DCF Interns - Empathy

A high percentage of our DCF client population live in poverty and rely on public transportation. Public transportation speaks volumes about a society. It speaks about racism, economic injustice and the patterns of historical development as a nation — economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental — which are embedded in a transportation system many people take for granted, such as our DCF social workers. The average middle class person is fairly oblivious and unaffected by the fact that lack of transportation is the number one deterrent to employment and community involvement across the country. The goal of this exercise is to provide social work trainees with empathy for our client population who utilize public transportation. Empathy is particularly important to social work practice. Client who experience empathy from their social worker/provider tend to have improved outcomes. Empathic social work practitioners are more effective and can balance their roles better. The goal of this exercise is to encourage and develop child protection social worker and intern empathy for the populations we serve.

Enrollment in this class is limited to interns currently placed in a DCF office or facility