MC Squared, LLC

You may be wondering what it is that made me go into this work. Well, first of all, I am a social worker. Also, I’m a person who has worked in nonprofit leadership for over a decade. I’ll give a brief overview of my three target populations and how working with them formed my Why.

One of the populations I served included survivors of rape, incest, child molestation, and sexual assault. This work was equally traumatizing and rewarding. Working to end this horrific offense on (mostly women’s, children’s, and differently abled) people’s bodies and psyches could be really tough. I had to address my own past traumas, experiences with having my power taken away, and how I repressed or reacted to those times. I also had to really grasp what I did not understand when I started that work: that Power and Control is always at the base of violence, sexual assault, rape, child molestation, and incest.

I have to expand here for anyone who doesn’t understand what I am saying. Sexual drive, substance use, opportunity, or whatever it is you think is the motivation behind taking advantage of another person’s body is not the actual motivation. The motivation is always to have power and control over another person. See this article if you are still unconvinced.

What kept me going in this line of work was two-fold. First, I was really seeing people. Seeing them in their most vulnerable states: beginning to open up, to process their experiences, and to see themselves as worthy of autonomy, love, and respect. Second, was seeing the people who serve these individuals. Watching those who advocate for legislation changes, human rights, equity, and human dignity was awe-inspiring. Watching therapists, preventionists, case managers, psychologists, and others directly serving the needs of the survivors was humbling.

Another population I worked with was youth that had aged out of the foster care system and/or stopped out of school before graduation. Many of these young people had experienced extreme poverty, incarcerated parents, precarious housing or homelessness, various forms of violence, and child abuse and neglect. The programming I oversaw included workforce development for out of school youth, building trades, college placement education support, mentorship, life skills development classes, and permanent supportive housing for youth with significant barriers to housing.

This population was incredibly resilient. They faced issues with post traumatic stress, radical attachment disorder, substance use disorder, and unplanned pregnancies. Despite all of this, they found hope, they learned to trust, and they were independent and often found ways to give back to the community. Many went on to completed their high school equivalency degrees, attended and graduated college, achieved homeownership, entered parenthood, and sought fulfilling careers. This programming was part of a nonprofit child welfare agency that served 32 counties in Indiana. In this position I also served as an onboarding and staff development leader.

Finally, and most recently, I ran a coalition focused on addressing the prevention, treatment, and restorative justice for substance use disorder. This coalition work tested the limits of my ability to work with a broad spectrum of sectors in the community. Most of this work consisted of incorporating trauma-informed practices and harm reduction measures into the services provided to children, adults, and seniors. The sectors involved included the medical community, justice and law enforcement agencies, first responders, educators, afterschool programs, substance use treatment facilities, psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, business owners, manufacturing companies, city planners, grantmakers, government agencies, health departments, obstetrics, and so many more.

The coalition had over 340 partner agencies attending regular meetings, sitting on committees, and working towards community change. Our mission was to decrease the negative impact of substance use disorder on our community and we were successful in doing so with the buy-in and support of these partner agencies. We were also responsible for community plans, assisting in training on best practices and evidence based programming, and tracking outcomes.

So, I am here because I see the value in doing the good work. I see the good in every individual. Most of all, I am here because I know that equipping organizations with the skills they need -through training, workshops, and educational resources- will empower those organizations to achieve their missions and create lasting impact.