(Posted 2025 February)

Meet Amy!

I'm a social worker who helps adults over 60 and adults under 60 with disabilities. I work as a Family Safety Practitioner II in the Nutrition Unit at the Fairfax Area Agency on Aging. My job lets me work directly with clients. I visit their homes to see what they need and provide services to help them stay in their homes and live independently. My goal is to give them the information they need to make the best choices for themselves.

In the Nutrition Unit, we support the Home Delivered Meals program for seniors who can't cook or shop for themselves. We work with contractors and dietitians to make sure they get healthy meals that meet the Older Americans Act guidelines.

I've been a social worker for 35 years. I got my bachelor’s degree in social work from West Virginia University. During college, I did two internships in long-term care settings, and my first job was at a nursing center in my hometown in West Virginia. I loved helping my local community and knew I wanted to keep working with older adults and people with disabilities. I wanted to advocate for those who couldn't speak up for themselves, especially those with medical conditions like dementia or serious strokes.

Later, I got my master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, where I did internships in outpatient mental health and substance use disorder. I worked for over 10 years in social services, mostly as a social services director in nursing and rehabilitation centers in WV, OH, PA and VA. Working in both rural and urban areas was interesting because each community is different. Before joining Fairfax County, I was a consultant for a national long-term care company, helping to improve the quality of social work services.

When I saw the job opening in Fairfax County, I knew I wanted to join. I've been with Fairfax County for 18 years and love visiting my clients and hearing their life stories. Learning about people from different places is the most rewarding part of my job. Everyone has a story, and I'm honored to hear them. There's so much to learn from older adults.

Fairfax County helps you grow and get involved in new activities that can expand your skills. I've been part of several workgroups in the Adult and Aging Division, which helped improve services. The county also supports staff by providing training resources to help with career goals. I have my LMSW, and the county helps me get the continuing education units (CEUs) I need to keep my license.

I also enjoy working with my team. We recently won a Team Excellence Award for our work with the Home Delivered Meals Emergency Response Team.

When I'm not at work, I like to relax and watch shows and movies, travel, visit NYC to see Broadway musicals and plays, watch my favorite sports teams (WVU and Pittsburgh), and spend time with my cats, Tabby and Smoky.

Fun fact: I grew up in a small steel town. The steel mill was huge and ran down most of Main Street. If you've ever seen an old movie with a "gritty" steel mill, that was probably my hometown. Even though the steel mill is gone, I still get nostalgic thinking about the small town where everyone knew someone who worked at the mill.