Staff Spotlight: Susan Rice
As Family and Permanency Specialist, Susan Rice has the opportunity to work with our children and families across the spectrum of care: from making foster care placements to supporting families in their adoption journey, to helping children in care understand their own stories through Child Prep. There is nobody more uniquely prepared for this role than a foster and adoptive parent, so Sue's personal experience of adopting her son through The Salvation Army is incredibly valuable. She also brings a wealth of professional experience, having worked with children and adults in many therapeutic settings.
Sue is a wonderful advocate with a kind heart and easygoing personality that can expertly win over even the most hesitant child. She is also an amazing matching worker who has guided several families to their forever children. Some other things our staff appreciates about Sue: her kind listening ear, her wise advice, her delicious homegrown tomatoes that she generously shares with us, and the amazing baked goods she often brings to our staff potlucks! We are so fortunate to have Sue as part of our team!
Get to know Sue:
What is your role at The Salvation Army and what does it entail?
I am a Family and Permanency Specialist. The main parts of my work are providing child preparation services to children in kinship or traditional foster care, being the main worker for our Matching (adoption) families, and supporting the foster care team by being part of the In Day and On Call schedules. For Child Prep services, I meet with the child(ren) to support them in their understanding of their journey in foster care. For Matching families, I am the point person for families reaching out to learn more about specific children and for Child Specific Recruiters reaching out to learn more about specific families.
What drew you to a career in social work?
This was not a straight-line process for me. But as a result of emotional healing I have received in my life, I was called to go back to school for a master's degree in counseling. This led to some positions in social work and some in behavioral health. In my personal life, I had gotten married, and we had decided to foster children through The Salvation Army Children's Services. We received an infant with some medical needs into our care and in time adopted him. I was home with him for the first 6 years of his life but then was called to go back to work. Working for the Salvation Army Children's Services was the next right step!
If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the child welfare system, what would it be?
Those who are or are becoming parents would be better equipped to raise their children in safe and healthy ways.
What is one piece of advice you have for people considering becoming foster/adoptive parents?
Become informed about the children in the system. Seek to hear and learn from their experiences. And learn to honor and respect who they are and the people they come from.
What are you doing for self-care these days?
Taking time off to spend with my family, listening to worship music, keeping connected with a few friends
And just for fun...what are your favorite:
- Animal - cat
- Color - navy blue or dark purple
- Food - sloppy Joe BBQ sandwiches
- Ice Cream Flavor - coffee with chocolate chunks
- Sport - none
- Vacation Destination - going new places
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