Nancy VanVolkenburgh, MSW, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services at Family & Youth Services Bureau is a Valpo Life in the Spotlight. She began her career as a seamstress sewing custom bridal gowns and accessories. Sewing was her passion but it was while she was volunteering teaching Religious Education for Our Lady of Consolation that her passion started to change from sewing to helping families.
She attended Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting taking Theology classes. It was during that time when her middle child became a diabetic. Still attending school, she began volunteering for the American Diabetes Association and became very involved doing everything from organizing bike-a-thons to running a support group for mothers with diabetic children. Each week the struggles of dealing with a diabetic child were discussed and those who attended the group were encouraged.
VanVolkenburgh said, "All these things kind of came together for me. Just taking the college courses gave me the courage to go to school and being involved with the support group made me feel like I could make an impact and help others and so I furthered my education. With my Bachelors Degree I could do what I really wanted to do, and that is help families."
She did her internship with Catholic Charities running a financial program to help families in need.
VanVolkenburgh said, "Working with people became a passion of mine. Running the financial program and helping people that were good people but were having a difficult time in their lives due to no fault of their own, we were able to take a limited fund and work with other organizations like a 'Patchwork Quilt' to buy medicine or pay rent or keep the NIPSCO on, that is when helping people and families became a passion of mine."
She added, "It was during those years that I became exposed to the Master Level Social Workers and I was watching them in awe. I said to myself, 'That is what I want to do.' I want to help people through counseling groups and other programs. Which brings me to where I am today, working for Family & Youth Services Bureau."
VanVolkenburgh had many other exposures helping her community she ran an adoption program, a domestic violence shelter at St. Jude House and was a Lake County CASA associate.
VanVolkenburgh said, "I hadn't done this type of work, clinical services, and so I came in as a therapist with Family & Youth Services Bureau in March 2001 and that following December I took the position of Director of Clinical Services."
With the position of Director it gave VanVolkenburgh the opportunity to do more and respond to the needs of the community more readily.
"Everything we've done so far is because someone in the community has said 'Can you do this?' and that is what Dennis Morgan, Founder of Family & Youth Services Bureau had a passion for. He wanted to respond to the needs of the community and that's the way I feel. Working with him and helping those in the community made me feel like I have arrived and this is where I need to be. We have great programs like our Strengthening Families Program that is a whole family program. It involves parenting classes and adolescent process groups. It is a program that is designed to help the family become cohesive and be able to communicate with each other," said VanVolkenburgh
Each class lasts for 14 weeks and is held twice a year. A communication builder is the family meal. Each week at the beginning of each class a family meal is prepared and the families are encouraged to eat together and have conversation at the dinner table opening up the channel of communication. A staff member sits with each family as a role model to open up that channel of communication.
A program coming back once again is the Therapeutic Summer Day Camp. From June 16 - June 27 for Pre-adolescent kids ages 6-12. The camp will consist of crafts activities and games as well as small therapeutic groups to work on social skills and interaction. For more details call 219-464-9585 to request an application.
VanVolkenburgh concluded, "None of this could happen without our full staff. I play a minor role. We all work as a team; helping others learn the skills to help themselves. Working alongside Dennis Morgan (Founded F&YSB 1972) for so long and thinking back to the many conversations we've had, I believe as he did that this agency has 'Social Work Heart.' We want to help every family to be able to help themselves, to be the family they want to be, to guide their children to be productive members of the community and with what ever direction clinical services plays in that role it just feels good."
Tom Moeller, MS, LMHC Assistant Director of Clinical Services spoke of VanVolkenburgh saying, "Nancy combines qualities of diligence, compassion and vision as the director of clinical services. She's a supportive supervisor to me and others on the clinical staff. She brings the strengths perspective to all she does here at the Family and Youth Services Bureau."
Dennis Morgan retired in September of 2012. Lisa Jordan took over as President in October 2012.
VanVolkenburgh said, "With Lisa's direction that passion and 'Social Work Heart' will continue and I have confidence in her ability to lead this agency and that makes me want to continue to be a part of the agency's progress. My goal is to keep helping families in the community until my retirement."
Lisa Jordan, President and CEO said of VanVolkenburgh, "Nancy shows a high level of commitment to her career: caring for her clients and doing so in a professional and nurturing fashion. Nancy maintains positive community relationships by participating in professional groups and volunteering for leadership positions in those groups. Nancy strives to create a cooperative/team spirit with her staff. Nancy also volunteers in agency-wide activities. Nancy's programming is in continual flux and she never tires of creating and reexamining programming."
Helping families help themselves, responding to the needs in the community is why Nancy VanVolkenburgh is a Valpo Life in the Spotlight.