Introduction
To celebrate Black History Month, we asked African American social workers to talk to us about their career.
Rita Deans Brown, MSW, LCSW
Psychotherapy Private Practitioner
Charlotte, North Carolina
Q. Where did you earn your social work degree; where are you currently employed and what is your area of expertise?
I've lived in Charlotte, NC for most of my life including establishing my professional career in this area. I earned my Masters of Social Work degree from the School of Social Work, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. It took me five years and during that time I was newly married, then completing a graduate degree in another city, having a baby, getting divorced and supporting myself and my son during the 1970's. I have worked in many agencies but I answer to clinical social work specializing in psychotherapy for the mentally ill children, adolescents and their families in my private practice. I also provide clinical supervision to social workers and counselors working toward licensure in North Carolina and supervision to clinical supervisors. I consult with many service delivery agencies who provide many services to the underserved population.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your profession?
My BA degree is in psychology and I always knew that I wanted to serve the mentally ill. After taking a social work course in undergraduate school, I new that the road to accomplish this would be as a clinical social worker. The ethics and mission of social workers fit with my beliefs that we are of one community and the belief that to help one of us is to help all of us. This was how I was raised in the African-American communities of Charlotte, North Carolina and USA.
Q. What do you feel are the greatest challenges in the African American community and how can social workers help?
Keeping an identity as a community within larger communities continues to be a struggle for African Americans. Add to this the challenges of economics, discrimination, physical and mental illnesses and it appears overwhelming. As social workers, we are trained to find the strengths in individuals and in communities. We can help to translate these strengths into actions resulting in positive changes for all of us. Hopefully keeping the African American communities well and healthy as well as producing more social workers and leaders of the world.
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