April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
YEAR FOR CONSECRATED LIFE
Sister/social worker integrates vocation and professional life
"We always would help a neighbor," she remembered. "We did that freely."
Sister Kathy's parents also believed "that God would always supply for us."
It's no surprise, then, that her upbringing led her to enter the Daughters of Charity religious order in 1991. In religious life, she said, she's able to "reach out to those who are abandoned. The daughters [serve] with so much joy."
The Daughters of Charity are an international community, totaling about 17,000 women religious worldwide. The order's focus is serving the poor; many sisters are involved in education, nursing or social services.
Jail ministry
Sister Kathy is a social worker. After receiving her Master's degree from Boston College in 1998, she worked in a variety of settings -- including, through Troy's Roarke Center, with women incarcerated at the Rensselaer County Jail.
She teamed up with another sister who was an artist: "She would go in and do art projects with the women and I would meet with them individually."
Sister Kathy would assist the women's families on the outside if they needed any help. She also did counseling even after the women were discharged, hosting a support group at the Roarke Center.
"I always felt I got so much more than I could have given to them," she remarked.
For the past nine years, Sister Kathy has worked for the Clifton Park Family Practice Group, a site of Seton Health. She has talked with many people who are emotionally unsettled or uncomfortable with the unfamiliar situation of dealing with a social worker.
Listen first
"You have people that feel like they've been abandoned," said Sister Kathy. "They come into the [support] group and find that they have support. The first thing you do is listen. If you do nothing else, listen."
Clients are referred by the practice's staff because they need help with some aspect of their lives. Many are struggling to pay medical bills, feed their children or make rent for the month.
A social worker's role, said Sister Kathy, is to "try to look at the whole picture and see what I can do."
Often, she's noticed issues that may not be what the client initially came to resolve. "I [sat] down with them and [said], 'It's OK. You're here. Know that I am here to help you.'"
Sister Kathy has often reminded herself that people with whom she was working didn't have to take advantage of everything that she suggested. "If they don't want to go, you can't push them," she said. "Everything takes time. People are worn out and in pain."
Making referrals
Some clients have various disabilities. Sister Kathy has encountered situations where "a member of the family has died and now this disabled person is living on their own." Sometimes a client can't afford his or her medications. Sister Kathy has helped them fill out paperwork to receive financial assistance.
She believes that "it's really important to not only render a service, but also to be present to the person."
She has referred clients to other facilities that can assist with specific needs. She's also offered group therapy and was able to give out a few food items in emergencies. She's gone as far as to accompany some of her clients on their apartment hunts.
Educational experience
"It's a real education to go with people on these experiences," she said. Many apartments "are not affordable for a lot of people. I learned that it's easy to tell people to go get an apartment and a job, but when you factor in the location and safety," the search can get difficult.
Sister Kathy has encountered people who were afraid of living in certain areas because "they thought their life would be in jeopardy. It was educational for me, because I haven't had to live like that and search for an apartment and live in those conditions."
Last Christmas, a doctor at the practice "adopted" a homeless family during the holidays. Others pitched in to provide food, clothing and gifts for each family member. "In addition to that, afterwards I was able to help them relocate and to find more suitable housing," Sister Kathy said.
Vocation validation
Integrating her vocation into her work has not been a problem: "I'm very much comfortable bringing in the religious part. I can make that part of the treatment plan."
In fact, Sister Kathy often suggested that people attend a religious service in whatever denomination they choose. "I tell them they don't have to go to my church; just try a church."
Social work has made it clear, she said, that "there's too much suffering in the world." She wants to focus on clients' strengths instead of their weaknesses, to instill hope when situations seem hopeless.
"I love my work. I really am blessed," Sister Kathy told the Evangelist. "The more I give, the more I receive."[[In-content Ad]]
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