Resilience over resentment
Resilience over resentment
Personal experience inspires career strengthening families
“Unknowingly, I’d always been a resilient person, specifically through childhood. What I now recognize as a strength, was originally a child just trying to survive. I want other kids to understand that while traumatic, their situations can absolutely be temporary, and don’t have to determine what happens to them long term.”
Those are the words of Jessica Williams, two-time YSU alumna, who grew up in the child welfare system and is now rising through the ranks of Trumbull County Children Services, hoping to make a difference in others’ lives. Williams earned both her degrees in Social Work – a bachelor’s in 2015 and a master’s in 2019.
“It is impressive that Jessica has graduated with two degrees, was promoted to the position of assessment supervisor within a short time after her employment and now mentors future child welfare caseworkers,” said Phyllis Johnson, coordinator of YSU’s University Partnership Program, a highly competitive program that gives Social Work students the knowledge and training specific to child welfare.
Williams’ involvement with the UPP as a YSU student led to her internship and now full-time employment.
“Jessica feels strongly that individuals who enter the field of child welfare should be well trained and have a strong commitment to helping children and families,” said Johnson.
Williams’ experience as a child included multiple moves, mostly with her sisters and without her brother, due to her biological parents’ issues with chronic homelessness and substance abuse. Williams also experienced a disrupted adoption due to physical abuse in that home.
But instead of hanging onto resentment, Williams chose resilience and an educational path that would embrace her past as something she and others can learn from.
“I’ve always thought my personal experience has positively influenced my work. As someone who has experienced child welfare as both a client and a professional, it gives me the opportunity to genuinely relate to the clients we serve,” Williams said.
While she misses direct contact with families now that she is in a supervisory role, Williams enjoys working with YSU student interns and supervising a team of assessment case workers, who are similar to “first responders” to referrals of abuse or neglect. Since late March, Williams has been carrying out her duties remotely, including ensuring field staff have necessary items to take proper precautions when going into homes to investigate cases of abuse or neglect.
She wants to educate the community that social work is based on building and strengthening families by addressing the root concerns.
“We want to collaboratively identify what the family is doing well, so that we can help them find ways to do it better,” Williams said.
Editor’s note: YSU is one of eight Ohio universities that are part of the University Partnership Program. UPP collaborates with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the Institute for Human Services, the Public Child Service Association of Ohio, and 88 child welfare agencies throughout the state of Ohio. For more information on YSU’s program, contact Phyllis Johnson at 330.941.1843.