Tami Richmond, MSW, LCSWA

Having great leaders and management who've poured into me and believed in me has been the key to my success. Whether that was pushing me to try another program, do a presentation, or apply for a promotion, just having people believe in me has pushed me to be successful. I've been fortunate to have supervisors like Mary Eck when I was in Illinois, who was the program director at Lutheran Social Services and was really wonderful in supporting me and guiding me into moving into management. Currently, my LCSW supervisor Katie is really good at pouring into me and reminding me of my strengths when I'm doubting myself. She's an individual who will say, I know you don't like this aspect or this task, but you have to try it before you can say no. That kind of support and belief from leadership has made all the difference in my career.

Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone. It's easy to get stuck in what you know and what you feel comfortable with, but if you don't step outside of that comfort zone, you're not going to grow in any shape or form. This advice has really resonated with me throughout my career, especially as I've transitioned from child welfare to hospital social work and moved into management positions. It's a reminder that growth requires taking risks and trying new things, even when they feel uncomfortable at first.

Don't give up. Boundaries are important - we preach that, and we're not always very good at following our own advice. But maintaining those boundaries and taking care of yourself is critical because you can't pour from an empty cup. Social work is emotionally demanding, and it's easy to get caught up in trying to help everyone while neglecting your own needs. Remember that self-care isn't selfish, it's necessary if you want to be effective in this field and sustain a long career helping others.

Definitely resources and funding are the biggest challenges in social work right now. We rely a lot on grants, scholarships, and donations, and a lot of the services offered in the social work realm are insurance-based, specifically Medicaid and Medicare-based. Knowing that there's funding for those programs is a huge barrier. Beyond funding, there's just not enough resources to go around - mental health services, housing programs, food programs, there's definitely just not enough to meet the need. We're living in an ugly time right now, and the lack of adequate resources makes it harder to serve the populations that need help the most.

Ethics is absolutely critical to me - knowing what's right and doing right by people. I think it's very easy to get caught up in our feelings, and social work is a very feelings profession. You might feel one way, but you have to do the opposite sometimes. Being compassionate, understanding, and non-judgmental is huge too. I think being an advocate for human beings as a whole is essential, especially now. We're living in an ugly time right now, and it's more important than ever to stand up for people and treat everyone with dignity and respect, regardless of their circumstances.