This past school year we had three social work interns in our JFS Senior Solutions department. Amy Dummer, Jessica Huffer, and Sharon Pauley just completed their internships and we recently sat down with these ladies to find out more about their experiences working with our senior clients.
Q: What did you do during your internship at JFS?
Amy: Most of my time was spent visiting with the clients on my caseload and providing case management or counseling. I also assisted Mirella with helping people apply for a pension for working in the ghettos during the Holocaust. Jessica and I held a support group for people facing mental health issues at Edgewater Plaza. I helped Donna with a few holiday services at various nursing homes and assisted livings. As part of my internship I also took classes from the Alzheimer’s Association to count towards my Dementia Care certificate for professionals.
Jessica: I worked with 6 amazing clients and helped them with a variety of things including providing companionship, helping around the house, offering support, and doing some case management.
Sharon: I visited seniors and did client assessments at Sheridan Glen and Berkshires at Lowry through JFS's Colorado Senior Connections program, which helps seniors remain healthy and independent in their own homes. I also conducted a research project about anxiety with one senior, helping him find ways to reduce his anxiety. In addition, I provided companionship to a resident of the JFS Group Home.
Q: What did you like best about your internship experience?
Amy: By far it was the people I’ve worked with here, both employees and clients of the agency. My clients have taught me so much—that’s what I love about working with older adults. And the people who work here couldn’t have been more kind and generous, and I will truly miss working with them.
Jessica: I enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere, the people working at JFS, and learning more about older adults.
Sharon: JFS is a wonderful agency - I loved being here! I enjoyed the seniors I worked with and the people in my department were a great group of people who are all supportive of each other. A highlight of my internship was working with Audrey Reich at the JFS Group Home, who recently passed away at the age of 81. I had the pleasure of taking her on outings and she was adorable! She loved fashion and getting all dressed up to go shopping.
Q: What did you learn from your internship?
Amy: I learned so much! My supervisor, Jennie Creasey, was great at teaching me how different theories applied to the work I was doing, and showed me how different therapy techniques could be used in different situations. I learned a lot about the challenges older adults in the community face, and what social workers and care managers can do to help them work through those challenges. I learned how to run a support group. I learned how to end my work with long-term clients, which is something I’ve never done before. And I learned a lot about myself along the way and what I need to do to be successful as a social worker.
Jessica: I learned mostly from the clients about strength, acceptance, and the ability to make the best out of any situation. I also enjoyed learning about the variety of services offered to clients, learning about different populations, and learning about other resources in the community.
Sharon: In my work at the different Colorado Senior Connections locations, I learned how different the senior populations are and how their needs change based on their income and services available to them. I also learned how to work with clients from all different backgrounds and with different life circumstances such as people with chronic illnesses, Holocaust survivors, and people with disabilities.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
Amy: I grew up on a farm in South Dakota, and went to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion where I got my B.A. in Psychology. I’m about to graduate from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work with my Master of Social Work (MSW), and I’ve been focusing on clinical work with older adults. I’m planning on staying in Denver after I graduate. I also teach for Kaplan Test Preparation, and enjoy teaching and tutoring my students who are preparing to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) and the GRE, the general test often required to get into graduate school. I’m still looking for a job, but am hoping to find a position that allows me to continue working with older adults, and that will give me the supervision and experience I need to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). I’ve been enjoying Colorado immensely, and in my free time I like to go to Rockies games, go camping, cook, and spend time with my boyfriend.
Jessica: I grew up in a small town in New Mexico. I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in Psychology. I am getting my master's of Social Work at the University of Denver. After graduation, I plan to work in a setting that offers services to older adults. I enjoyed my time at JFS and I thank everyone for being so supportive and welcoming.
Sharon: I used to work in geology and engineering and left the field to stay at home and raise my two children. Now that they are in college, I decided to go back to work, but I wanted to change careers to social work. I just graduated from Metro State University with a bachelor's degree in social work and will begin a master's program at DU this summer.
Thank you to Amy, Jessica, and Sharon for all your hard work and we wish you luck in all your future endeavors!
On a side note, Cathy Grimm and Jennie Creasey from JFS Senior Solutions recently received an email from one of last year's interns, Amanda Bowers. She also had wonderful things to say about her internship:
"You both have been such powerful positive influences on me that I just want to let you know how much it means to me to know that you saw the value in me, and you are the standard at which I measure other professionals by. Your compassion, management skills, and focus are things that I really admire and only hope that I can continue to make you both proud in the future. Thank you for all that you do and know that I will continue to pay forward all of the support you have given me in the past."
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