Charlene Cross is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist and provides services in Greene, Delaware, Schoharie, and Otsego Counties.
What made you decide to enter into this profession?
Charlene, a social worker who is naturally inclined to give, chose this profession for one fundamental reason, her passion for helping others. Prior to pursuing her bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work, she was a freshman at Roberts Wesleyan College with the intention of working in the music education field. In order to fulfill the requirements of music education at the college, Charlene had to work with special education children in a classroom setting. Through this experience, she helped foster the development of the children’s social and academic skills. Charlene enjoyed the time she spent with the children. However, the defining moment that propelled her into choosing social work as her profession was when a social worker came into the classroom and interacted with the children in ways that seemed truly beneficial to the development of the children. From that moment, Charlene shifted her focus onto social work and has never looked back since. During her second summer in college, she attended a job fair and landed an internship at the OPWDD(Office of Professions With Developmental Disabilities) for the summer. Charlene managed to fulfill the bachelor’s degree requirements along with a close friend who called Charlene “a born social worker.” Charlene truly believes that social work is the profession for her because social work allows her to help the most people. Now as a master’s level social worker, Charlene is able to passionately help countless individuals and families across the state of New York.
What part of being a counselor do you most enjoy?
According to Charlene, the most enjoyable part of being a therapist is hearing direct feedback from her clients saying that she is making even the smallest impact on their lives and that she is helping them achieve their goals. Part of why she enjoys being a clinician and social worker is her ability to act as a resource to her clients in a way that lifts her clients up in any and all directions that people are hoping for. In this way, she can really “gear this in any direction” in order to best accommodate her clients’ needs. Thus, Charlene has had much success with her clients and deeply values her clients’ appreciation because this “priceless” feeling makes her feel like she is making a positive difference.
Why do you like working with Cornerstone Mobile Counseling?
Charlene’s job consists of a combination of outreach efforts and clinical work. She admitted that she was initially nervous at the thought of working with the clinical aspect of her job, but she quickly learned that Cornerstone’s policies are unique and different from other counseling companies. Cornerstone’s mobile counseling consists of a multitude of career opportunities and flexibility, things that Charlene truly values and appreciates while working with Cornerstone. Additionally, Charlene spoke positively about the large amount of autonomy that Cornerstone offers. She loves how she has the freedom to utilize any type of psychotherapy and even some non-conventional methods to serve her clients. She feels strongly that Cornerstone values the differences in people and their own situations which culminates in a high level of individualized attention. Unfortunately, there are many populations across the state of New York with limited or no access to mental health resources. However, Charlene feels that Cornerstone’s mobile counseling model has allowed her to bring mental health support to areas such as those. Since Cornerstone has no official mental health establishments, this allows Charlene, and other countless therapists, to reach clients in their own homes or other places of comfort to the client. This is an aspect of Cornerstone that Charlene heavily emphasized as a crucial part of what makes Cornerstone’s a great company.
What is the biggest difference between working with Cornerstone versus your previous employment?
Charlene’s previous job experience is in stark contrast to her experience as a therapist and social worker with Cornerstone. Prior to Cornerstone, she worked in mental health facilities that were extremely structured. She had to interact with her clients in a formal setting, which is often an uncomfortable environment for patients, and had to offer controlled/general therapy. There were even criteria she had to follow to write her client notes. Charlene said that there was a notion of wanting patients to reach a “plateau” in order to simply discharge them from the services they might still need. She saw it as a short term relationship while Cornerstone allows her to have long term relationships and allows her to “go the extra mile” for her clients. Charlene mentioned that she has taken clients on walks, met clients in comfortable public places, and has also been a person of support. Because of Cornerstone’s mobile counseling model, Charlene feels like she can take the time to know and understand her patients to help them get better. One thing that is close to Charlene’s heart is family. Cornerstone allows Charlene to have flexibility in terms of managing her work schedule with her personal/family commitments. During her previous job experience, she felt that her jobs made her sacrifice much time with her family. She felt that her time inside and outside of work was controlled and was not accommodating to her personal life and moral values. She also noticed a clear power hierarchy that was inviting to new employees. At Cornerstone, Charlene is able to manage her own schedule and allot time to her family and other important commitments she values. She doesn’t feel the power hierarchy because she feels welcome and supported by the Cornerstone community.
What are some reasons why you enjoy going to clients’ homes/public places and offering your services in those types of environments?
Clients’ homes and public places are a favorite among clinicians and clients because of the numerous amounts of benefits. Charlene enjoys working in these types of environments because they foster a level of comfort for the client that cannot be created in traditional treatment settings. Charlene is dedicated to her clients and appreciates that the level of comfort clients feel in these environments because clients say and do things they probably would not think about in traditional therapy settings. Charlene feels that she can establish a stronger level of trust with her clients by allowing her clients to meet in environments most suitable to their emotional and physical comfort. She feels that Cornerstone’s services are more accessible because clinicians can reach clients with various types of lifestyles and situations. If one of Charlene’s clients has a busy lifestyle at home, Cornerstone’s model allows her to serve them directly in their homes. If one of her clients finds personal comfort in parks, she can serve them there as well. Thus, Charlene feels that these environments deepen her relationships with her clients in positive ways.
What is something you personally do to take care of your own mental health?
Charlene participates in a variety of activities to take care of her mental health and fulfill her personal goals. She spends time with her family and follows the Christian faith. Furthermore, she enjoys being outside with her dogs and staying active. She stays active by going on bike rides, kayaking, camping, as well as going on runs with her dog. She values Cornerstone’s model because the flexibility allows her the time to take care of herself mentally and physically. Cornerstone allows her to take care of herself in those aspects which places Charlene in a healthy position to take care of her clients to the best of her abilities. This is a major component of why Charlene stands by Cornerstone’s model.