Matthew,

I know that you do not know me, but I graduated from Valpo in August 1979

with my BSW.  I am looking forward to completing my MSW 30 years to the date

this summer at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.  I have been

working on a self assessment that defines who I am as a social worker and

what I base my practice on.  I find that the information that I learned 30

years ago still has relevance, and is actually the basis for many of the

"new" approaches and theories I have been learning about and had unknowingly

previously incorporated into my professional work.

I have worked in Social Work positions for 25 of the last 30 years.  I have

worked with youth in group homes, mentally ill/MICA in institutions and in

community settings, developmentally disabled in community settings and for

the past 15 years with geriatric individuals in assisted living, skilled

nursing homes and at Hospice.   I have held positions of direct patient

care, case manager, crisis specialist, undergraduate field educator and

Director of Social Work in 2 skilled nursing facilities for 5 years. " I am looking forward to becoming a

Nursing Home Social Work Consultant in the Buffalo New York area when I

complete my licensing exam this fall."

I have never been bored with any of the positions I have held because I was

originally trained to creatively solve problems.  I have found that the work

of "helping"  individuals define what their concerns are, and empowering

them to make changes or make sense of their life status is what brings

satisfaction for a job well done.  I live for the "aha" moments that come

across the individual's faces I work with that tell me I have made a

difference.

Thank you Valparaiso University School of Social Work for the start you gave

me in 1979!

Sincerely,

Sarah Brenner Sabatowski

Sept 1976-August 1979  (Class of 1979)