I am happy to share with you some facts related to my 40+ years in the human services arena. There are so many wonderful adjectives to describe this journey, one must be cautious to maintain proper decorum and brevity.

 

My journey began as early as 9 years of age (approximately) as a 4-H Club member where we pledged to honor our Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. Through these pledges, members commit to clearer thinking, dispelling thoughts and ideas that would hold them back as individuals growing up in society; Heart is a pledge to greater loyalty in caring more for others than self; Hands to larger service, a pledge to give to the world as much as possible; and Health, a pledge to take care of one’s own personal needs. Evolving from this in later years was my interest in the study of human behavior where I pursued an undergraduate major in psychology with a minor in sociology. This led to the pursuit of social work as a profession in preparation for multiple years of helping others, continuing education and research for honing my skills. These activities continue to this day which prompts me to keep abreast of ever-changing theoretical underpinnings of the profession, knowledge of human behavior, inclusiveness to reflect the culture and values of a multicultural society, and not to mention the increasing need to keep abreast of interventive strategies to combat various social issues. Oh yes, I place much emphasis on self-care activities to ensure that I remain intact to make objective observations to render appropriate treatment.