04/01/2022
For , we want to highlight what this year’s theme of “The Time is Right for Social Work” means to our staff.
Care Coordinator Ashley Schnepper, MSW, (pictured below) works out of our Olney Regional Office. Her love of social work goes back to high school.
“I came from a small, rural area and at that time the kiddos with disabilities had classes in a different building,” Ashley explained. “In my junior and senior year, these kiddos would join our physical education classes. It was only 45-minutes each time, but I really enjoyed seeing them and having the opportunity to help. It got my wheels turning.”
When Ashley began researching what kind of degree she wanted to pursue at college, her first thought was education or special education.
“As I continued to look at social work, there were a wide variety of job options and I really appreciated that you weren’t stuck doing just one thing,” Ashley said. “I hit the ground running.”
She went to an area junior college, wrapped up her bachelor’s in social work at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and then got accepted in the advanced standing program to complete her master’s.
Ashley’s experience includes job shadowing in the early childhood field and interning with the Williamson County Special Education District as a school social worker. She also worked in child welfare and case management services for the Department of Human Services and other state agencies where she said, “finding foster care for challenging, medically fragile kids could be intense.”
Recently, the Olney and Marion offices hosted a social work intern. Working alongside her helped their team all reflect on why “The Time is Right for Social Work.”
“We were there to teach and share our social work journey with her,” Ashley said. “Social work has a high burnout rate because it can be emotionally and physically exhausting, but it is also rewarding. If you’re feeling stuck, you can explore so many different options at schools, hospitals or agencies to re-energize and use your skills in a different way.”
Ashley has been with the Division of Specialized Care for Children since 2018. She is thankful to be part of a team that partners with families and helps them connect to the services they need.
“As I said to our intern, you may have times when you feel like you’re having more down days than up. You won’t always see immediate results or know that you’re making a difference,” Ashley continued. “But you keep moving forward because there’s really nothing better than seeing a kiddo or family light up and knowing that you’ve made a positive difference in their lives.”
