Sandra, Social Worker
Learn about all the ways Sandra supports our residents and why identifying their strengths is the favorite part of her job.

What is your average day like at The Jewish Board?
My average day begins the moment I start on my way to work. I live close to Duryea, so I often see clients along my route who exchange greetings with me and engage in conversation along the way. Once at work, I check and respond to any emails to see what happened through the night or weekend and what requests from providers and my coworkers need to be addressed. After that, I make my rounds, checking on each client to see how they are doing and if there are any urgent issues throughout the night that they need assistance with.
I complete incident reports, help prepare snacks, and check in with providers such as hospitals, day programs, home health aide services, etc. If someone is in the emergency department or admitted to the hospital, I liaise with the doctors, nurses, and social workers concerning the client’s mental and medical health status. If someone needs transportation, I help make sure they can reach their day programs. I also help residents find new doctors when needed, help them make appointments for follow-up care, and sometimes accompany them to a doctor’s visit if they’re uncomfortable going alone or need an advocate. I am there for all their health and well-being needs.
There are also groups that we run at the residence. Our residents really look forward to attending and participating in these groups, so I take time to prepare the presentations so the information is relevant, interesting, and beneficial, and I make sure that there are group activities for them, as well. I also update our multicultural informational board, which depicts the population we serve. Our residents love identifying their flag that borders the board as they learn about free community events, including religious activities, cultural events, food pantry information, LGBTQIA+ information, and more.
I also created our board that displays information on health awareness days and screenings, emphasizing that early detection saves lives when it comes to medical and mental health issues. Staff join in on this self-care, too – we have a health and wellness program called “Active For Life,” where we will track our consumption of at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and be physically active for at least 30 minutes everyday!
What is your favorite part about your work?
One of my favorite things about this work is helping my clients identify their strengths. We have service plan goals that assist clients in finding meaning and purpose in their lives, so it is extremely rewarding when clients take ownership of tasks related to their service plans, which builds their self-confidence.
Why do you think our value of “Embrace Each Other’s Difference” is so important?
As part of an organization that provides care and support, we must seek to meet our clients where they are in their respective situations. We must take the time to learn and respect the culture and value system of our clients.
What song or album do you listen to when you need a burst of energy?
The song I listen to when I need a burst of energy is I Wanna Dance with Somebody by Whitney Houston!
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