Each March, National Social Work Month recognizes the impact social workers deliver while providing services to children and adults in need. This month, we'll be taking time to celebrate and get to know some of the dedicated social workers across DOROT.
Shannon O'Connor, Program Coordinator, Onsite@Home
How did you decide to become a social worker?
Like most recent college students, I wanted to gain real world experience after graduating with a degree in Gerontology in 2015. This was the best choice I could have made before pursuing my master’s degree in social work. Landing the job at DOROT exposed me to direct practice and the world of community programming for older adults. With guidance from my social work colleagues at DOROT, I decided to pursue my MSW at Hunter College in 2018. This allowed me to work full time and continue my work at DOROT through their One Year Residency program. I am proud so share that I recently graduated with my MSW in August 2020 and just passed my state licensing exam this month. I am so happy to reach this milestone in my career.
How has the pandemic affected your work?
I work in the Onsite & Special Programs department at DOROT where we offer lectures, exercise classes and discussion groups to our community of older adults. Typically our programs would meet in-person, bringing participants together onsite. The pandemic has challenged our team to transition to online Zoom classes through Onsite@Home where we now offer about 25 events per week. The number of clients that our team serves has tripled since we began last year and almost all of our internal processes have changed. It feels good to be trailblazing with my team (Wendy, Charlie, Claire & Lena).
What is something that you love about your work?
The best moments are when I meet a new member of our community or hear that our programs our making a real impact. I love that I have met so many older adults who have shared their life experience and expertise with me! A perk of working with the Onsite@Home team is attending all of the wonderful programs alongside our participants.
More about Shannon:
Shannon is a Licensed Master Social Worker and Program Coordinator in DOROT’s Onsite & Special Programs department. These days you can find her coordinating partnerships with program facilitators and planning Zoom events, all while providing compassionate support to our older adults. Outside of work, Shannon enjoys live concerts, meditation, and volunteers with organizations Destination Imagination and CoachArt.
For information on all DOROT programs, services and resources, call 212-769-2850.