Jodi Dowe is a part-time graduate student at Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Jodi works as a Full-time Care manager, assisting patients that present complex and varied health care conditions across all health care domains of psychiatric, physical and addiction disorders. Jodi actively collaborates with patients and medical providers to prevent hospitalizations by engaging them in community, outpatient services, and supports.
During her undergraduate years at the State University at Albany, the realm of family dynamics, At-risk youth (troubled youth), mental health and mental illnesses intrigued her. Jodi interned at the Rehabilitation Support Service (RSS) in which she had the opportunity of working with clients that are Mentally Ill Chemical Abusers (MICA). There, she connected with the clients on an emotional level due to her empathic nature and strengths. She learned that building trusting relationships is key to helping people feel safe and open to accepting needed resources. She was appointed to develop and facilitate a Wellness Self-Management group. Participants of the group were presented with a safe- haven to explore the skills and tools necessary to identify triggers, barriers, strengths, goals, and formulating safety plans. She gained the gratification by becoming a part of their support system. Jodi finished her internship knowing that she enabled empowerment and the creation of new, healthy, and trusting relationships.
Jodis’ aspiration of becoming a social worker is not for the financial gain but for the psychological enrichment. Jodi states that “ In my eyes, social workers play as unmasked super heroes, assisting people that have not yet mastered the skills or tools to help themselves.”