Informational Interview Report

Heather Moody 10565210
Information Interview Report
Interview: Chelsea Barlow,LCSW
1-What is a typical day like for you? My days are a little crazy. I have several different jobs working in social work. My main full time job is working for Davis Mental Health. I do counseling during the day and also am on call at nights for intakes through the hospital. They call me to assess a patient and determine whether they need to be placed on a psych hold and if there is room in a local hospital for transfer.
2-How did this type of work interest you and how did you get started? I grew up in a home with many family problems. I am a caring person and wanted to help better the lives of others. I wanted to help people get through some of the same issues I had to learn to deal with. I started college right out of high school and just kept going. I worked hard to have my Masters degree in social work by the time I was 24. A career and education were a very important goal in my life.
3-How did you get your job? What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position? I got my job by doing some internship work while in graduate school. My experience in these internships led me to determine what areas of social work I wanted to be involved in.
4-Can you suggest some ways a student could obtain this necessary experience? The best way to honestly get the experience needed is to go internships. It is a very important part of discovering your certain niche of the field as well.
5-What part of this job is most satisfying? I find helping people learn to deal with their problems most satisfying. Linking them to resources available to them makes it easier for them and creates a positive experience for both of us.
6- What part of this job is most challenging? The most challenging part is probably the schedule. Doing on-call intake takes a toll. I am up early mornings, late nights, and sometimes both. It creates interesting work days when I have been up all night doing an intake.
7-What other jobs can you get with the same background? Social work is involved in just about every career field there is. You can practice social work in fields from adoption places, to nursing homes, to treatment facilities, or correctional facilities.
8-Why did you decide to work for this company? There is so much variation in working at a state office. We have a variety of ages that come in looking for help. I did internship work for Davis Mental Health and also worked for some troubled youth homes and this is what influenced me to stay with this company.
9-Do you find your job exciting or boring? My job is extremely exciting. You never run into the same situation twice. Every interaction you have with clients is going to bring something new.
10-Why do customers choose this company? Most customers choose this company because it is well established or because that is where state insurance such as Medicaid sends them. We have great therapists in our office. Each has a niche for a different type of client.

This interview was a great experience. It was a great way to find out more about a career field and ways to get experience in your field. I was interested to hear of all the internship work Chelsea did and how it helped her to decide what area of social work she wanted to be involved in. I prepared for the interview by having all of my questions set up beforehand. I wanted to know about some fields that I thought would be a good fit for me and my abilities. I will definitely use this process in the future to help me be better prepared for finding and getting a job in my field. She made me wish I had been so motivated when I graduated from high school. Chelsea will be a great person to have in my network. She volunteered at so many places and has so much experience. She can also be very motivational in helping get through hard times with school and other issues.