Throughout the month of March, High Peaks featured our amazing Clinical Social Work Team Members on social media.
Please read below to learn more about and from our staff.
Hadley Adams, MSW
Why did you choose social work for your life’s profession?
I think it chose me, really. I was a sociology major undergrad, interested in what makes people tick from my earliest years. The field of Social Work is rooted in advocacy for the Underdog, a value that resonates deeply for me.
What do social workers do?
They work in Social Services or as private therapists, they case manage, refer, advocate for the individual and for social change. They listen hard, hopefully with no moral judgement but with openness and clinical discerning. They recognize the power of our emotional realms, the significance of relationship to our well-being.
What led you to hospice and why do you stay?
Our mortality is, some believe, the ultimate mental health “issue”. That beneath all of our expressed troubles, we are truly wrestling with the truth that we will die someday. I was drawn to hospice because it is a field where this is named, and I wanted to work with individuals and families who struggle with their deaths, with a goal of diminished pain. I stay with Hospice for the same reason.
How has social work defined you as a person?
I don’t think it has defined me, it is a career that allows me to utilize the strengths I have to the benefit of others (hopefully). This, in turn, gives me a sense of purpose, and that feels good.
Emma Maher Horvath, LCSW
Why did you choose social work as your life’s profession?
The depth and breadth of the social work field interested me. I knew that there would always be meaningful work available, whether micro or macro, in a wide-range of populations and topics. On a personal level, my grandmother was a social worker. Though she died before I had the chance to meet her, my grandfather often commented on how much I reminded him of her. He said that she always spoke up for what she believed while listening with her whole heart to others- which he saw in me.
What do social workers do?
I think the better question is what we don’t do. While we work in a variety of settings, one thing sticks out to me: compassion. The Latin behind the word translates in English as “to suffer with.” That speaks to our work of aligning with our clients and hearing their sorrows, rather than to jump into “fixing.” Listening with an open heart, even with excellent boundaries, is a vulnerable choice. Yet without that, we cannot do any other intervention.
What led you to hospice and why do you stay?
My mother served as a hospice physician since I was in 5th grade. During my formative years, I saw the power and heart of hospice. My mom says that hospice is the one time we get medicine right: a team of caring professionals who actually communicate with each other, meeting you wherever you are, honoring your choices, celebrating you as a human, and seeing health as wider than just the physical. It’s a pity that we wait until the twilight of life for this care. As soon as I saw this care in action, I knew I had to jump right in. Serving as a social worker was the perfect blend of who I am and what I can bring to the table. Though our work can be emotionally trying, it fills me up more than I can explain. I have the privilege of meeting incredible people (both our patients and their family members) and helping them along their path, however they want it to look. I love how each day is as different as our patients. Plus, who wouldn’t want to drive around the beauty of our corner of the world every day?
How has social work defined you as a person?
One of my social work instructors once said, “even if you leave the profession of social work, you will remain a social worker by the way you live our values and ethics.” I tend to agree, though it seems to be a chicken/egg conundrum. I was drawn to social work because the NASW Code of Ethics aligns with my previously-held beliefs. For example, the SW value of “the inherent dignity and worth of the person” mirrors my Unitarian-Universalist belief in the same. Social work matches who I am as a person, rather than defining me.
Shayna Paradis, LMSW
Why did you choose social work for your life’s profession?
Honestly, I was a little unsure of what I wanted to do when I started college. I always knew I wanted to be in the “helping field” and toyed with the idea of becoming a nurse or a teacher. However, those did not seem like exact fits for me. After some research I found Social Work and found it to be a perfect fit. There was a quote I read that has always resonated with me and continues to draw me to this field, “Be the person you needed when you were growing up.” I feel this can apply to any age or population we work with.
What do social workers do?
Social Workers do a bit of everything and that is what makes our role so unique and shows how versatile we are. My favorite way of explaining my role at HPH to patients is that I am the person to call when you need a resource and if I don’t have it I will help you find the person that does. Social workers’ other role is providing psychosocial support to our families and patients.
What led you to hospice and why do you stay?
I was always drawn to and interested in the field of hospice. After completing an internship at Upstate Medical University, I realized the most valuable experience I had was the time I spent on the ICU. We had a few patients pass and to be there with their families was such a truly humbling experience. To be able to be a part of such an intimate moment in someone’s life and be there to support them is truly astonishing. I am grateful every day that these families allow us in to learn about their lives and help support them. I believe it speaks to all of our characters that families feel truly comforted by us.
How has social work defined you as a person?
Social work has helped me grow in a lot of ways. We all have had traumatic experiences in our lives that affect us daily and being a social worker has really helped me understand my trauma and how to help others who have experienced similar situations.
Bri Eastman, Medical Social Work Intern
Why did you choose social work as your life’s profession?
Throughout my life, even as a young child, I have always been the person who my friends come to for a listening ear and support. Much of my family has been employed within the helping professions, so along came my intrinsic value of always wanting to help people, no matter what that looked like. Growing up, I had a slew of career path ideas that focused on helping people and animals (teacher, veterinarian, etc.). As most of us experience, many of my career ideas changed over the years, but the need to help others always remained. With so many different things that you can do within social work, I knew I had found exactly what I wanted within a helping profession.
What led you to hospice?
I had personal experiences with sudden and unexpected death of loved ones during my freshman and sophomore years of high school, which changed my outlook on many things, including the basic concept of what it means to be human. Losing a loved one is an experience like no other; for me, it’s the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt. As a young adult beginning my associate’s degree, I began to revisit the idea of helping professions, and wondered how I could relate my experiences of loss in a way that spoke to individuals who are grieving.
Where are you now in your education and what are you most looking forward to?
I’m currently in my last semester of graduate school, and my internship experience led me to exploring the world of hospice care at High Peaks Hospice. I cannot express how much I value being in this line of work, and how fulfilling it has been. From resource management, to supporting and listening to the raw emotions of patients and families, the objective is to support patients and their loved ones during one of the most fragile times. Every patient and family is unique, and I have gained such valuable skills that cannot be taught anywhere else.
I am very excited to continue my career in hospice social work, and I cannot wait to learn more with every experience.
High Peaks is so thankful for all that our social workers do for those we serve on Hospice Care, and our communities at large.