Public & Human Services: Social Worker
Public & Human Services
Julie Tsutsui: Social Worker
By Jeffery Guillermo
In this society, we hear about family crises only after tragedy strikes. As we sip our orange juice and munch on our breakfast, we peruse news headlines that read, “Man gets life in death of baby.” The news rarely reports on the thousands of successful cases, and the heroes that manage these cases.
Julie Tsutsui is one of those heroes. She works in the Department of Human Services (DHS), Child Welfare Services Branch, Central Permanency Unit. “We work with children in foster care who can’t go back home,” Julie says. “Our job is to find a permanent home for them either through adoption or legal guardianship. We make sure the kids and their families have all the services and support they need.”
In high school, Julie decided to earn a bachelor’s in social work through the University of Hawai‘i at M?noa, School of Social Work.
However, at that time, a lot of social workers were experiencing problems, which made the headlines.
Indeed, less than a year before Julie received her diploma, the front page headline of the June 19, 1989 Honolulu Star-Bulletin read, “From tougher cases of abuse to a lack of staff, many workers in child protective services say they’ve been caught short-handed.”
One anecdote was from a social worker who said he joined Child Welfare Services straight out of school “even though it was considered a bad place to go.” Another social worker said that the workers stay despite “terrible conditions because they are committed professionals who really care about these families and what happens to them.” “I wanted to work with kids who were abused and neglected, and help them deal with the trauma,” Julie says. “To see a traumatized child start to heal in a permanent family is one of the greatest rewards.”
Her job is demanding “because it is completely within the state system,” she says. “There’s a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy. It is difficult to do the best you can for the kids and their families.”
If you’re considering social work as a career, Julie advises that you balance your personal life and your work life. “Don’t be so consumed in your work life that you neglect yourself,” she says. “It’s important to have outlets for fun and relaxing.”
She also warns that many of the cases will affect you emotionally. “It’s part of the job because you’re working with children who are hurt. You can’t help but to be affected. There are times when you might feel that you can’t do it anymore and want to quit, but if you hang in there, it’s going to get better.”
People like Julie exist to help strengthen families and provide safety for our children. According to DHS, the foster child re-abuse rate has gone down from 6 percent in 2003 to 2.2 percent in 2007. If you feel you have the empathy for the children of the future, and have the fortitude for the profession, social work might be your career pathway.