Staff Spotlight: Jenn Johnson

Meet our new Clinician, Jenn Johnson! She has been with the WCA since March and we are so grateful to have her onboard!

What are the duties of that position?

 As a Clinician, I provide individual therapy to clients in our community and residential programs. Our clients come from a wide variety of backgrounds and my therapeutic style is trauma focused and individualized to meet the specific needs of each individual. In this position, I get the opportunity to collaborate closely with our case managers, shelter staff, court advocates, and financial empowerment program. I also am currently facilitating Circle of Support, which is a community support group for survivors of sexual assault.

Where did you work previously (in what field, what area, what degree(s) do you have)?

I received my Bachelor of Social Work from Colorado State University and my Masters of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Before returning to school to get my Masters, I spent two years as an AmeriCorps member working as a college access counselor at a high school in Portland, Oregon. During my time in St. Louis I worked as a therapist at a drug and alcohol treatment center, providing individual and group counseling to those struggling with addiction.

What brought you to the WCA?

During my 4 years at Colorado State, I worked as a victim advocate for our campus sexual assault hotline. Through this position, I became passionate about working with survivors and empowering them in their healing process. It was also this experience that sparked my interest in the social work field and began my path to becoming a therapist. Since undergrad I have been eager to work with this population again and upon returning to Boise I was thrilled by the opportunity to join the team at the WCA, an organization I had admired and respected since growing up here.

What is most rewarding about this position?

One of my first tasks in this position was to call people on our waitlist to check in and if appropriate, enroll them in our clinical program. This was during the first few weeks of the shelter in place order and most people were experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and fear about the state of the world. Every phone call I placed was met with gratitude, and often tears, as people expressed how grateful they were to have someone check in with them. It was incredibly rewarding to get to provide a meaningful connection to so many people and to hear their eagerness to begin counseling with us.

 What do you look forward to as you continue in this position?

I look forward to the day when we are all back in the office and I get the opportunity to meet more of my coworkers and clients in person. Starting a new position during a global pandemic has certainly been a unique experience and while I am so grateful we have been able to continue all of our services virtually, I will also be very excited to see everyone outside of a computer screen!

Jenn, thank you for all that you do for our clients. We appreciate you!

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