Helping potential social workers through the fellowship program

When you think of social workers, you’ll likely think of people who help families with custody issues or children in foster care.

However, social workers have told WINK News that they have been referred to as “baby snatchers.”

This negativity can impact the social worker’s mental health.

“I am a social worker; my main responsibility is group facilitation for the Cognitive Health Department,” said Stephanie Cakov, Master of Social Work at the Bakers Senior Center in Naples.

Cakov shares the same sentiment as her colleagues regarding a healthy outlet to alleviate the daily stresses of being a social worker.

To help solve the counselor shortage, Cakov and Dr. Tom Felke at the Florida Gulf Coast University have developed the “fellowship program” to solve the staffing deficits.

“What people don’t understand is that most social workers are trained clinicians, so they are mental health therapists,” said Felke. “These students are clinical interns still in an academic setting, but they’re training to become licensed clinical therapists.”

The State of Florida is considered a mental health desert, which means for every 900 people, one person is a clinician.

This deficit is partially why wait times are extended to see a counselor.

“I say there are two things that keep me up at night, one is staffing, and the other is funding, but I have to tell you, it’s more difficult to get staffing,” said Dr. Jaclynn Faffer, CEO of the Baker Senior Center.

Faffer established the Fellowship Program, which pays students from FGCU to participate in the social worker’s program.

This minor impact will help not only staffing within the facility but also people who seek to enter the senior healthcare career field.

“My grandmother was a huge part as well,” said Cakov. “Just seeing the struggles that she faced and, you know, not being provided services when she needed them.”

Social work requires graduates to spend 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience post-graduation; however, this process is not free.

Supervisors charge roughly $150 a week, so having the fellowship program can help lift the cost burden, ultimately assisting people to get into the medical field without fear of debt.