Putting the Spotlight on Social Workers Through Job Shadowing

It sounded like Mission Impossible: take everything a San Diego County social worker does, and explain it to eager high school students in three hours or less.

That was the task at hand as juniors and seniors from Escondido-area high schools job shadowed County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) employees through a partnership with Escondido COMPACT (Creating Opportunities Making Partnerships and Connecting Teens).

Lillian Asoera, Marie Hommel and Reem Radwan, all HHSA social workers, took four students on a tour of HHSA’s North Inland Child Welfare Services, Vista family court and Green Oak Ranch - a safe haven for children in protective custody.

“This was a great day for students to think about what their strengths were,” said Chuck Matthews, assistant deputy director for HHSA north inland and coastal regions. “Come with your eyes and ears open and don’t hold back on asking questions.”

After a short orientation session to start the day, the social workers and students piled in a minivan and headed to the Child Welfare Services offices in Escondido. Before the students had a chance to ask questions, Asoera had one for them.

“What have you heard about us?” she asked.

The perceptions the girls brought to job shadow opportunity were a mixed bag:

“I heard that you take care of kids who’ve been abused.”

“You’re the people that take children away.”

“That’s what happens to rebellious kids – they take you away.”

Asoera said the reason for opening with that question was simple: “I don’t like to do presentations without asking what they’ve heard about us out in the community.”

It gives the social workers a starting point in their presentation to correct misperceptions and HHSA staff hope when the youth go back into the community they have a base of knowledge about what social workers do and can correct any mistaken impressions.

 “Sometimes no intervention is needed,” said Hommel. “There is a difference between poor parenting and child abuse.

“It’s my job as a social worker to find out what level of intervention is needed.”

Removing a child from their parents is an option, but it’s far from the only option available.

“Sometimes we refer parents to parenting classes or we can refer a Public Health Nurse to visit and do home education with parents,” Hommel said.

“Our over-riding goal is to not cause any more trauma to a child,” said Asoera.

The students were curious about the social workers background, education and work day.

Hommel has several degrees, including a law degree. She stressed the ability to communicate and having a passion for the job.

“You have to learn communications skills,” she said. “It’s very important.

“I have a passion for this job, and it’s extremely rewarding if you have a passion for it.”

Asoera made it clear to the students that there was no such thing as a typical day for a social worker.

“We’re supposed to work 8 to 5, but we’re dealing with people’s lives,” she said. “If a parent gets home from work at 6 pm, when are you going to go see them?”

After a tour of the office, the group headed over to the Superior Court of California’s North County Regional Center in Vista for a visit to family court.

“This gave them an opportunity to go in a courtroom and see what an actual hearing looks like,” said Radwan. “They got to see what’s called a 48-hour detention hearing where there is a judge in the courtroom.”

The final stop for the day was the Green Oak Ranch.

“The students loved the ranch,” said Asoera. “They were very excited to see what it was like for a child coming in to the ranch.

“They really loved it and the environment there.”

At the end of the day, the students told the social workers they were all ready to change career paths and become social workers after the experience.

Asoera told them they had plenty of time to make up their minds, and many social workers had one or more careers in other occupations before they became social workers.

But if they become social workers, it’s very personally rewarding, according to Asoera.

“You meet people when they are really down and in crisis,” she said. “You have the ability to go in and say, ‘we can fix this.’

“I always like to get young adults to really think about their future and the decisions they make about their careers, and make sure it’s something they really want to do. I’m hoping we really made an impression.”