We are thrilled to celebrate our dedicated social workers in honor of Social Work Month! The 2025 theme is Compassion + Action, and we are proud to say that SCES social workers embody these values year-round.
SCES’ Adult Family Care, Protective Services, Home Care and CONNECT staff are integral to advancing our mission of helping people live and age well at home and in community. They provide case management, offer guidance and support, work to alleviate risk or abuse, and so much more. Read the Q&As below to learn more about three SCES social workers!
Nathaniel Meyer
Clinical Social Worker
Behavioral Health Outreach for Aging Populations (BHOAP)
Q: How long have you worked at SCES?
A: 12 years
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in social work?
A: I knew that I wanted to help people in the field of mental health. The social work emphasis on the interaction between internal and external, systemic forces that affect our well-being was what attracted me to the field. There’s a real sense of compassion in its focus on building up strengths, and I appreciated its emphasis on curiosity and possibility, de-emphasizing the clinician as “expert.”
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
A: It’s an exciting, often nerve-wracking, experience to step into someone’s home and their lived experiences. But building trust and helping a client recognize and build on their strengths and capacities is incredibly rewarding. And to work in the non-profit world, where the prime goal is supporting the client, is such a great place to do this kind of work. The mutual support and knowledge of my colleagues is also amazing, and I feel thankful for it every day!
Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue social work?
A: Self-reflection, learning about who you are and what you need to thrive are crucial (although it is an ongoing process, with no endpoint!). Find good supervision wherever you can, and continually challenge your own assumptions and areas of comfort, keeping my first point in mind throughout.
Eliza Royer
Social Worker
Adult Family Care
Q: How long have you worked at SCES?
A: 10.5 years
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in social work?
A: I was always interested in psychology in school and knew I wanted to do direct care work. I decided to pursue a masters in social work because of its history of community work and emphasis on social justice.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
A: I think that being able to work with my clients in their homes is the most rewarding part of my job. It makes our services accessible, comfortable and convenient. It also helps me understand them in a much deeper way to see them in the context of their space, meet their family and their pets and have a better sense of what their day to day life looks like.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue social work?
A: Social work is a big profession with tons of career paths so try out different types of jobs/volunteer opportunities to get a better sense of what settings and client demographics are a good fit for you.
Ka Wo Lam
Clinical Supervisor
Protective Services
Q: How long have you worked at SCES?
A: I have been in the SCES family since May 15, 2023. That’s 672 days!
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in social work?
A: Social work is a fascinating field. It encompasses many disciplines with an end goal of promoting justice, equality, and fairness to enhance wellness of the society for its members’ enjoyment and participation. It’s a privilege to be part of a driving force in propelling civilization to continue moving forward.
Q: What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
A: Seeing firsthand happiness and joy from the older adults is invaluable. Protective Services workers are tasked with ensuring safety, wellness, and independence of at-risk individuals 60 years and older; when said goals are achieved, a shared sense of accomplishment felt among the older persons and the Protective Services team members are priceless.
Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to pursue social work?
A: Social work is hard work. There are many possibilities in terms of career paths, whether in the form of being the troops on the ground at the frontline, or policymakers enacting legislation addressing pressing needs and concerns, a career in social work is a worthy cause that makes people even better citizens, embracing a worldview of love, peace, and justice.
