Riley Henson
Youth Care Coordinator, Child Abuse & Trauma Services
How did you get started in the field?
When I graduated from undergrad, I had a desire to start working in the mental health field and to help others in Tulsa. I started working at Family & Children’s Services right after graduation and started the Master of Social Work program that fall.
Why did you go into social work?
I studied psychology while in college and I’ve always known that I wanted to be in a career field that would allow me to serve others. I have been interested in research for a while, and social work provides the flexibility to provide clinical, one-on-one work, as well as intervene on a larger scale in the community. I love that social work focuses on making a difference while maintaining ethics and cultural competence and aligns with my values.
What do you love about your job?
One of my favorite things about my job is the people that I work with. Working in this field is not always easy, and I feel like I have incredible support from my coworkers when I have a hard day or just don’t know how to tackle a situation. I also really enjoy the clients and families that I get to meet with each week. As I am going through my master’s program, I have learned a lot of new information, and have been able to share that learning alongside my clients. The clients that I see give me hope about our program and the work that we are doing.
