Pivot. Adapt. Change the paradigm. The new normal. Return to normal. Crisis within a crisis. The dual pandemic. The triple pandemic. The epidemic of racism. #2020.
The multiple crises of the past 9 months have been never-ending and relentless. They’ve layered on each other and compounded past and current inequities. Through it all I have had the privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the Pro Bono Counseling Project, a nearly 30 year old organization that increases access to mental health counseling by linking Marylanders to licensed mental health providers who volunteer their time.
Historically, our staff have worked from a central office. Our clinical staff conduct interviews with people interested in counseling over the phone. You might have heard me say as recently as January 2020—“yeah, we don’t really work from home—could you imagine, our staff working from home on the couch, in their pajamas, talking to someone about their mental health while the dog is barking in the background?” Well, in true 2020 fashion, we quickly pivoted and found secure ways to shift our staff to remote work while maintaining privacy and confidentiality for client work.
This one shift, from something that once seemed impossible but had quickly become a necessity, rapidly changed our perspective and opened our eyes to all kinds of new ideas and possibilities. Suddenly the impossible became just a little more possible.
To stay connected we began having daily Zoom staff meetings—as time moved on, we shifted to meeting twice weekly and, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the renewed movement for racial justice, we took a hard look at our organization’s stated values and realized those written values fell short of reflecting our commitment to racial justice and equity. As a result, we dedicated the time set aside for our Thursday staff meetings for individual, team, and organizational learning about anti-racism and oppression.
Each week our team spends about an hour engaged in active learning, reflection and conversation which we then apply to our individual and organizational work.
We continue to learn and grow. As a white leader of an organization with a diverse staff that serves predominantly BIPOC Marylanders, I work to continuously interrogate our past, present, and future, and my role in perpetrating and dismantling white supremacy.
Pre-March, you might have also heard me say something that I continue to say in the pandemic: I am the Executive Director of an organization that should not exist. In 2020, no one in America should have to rely on the voluntary actions of professionals as their means of access to mental healthcare. Until that day comes, PBCP will continue to serve those who otherwise would not have access to care.
Here’s to hoping working toward the day when quality mental healthcare for all those in need is no longer our vision, because it will have been achieved. If the pandemic has taught me one thing, it’s that things we once thought were impossible may not be so impossible after all.
Amy Greensfelder, LMSW is a 2017 graduate of the UMB School of Social Work, and SWCOS alum. She serves on the Alumni Board, and is always happy to talk with current students about careers, job searching, macro social work, and running. She lives in Baltimore with her spouse, 4 year old kid, 2 pups, and her mom who temporarily moved in with them in March and hasn’t left. She can be contacted at amy@probonocounseling.org
The Pro Bono Counseling Project serves as a foundation and advanced field placements with both macro and clinical options for students. Visit our website at www.probonocounseling.org to learn more.