Social Work and Senior Move Management
Having been in practice as a social worker, therapist and educator for many years, I had to talk to my therapy clients about my transition to Senior Move Management when I decided to make the leap. So many responded with something along the lines of, “Oh, wow! You’re really going into something totally different!” Of course, in a way they were right. I’m out of the office, meeting people in their homes, taking care of their belongings and seeing them into new places. It’s very different from sitting in my own office, talking to clients as they take their turns on the couch.
However, I am struck by how much my skills as a social worker and mental health provider come into play in this work. Whether through meeting clients with empathy and compassion, assisting with complex and emotionally-involved decision-making, or coordinating with third-party providers like movers, lawyers, haulers and estate planners, my social work skills come into play nearly every day. Consider a few recent examples:
Helping a client with Parkinson’s disease come to terms with a realistic sense of her capabilities in her new home so that she could make organizing decisions like keeping things on lower shelves rather than using a step ladder.
Supporting a client who had given blood earlier in the day and passed out during the move - contacting emergency services personnel and interfacing with them when they arrived.
Staying organized while managing the wishes of a recently deceased client with the needs of those who would be inheriting the belongings, the executor, and the third-party providers (cleaners, movers, haulers, antiques experts) who needed to be involved to complete the work.
Every day working with clients in Senior Move Management calls forth the compassion and motivation to make meaningful differences in the lives of others that brought me into social work to begin with. I am so grateful to be able to work with people at sensitive and challenging moments in their lives, knowing that I am supporting them in making effective decisions and helping to provide smooth, positive transitions.
Jess Timmons, LCSW, Executive Director
