel my generation has a mixed report card. I was bought up in post –WWII England, through the “swinging 60s” and the political battles of the 70s and early 80s. While my generation has contributed to real progress in the awareness of many issues (mental health, substance abuse and trauma, stigma, poverty and homelessness, domestic violence, child and elder abuse, racism, women’s and LBGTQ rights, the environment, etc.), I believe that we became too focused on clinical aspects, at the expense of a more community and macro perspective. As a consequence, we have failed to secure sufficient priority and funding for the resources that are essential in a just and equitable society. In this election year, we need to be very clear as to where we stand, if we truly believe in social work values and ethics.