March is National Social Work month. A time to recognize and celebrate the work of social workers. Nationally, more than 700,000 people have chosen a career in social work. We are so fortunate at Hospice of Northwest Ohio to have a team of dedicated, compassionate social workers who are committed to helping our patients and their families through their end-of-life journey. Our guest blogger today is one of those dedicated professionals and she is sharing the story of her journey to hospice.
“Every professional has a story of what put them on their career path. Social Workers often talk about a “calling” that drew them in. I am not any different. I grew up in an environment where I wasn’t exposed to social workers although I had role models such as my mom who showed kindness to others and had a heart of giving. I found comfort in myself when I helped others and knew I wanted to continue to help people in some way as a career. While in college, during an informal conversation with a classmate, I was introduced to Social Work. This conversation was life changing. It gave me the spark to answer my calling. This is what I was meant to do. I felt fulfilled as I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work and instantly found my passion in the older adult population. As I immersed myself in the field of Medical Social Work, my love for my work grew every day.
During my different roles in the field, I would often interact and collaborate with hospice social workers. I found them to be amazing, with big shoes to fill, which was a bit intimidating. A previous supervisor offered me a position with hospice and I thought it was my time to take that leap. And even though the office closed shortly after I started, I knew my hospice journey was not over. I was thrilled to learn that Hospice of Northwest Ohio had an opportunity. This was the organization I knew as the community’s hospice. Becoming a Hospice of Northwest Ohio social worker changed me. I found my true calling! This is where I need to be. The highest honor is being welcomed into someone’s life when they are dying. After 20 years of Social Work practice, I cannot see myself doing anything differently.”