Announcement
Photo: Mari Verrecchia-DeLonde/IRC
Staff Spotlight
An Interview with Kemah Brock, Intensive Case Management – AmeriCorps
As an AmeriCorps within our Intensive Case Management Program, Kemah works directly with clients who have significant mental and/or physical health barriers and need additional support to achieve self-sufficiency.
Tell us about yourself and how you got connected with the IRC Silver Spring.
I became familiar with the IRC through my studies at Syracuse University. I did a lot of projects focusing on refugee resettlement processes across the world. I was most impressed with the IRC and their persistent efforts to provide a safe transition for those in need.
What made you decide to provide your community service at the IRC?
When I saw that the IRC in Silver Spring was taking on new AmeriCorps members, I jumped at the opportunity to apply. I’ve always loved community service and now I had found a position with an organization that I admired and that could help me reach my career goals.
Describe the general type of services you provide to clients through the Intensive Case Management program.
With the Intensive Case Management program, I work with clients who have critical health needs. We work to familiarize clients with the US healthcare system and set goals towards self-sufficiency. I see this position as an investment with the highest return. Growing up in D.C., I have been exposed to increasing poverty and homelessness, with a majority of those affected being mentally and physically ill. I believe the support that the IRC provides is a small step towards the eradication of extreme poverty and homelessness.
What are some of the challenges you face in your day-to-day-work? How do you deal with them?
A major challenge in my day to day work would be resources! We want to provide our clients with the best possible transition into their new home but the bigger the barrier, the more expensive things get. It can be very disheartening but I’m always eager to step up to the plate. Self-care is also very important in this line of work. The best helpers, are the ones who are able to help themselves.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
My favorite part of my job is when I see my clients make these small steps towards independence. Things as little as making a doctor’s appointment on their own lets me know I am doing my job right and that they are learning from my efforts.
What are your career goals, and how do they align with what you do at the IRC?
In the future, I will go back to school to complete a Master’s in Public Policy and advance my education and experience in policy. In my limited time with the IRC in Silver Spring, I have learned so much about social policy and the many shortcomings with existing policies. My long term career goal would be to revise and create clear and constructive policies pertaining to ethics and inclusivity in the US.