From mental health to academia to probation, Cairn Social Work alumni work in a variety of fields, fulfilling their mission of serving those in need and providing competent care that changes lives.
Social Services
Veronica Soto ’12
Social Services Manager, Esperanza Health Center
Veronica provides patients with resources to aid them in cases of child abuse and domestic violence and assists them with insurance applications. She also works to find services for individuals who are uninsured and undocumented.
3 million reports of child abuse every year in the United States
www.childhelp.org
Mental Health
David Eckert ’01
Director of Mental Health Support Services & Spiritual Care Chaplain, Access Services
David is the director of a mobile psychiatric rehabilitation service that helps adults with mental illness to live successfully in the community. As the agency chaplain, he provides spiritual support to people with special needs. His education at Cairn in both social work and Bible has helped him provide holistic support in both the mental health system and the church.
1 in 4 of US adults has a mental illness
www.cdc.gov
Higher Education
Julie Furj-Kuhn ’00
Associate Professor of Social Work & International Social Work Field Director, Cedarville University
Julie is currently an associate professor in an accredited social work program teaching a variety of macro-level classes. She also serves as a board member with Safe Harbor House, a faith-based nonprofit working with women who have experienced trauma, and the Greene County Housing Program.
25% projected increase in the number of social work jobs between 2010 and 2020
www.socialworkers.org
Probation
Scott Leary ’02
Senior Probation Officer (Gloucester County Adult Probation), New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts
Scott supervises and monitors individuals sentenced to a term of probation. He refers individuals who are found guilty of a wide range of crimes to counseling, therapy, or family intervention services. He also travels around the county visiting their homes to monitor their conduct in the community.
3,910,600 US adult residents were on probation in 2013
www.bjs.gov
Addiction and Homelessness
John Ashmen ’74
President, Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM)
John is the president of the AGRM in Colorado Springs, CO. He oversees all operations of AGRM, working with 300,000 volunteers and 10,000 full-time staff to serve approximately 50 million meals, provide more than 20 million nights of lodging, distribute some 30 million pieces of clothing, and graduate upwards of 20,000 people from addiction recovery programs every year.
22.1 million Americans addicted to drugs or alcohol
www.samhsa.gov
Saya Lee works in the Communications and Marketing department at Cairn University. She recently graduated with a BA in English from Cairn. She can be reached by emailing slee@cairn.edu.