Social Work Alumni

George Mason alumna and her furry coworker fight for Fairfax County kids

Colleen Rich — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 14:27:02 +0000

George Mason alumna and her furry coworker fight for Fairfax County kids Colleen Rich Fri, 08/16/2024 - 10:27

When Samantha Carrico, MSW ’15, enters a room, eyes usually lock onto her charismatic coworker Rylynn, a five-year-old Labrador golden retriever mix. But while Fairfax County’s facility dog gets all the attention, Carrico is the key to making it all happen.

George Mason alum Samantha Carrico and her coworker Rylynn. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

As the supervisor of Volunteer and Partner Services within the county’s Department of Family Services (DFS), this ��AV alumna plays a leading role in providing critical services to children and their families through programs that are powered entirely by volunteers.

“I like to call Volunteer and Partner Services the best-kept secret in DFS,” she said. “We’re providing so many resources to families and communities.”

Those resources include their popular holiday assistance program, Adopt-a-Family; the Befriend-a-Child mentoring program; and body safety classes for children offered in the public schools. Last year, the Body Safety Program alone served 15,000 children.

“It’s been really nice to see the impact that we’re making,” Carrico said. “Prevention is definitely where we’re going to move the needle for child welfare.”

When not managing four full-time staff members, almost 100 volunteers, and leading the county’s child welfare mandated reporter training for agencies ranging from county police departments to the CIA, Carrico is also the official handler for county facility dog Rylynn.

Rylynn is certified to accompany children to the witness stand when they must testify in court. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Carrico was working with Manassas City when she heard of a colleague who worked with a certified service dog and broached the idea with her supervisor. When she learned they could have one only if the dog were free, Carrico didn’t give up. After much research, her perseverance paid off. She found Canine Companions, an organization that offers trained service dogs to organizations and individuals free of charge, and Rylynn entered her life.

“Rylynn is actually the only facility dog at a family services or social services agency in the whole country,” Carrico said. Rylynn attends events and is certified to accompany children to the witness stand when they must testify in court. “She doesn’t have a vest, a badge, a gun. She’s not intimidating, and it’s very rewarding for a family or for a child to know that Rylynn is here for them, with no other agenda.”

Carrico hopes her experience with Rylynn—and her determination to find a way to make it happen—will help pave the way for more agencies nationwide to acquire their own facility dogs.

“Children will disclose when they’re ready, but also when they’re comfortable. And sometimes it’s on us as the professionals to help make sure the environment is comfortable for them.”

A licensed social worker, Carrico has been with Fairfax County in a full-time role since 2020, but her entry into the world of child welfare started long before that—and included a pivotal stop at ��AV.

Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Carrico’s first memories of the university came at an early age, when she attended Camp Mason at the Fairfax Campus. When it came time to think about getting her master’s in social work, the choice was easy.

“Mason felt like a second home,” she says. Encouraged by the Department of Social Work faculty in the College of Public Health, Carrico decided to additionally pursue her licensure.

Carrico cites Valerie Cuffee, a former long-time social work faculty member who also had child welfare experience, as a particular influence. “Having a professor who was sharing her real cases and what she learned from them, and the mistakes she made—that was invaluable.”

Equally invaluable were the many internship opportunities the university offered her, including at a homeless shelter and with Loudoun County’s Department of Family Services. “What really resonated with me from being a student into being a professional is…how enriching my internships were.” She’s since paid the opportunities forward by frequently hiring George Mason students as interns.

It all comes back to her desire to make a difference, whether she’s offering in-person training or sitting quietly while Rylynn comforts a child in distress. “My heart really lies in wanting to do more.”

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Faith Spillman - Strengthening the Community Through Social Work

John Brandon Cantrell — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 16:28:23 +0000

Faith Spillman - Strengthening the Community Through Social Work John Brandon C… Thu, 08/05/2021 - 12:28

Faith Spillman (MSW, '16) shares her experience as a MSW graduate student and reflects on how an internship with the Alexandria Public Defender's Office inspired her to pursue a career as a social worker, supporting court-involved youth.

Faith Spillman (MSW, ’16) began her graduate school journey with a mission to find a career that supports adolescents and young adults. When she joined the Master of Social Work program at Mason, she learned about the variety of ways she would be able to achieve her career goals and help young adults in the process.

“The MSW program really broadened my horizons because I didn’t know there were so many types of social work,” Spillman said. “Before I [started my MSW], I assumed I would work in Child Protective Services (CPS) or Foster Care because that is what I knew social workers did. When I think back on my time at Mason, a lot of my focus was on reducing the number of youths who are police involved or court involved.”

During her second year in the program, Spillman accepted an internship that changed her career aspirations. After expressing that she would like to work with court-involved youth, Spillman’s practicum advisor connected her to an internship with the Alexandria Public Defender's Office. “That internship completely changed my career desires and what I wanted to do,” Spillman said.

The opportunity allowed Spillman to get a glimpse of how interdisciplinary the field of social work is and inspired her to pursue a career in the criminal justice field. “The internship was vital in preparing me for where I am today,” Spillman said. “I feel like that was such an integral part of my education.”

Spillman’s first post-graduation role was with Pathway Homes, a nonprofit organization in Fairfax, Virginia. In this role, Spillman worked with adults with mental health challenges. “It was a wonderful learning opportunity,” Spillman said. “It really expanded my understanding of psychotropic medications, clinical practices, residential care, and case management.”

Following her desire to work with youth, Spillman later transitioned into a new role in the law enforcement field. As the Youth Services Coordinator with the Alexandria Police Department, Spillman works to reduce the occurrence of adolescents and young adults becoming involved in the criminal justice system. Spillman accomplishes this through connecting youth and families to local resources, instructing Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings, developing community-based programs and initiatives, as well as coordinating outreach events to bridge the gap between governmental agencies and the communities they serve.

“What we found here in the City of Alexandria is that we are super fortunate in terms of resources,” Spillman said. “However, the youth and families don't always know they exist or how to access them.”

One of Spillman’s favorite outreach initiatives is organizing community outreach cookouts, an event that involves bringing neighborhoods together while raising awareness for local organizations and agencies committed to serving the community. The cookouts began several years ago under the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities’ SafePlace Program. With Spillman’s assistance, the program grew to now having over 80 service providers that help sponsor events and share helpful information with communities throughout the City of Alexandria. Even with COVID restrictions and precautions, the 2021 cookouts linked around 1600 community members to resources, including offering on-site COVID vaccinations.

“The goal of [the cookouts] is to bring all of us to the community, so they know that we exist, we care for them, and we support them,” Spillman said.

Spillman’s commitment to serving her community did not go unnoticed. To recognize her service, Spillman was recently honored in the “40 under 40 Honorees” by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Zebra Press.

Having worked in a field that supports her passion, Spillman advocates for social workers and encourages current and prospective students to reach out to her with any questions regarding the program, career opportunities, or what it is like to be a social worker.

“One thing that is awesome about the social work field is that it’s super flexible,” Spillman said. “You can end up becoming a therapist, work in policy, do outreach, and even write grants. The skills that we learn as MSWs are translatable to other fields.”

As a proud Mason alumna and accomplished social worker, Spillman continues to pass along the support she received throughout her career to others, as she strongly believes in creating communities that help one another. “We are all better together,” Spillman said.