Student Spotlight: Stephanie Reyna Rodriguez
An Interview with Stephanie Reyna Rodriguez Heading link
What attracted you to social work?
I initially became interested in social work because it is such a broad field. At the time of exploring master’s programs I wasn’t sure where I saw myself in the future, but I knew I was interested in mental health. Through social work I was able to identify all my interests. I was attracted to the field due to its focus on social justice, working with under resourced populations, and its ethics.
And what attracted you to Jane Addams College of Social Work?
I was attracted to Jane Addams College of Social Work because of the specializations that are offered and the curriculum. I became further interested after reading the mission statement. I also really appreciate that the college offers a generalist year with an internship, which gave me the time that I needed to decide what I wanted for my specialization year.
Why did you choose the mental health specialization?
I became interested in mental health when I was a pre-school teacher. As a teacher I realized that children needed a lot more help than I could provide. I was unable to give them the one-on-one attention that they needed, and believed I could possibly give them the attention they deserved through social work and mental health. I also decided on the mental health specialization after learning further about the services that I would be able to provide while in my first year field placement.
Please tell us about your field placement, where you’re working, and what population(s) you’re working with.
My first year placement was at UCP Seguin, an agency serving individuals with disabilities. I was the intake and licensing intern for the children’s department. I was working with DCFS populations and most of the services were provided for the African-American and Latinx population. I worked alongside the intake representative to conduct interviews and place foster care children in appropriate homes. I would prepare paperwork and documentation for the intake of a foster child to a foster home.
My second year placement is at the Institute of Juvenile Research (Child Psychiatry Clinic, UIHealth) in the Pediatric Stress and Anxiety Disorders Clinic. I am currently providing psychotherapy by using evidence based practices to 10 clients that I see on a weekly basis. I am providing services to African-American and Latinx families. I am also conducting intake evaluations for new clients. As part of the clinic I meet with a multi-disciplinary group on a weekly basis to discuss intake evaluation amongst other cases. I have also recently presented at the psychiatry department’s grand rounds on mental health stigma in the Latinx community.
Can mental health practitioners, who typically work with individuals and families, still have an impact at the community or macro level? How do mental health and community intersect?
I believe that mental health practitioners can and do have an impact at the community or macro level. This is something that was touched on during my recent grand rounds presentation with another social work intern in the clinic. It was important for us to present on the effect that treatment by mental health practitioners has on individuals at a macro level and community level. We discussed the importance of psychoeducation to help clients feel less stigmatized by their communities. We also discussed the importance of recognizing the stigma, especially with children, and how they might be treated in school, by their peers and community. It is also important to keep in mind and acknowledge their strengths because we don’t know what they are going through financially, physically, socially, and emotionally.
What are your future plans in social work?
In the future I hope to get my LCSW. I am currently looking for jobs in Chicago, and hope to work at a nonprofit organization. I am looking forward to helping clients in a similar way that I am doing now. I would like to continue providing psychotherapy to the Latinx community.
How has your education at Jane Addams prepared you for doing that?
I think Jane Addams has given me the opportunity to explore my interests by providing me not only with courses but with internship opportunities. It has also allowed me to be part of the Integrated Behavioral Health Care Training Program which has taught me skills that are crucial to my practice now. And the professors at Jane Addams have provided me with guidance throughout my internships.
What advice do you have for people considering a career in social work?
My advice would be to be open minded and to be willing to learn about all that social work has to offer. Social work is broad, and the college requires us to have a specialization, but that does not mean we can only practice one. Within our chosen specialization we can do both macro and micro work.
Is there anything else you’d like to people to know?
I have gotten great support and guidance by the professors at Jane Addams. They are highly understanding of students needs!