Her Story
About Sheila
I've dedicated almost 30 years of my career to working with children in Maryland's social services systems. I started with the Department of Juvenile Services back in 1995 as a probation officer, after previously working with adults on probation. I eventually became a supervisor of both probation officers and facility staff. Working with kids has always been a passion of mine. For the past 5 years, I've been with the Department of Human Services for the State of Maryland, where I help 24 local jurisdictions find placements for children in our care. My work involves being on the phone with placement facilities, residential treatment centers both out of state and in-state, and working to get services into homes. I've worked in two systems - one focused on preventive measures to prevent juveniles from becoming repeat offenders as adults, and now in child welfare where there is an extreme shortage of foster care parents. It's heartbreaking to see kids stuck in hospitals because we don't have enough people willing to become temporary or long-term foster parents. When you become a probation officer, you're not just a probation officer - you're a therapist, a counselor, whatever hat you need to wear that day. I still see kids who were on probation with me in passing, and to hear that the time I spent with them impacted their life and changed the trajectory of where they were headed - that's what it's all about.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sheila
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard dedication, working hard, and having a passion to help others. It's really about that commitment and drive to make a difference in people's lives, especially children's lives.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was from my old supervisor who told me to never underestimate my abilities. There were jobs I wanted to apply for, but I didn't think I could do them. He basically said there's no job out there that you can't do, because every job has training involved. You might not have two of the five skills needed for the job, but you're going to be trained for the skills they want you to have. It's basically saying we all qualify for any job that we apply for, because they train you.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You have to have a passion for this. This can't be something you think that you're just going to make a boatload of money from. This career is for people that have a passion for helping people, who have empathy for others, and have a desire to shape our young adults that are coming up in this world. We don't need any more people who are just here to take a paycheck in this field - we need empathy and genuine care.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge right now is trying to get resources in the homes to help prevent kids from being taken out of the home. There are no resources, and the resources that we need are the ones that they're cutting. It's like they don't care. We're dealing with a critical shortage of foster care parents, not just in my state but all over, where you'll see kids stuck in hospitals because hospitals are not placements, but we don't have enough people willing to become temporary or long-term foster parents.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family is the most important value to me. I have 2 kids and a grandbaby, and becoming a grandmother really put everything in perspective for me. It makes you more selfless, and it's a different type of unconditional love that you have for your kids. You love your kids, but when you become a grandmother, it's totally different. Family is always first for me.
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