Hey super social worker. I see you.
If you struggle to separate work from home and find yourself constantly thinking about your students, deadlines, and your never ending to do list
If you feel useless sometimes because there’s not enough hours in the day to meet the needs of the kids you serve
If you love the work that you do, but feel unsupported and emotionally drained from trying to do it all
And if you can vaguely remember a thing called ‘me time’ that you used to enjoy
Welcome.
This is a space where you’re seen, understood, and supported.
We appreciate you.
I believe…
- Even the busiest school social worker can make a meaningful impact on children’s emotional well-being while also taking care of themselves.
- Self-care isn’t selfish; it’s a necessary part of being a successful and confident social worker.
- Creating work life balance is achievable and it starts with small, intentional steps towards self-care.
The Self-Care Solution gave me a lot of ideas to add to my self-care plan! Thanks for sharing this.
Hi, I’m Yanique!
I started my first year as a school social worker nervous, but ready to dig in. I had five years’ clinical experience with at-risk youth and felt confident I could handle my new role. However, one month in and I was drowning in responsibilities.
My administrators didn’t understand my role and I was constantly asked to do things unrelated to social work. I had to resolve issues kids had on the school bus, monitor lunch periods, and cover the front desk during dismissal. This left little time for me to prepare for sessions. When I met with kids, I didn’t have a solid game plan for how to help them reach their goals. Every day I questioned if I was making a difference.
I vented to my colleagues and they reminded me to prioritize what was in the best interest of the kids. This inspired me to find a better way to get things done. I created a structured framework for planning individual and group sessions. This took the guesswork out of what to do when I met with kids. I learned to make the most out of whatever time I had with my kids. I know you can too!
Start Here
Need simple ideas for creating your self-care plan? Here are two fan favorites?
Need fresh social emotional learning activity ideas for kids?
What subscribers are saying
“I am so glad I found this site. I am involved in a mentoring program for girls age 3-17. This is phenomenal. I will definitely incorporate this awesome information and share with the other Mentees. Thank you so much. God bless you Mrs. Yanique Chambers. Please don’t stop.”
“Your resources are AMAZING by the way. I am a new school-based therapist and this site is really helpful.”
“I’m 2nd year School Social Worker and I have found myself, at times, questioning my ability to help my students. I found the website on some of the material from a previous counselor, and I’m happy I took a moment to look it up!”
Credentials & Education
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and former school social worker, trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, EMDR, and Yoga Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I’ve spent most of the last 17 years working with children and families.
I believe when you’re drowning in responsibilities, the last thing you need is someone adding one more thing to your to do list. We get it. Our community motto is work smarter, not harder.
And yet, if you want to make a difference in children’s social emotional well-being and help them succeed in school and life, the time to start empowering them with social emotional skills is now.
I believe that with a few simple adjustments, even the busiest school social worker can feel confident and fulfilled about making a difference in children’s social emotional well-being–without sacrificing their mental health and self-care needs.
- Master of Social Work-University at Albany
- Trained in EMDR and Flash Technique
- Trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy
- Trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Trained in Yoga-Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- Founder and CEO of Kiddie Matters-2014 to present
Featured in or mentioned…
Let’s stay in touch!
- You’re not alone. We’re in this together and I want to see you win. Feel free to send me an email. I promise I’ll read it!
- Join the Kiddie Matters Facebook Community, a safe space where you can find support and fill your cup.
- We can also connect on Instagram or Linkedin where I share burnout prevention ideas to get you feeling like yourself again!