"After graduation from the School of Social Welfare as a CPPSA student in May 2021, I worked for a private practice working on instilling administrative organizational structure and macro-level perspective to the organization. I spent the summer studying for my licensure exam mostly by taking practice exams and using the Behavioral Health app and in early September I passed on my first try! During the summer leading up to the exam I was searching for a more permanent position doing macro-focused work and was interested in pursuing social work in higher education, but I wound up accepting an incredible position at an organization that hadn't even opened at the time called the Long Island Immigration Clinic. I have been working here since September 2021 as a Program Coordinator and am overseeing a pro se clinic for Immigrant Friends seeking asylum in the United States, which includes volunteer and case management as well as advocacy work. I had a hand in developing the program, creating policies and procedures, and giving the organization some structure before we officially opened this March.
Because the organization is only made up of myself and the Executive Director, I wear many hats and help with micro, mezzo, and macro-level tasks. All of the decisions I've made have been done with a social work perspective, and so this fall I will be taking on social work interns from Stony Brook so we can work to help as many Immigrant Friends as possible. Immigrant justice work is incredibly important to the social work field, and it is crucial that we use our voices to advocate for immigrant communities across Long Island. What I love most about this position is that I learn something new everyday and am continuously challenged to bring some light into the lives of our Immigrant Friends who have faced serious trauma in their home countries and are trying to find safety and stability for themselves and their families". ~Dena Spanos
