The message in big bold letters on the Family Peace Center’s website cuts to the chase: WHEN HOME ISN’T SAFE, WE CAN HELP.
- “If you are in danger . . .”
- "If you need a safe place to stay . . ."
- "If you need a ride to a safe location . . ."
Last fall, when Ruthie Caballero interned with the Family Peace Center (FPC) in Rockford, Illinois, she encountered names, faces, and heart-rending circumstances that brought scenarios like these to life.
Today, the Greenville University graduate serves on the FPC staff, helping to reduce domestic violence in Rockford (population 146,000), the largest city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metro area.
The work is not for the faint of heart. Domestic or not, violence is still violence.
Conveying hope
Though words like “abuse,” “assault,” and “trapped” paint a dark picture of her clients’ challenges, Ruthie finds encouragement in the FPC’s approach. She frames their work in terms of aspiration and talks about “hope,” “inspiration,” “breakthroughs,” and “survivors.”
“Most of my days are good days,” she says. In each, she can usually count on:
- applying skills that she acquired studying social work and psychology at Greenville University.
- drawing from her immersive learning experiences as an FPC intern.
- discovering new reasons to appreciate the collaborative and comprehensive way FPC addresses domestic violence.
“Everyone that works at FPC inspires me every day. The staff is just amazing,” she says. “But the people that I look up to most are my clients. Every day I see children in dreadful situations, and yet they push through.”
Work that matters
While taking on menial assignments is par for the course for many college interns (93 percent, according to a study referenced on Livecareer.com), Ruthie tells a different story. She describes her internship as shaping her professionalism, her confidence, and her skills.
She recalls accompanying her supervisor on visits to middle schools to teach social emotional classes to students. She talks about designing the Youth Ambassadors of Peace (YAP) program, packing it with activities that empower young people ages 8-25 to process emotions and communicate in healthy ways.
“The hope is to prevent the cycle of abuse,” says Ruthie.
She also learned to respond to what she describes as a “million things going on” day to day—many unexpected, and some disheartening, like the moment news came of a client’s death. The woman’s abuser had killed her. Multiple staff members had worked with the woman and knew her well.
“You could feel the heaviness in the air,” recalls Ruthie, “and how discouraging it was for everyone.”
Advice for up-and-coming interns
Ruthie calls social work chaotic and certainly “not for everyone.” She says flexibility is one of the greatest tools in her social work arsenal. Keen observation helps too. She urges up-and-coming interns to take every chance to observe what’s going on, even on quiet days.
“Pick up as much as you can . . . Always, always, always ask questions. You might feel annoying but I promise, people want to help you. Do your best to put yourself out there too, your employer wants people that will speak up.”
Nothing like guided practice
Nicki Schoonover, director of field education and professor of social work at Greenville University, takes pride in the ways last semester’s social work interns met needs through various agencies. The seven students completed a combined total of 2,300 service hours. They helped clients in county health departments, family services, and at Greenville’s Eden’s Glory, a residential program that serves survivors of human trafficking. Five of the students, including Ruthie, received job offers from their internship-providers.
Learn more about GU’s Bachelor of Social Work program and its unique Christ-centered approach that keeps Christ’s call to serve front-and-center.
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