TCU social work majors dedicated to helping the homeless population in Tarrant County
TCU social work majors are working to address the homeless issue in Tarrant County.
As a part of the social work major requirement, students participate in a field internship for 480-500 hours over two semesters.
Some majors choose to intern with homeless agencies. These interns help people get on housing lists, search for more housing options, serve as case managers and deal with crisis intervention.
Many of these agencies are non-profits that need the extra help from students, especially since COVID-19 has compounded the homeless issue and made outreach teams within many of these agencies smaller.
“Samaritan House allows me to be super hands-on, which is awesome and empowers me to just jump into it,” said Erin Vandertie, a senior social work and political science major who interns with Samaritan House. “I think nonprofits, in general, are just understaffed, so, in a bittersweet way, that has allowed me to truly be a part of the team and actually make a difference in people's lives.”
Vandertie is a case manager for five clients at Samaritan House. She is their “go-to call” when they need help.
“I get them the resources they need; I help them sign up for benefits and I make sure that they are in their house and that things with their landlords are going okay,” Vandertie said.
During their junior year, social work students meet with the director of the field education program to talk about their interests, strengths and where they want to grow. Students are then paired with an organization that fits their needs.
“The beautiful thing about TCU is that we have great connections around the community. And honestly, throughout the DFW area,” said Vandertie. “I have some friends who drive to Dallas for their internships, and I have friends who are right down the street, so we're truly all over.”
No matter the internship social work students hold, many participate in 1-1 counseling with clients. Some interns are medical social workers who intern at hospitals. (Photo courtesy of TCU ROXO, Maddie Cole)
No matter the internship social work students hold, many participate in 1-1 counseling with clients. Some interns are medical social workers who intern at hospitals. (Photo courtesy of TCU ROXO, Maddie Cole)
Social work majors participate in a variety of field internships. Some work with children at child placing agencies. (Photo courtesy of TCU ROXO, Maddie Cole)
Social work majors participate in a variety of field internships. Some work with children at child placing agencies. (Photo courtesy of TCU ROXO, Maddie Cole)
Students find a way to balance their course load with their social lives to dedicate at least 16 hours a week to the internship.
“Our focus in the social work department is really for the students to understand that we are part of a community,” said the director of Field Education at TCU, Dr. Lynn Jackson. "We want them to have hands on experience actually meeting with people and doing activities."
On the job
TCU social work interns help get homeless individuals into permanent housing and work with landlords to find more housing options for homeless individuals. Before they can house these individuals, they have to connect with them.
“We go out and find people in their camps; whether it be in the woods, or under a bridge or in their vehicle, we work with them to get them into our homeless system,” said Tony Wilson, the director of mobile assessment and outreach at DRC Solutions.
By doing homeless outreach, interns help people who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness get onto a housing list.
Photo- A member of DRC Solutions outreach team adds a homeless individual into the housing database.
“We’re just waiting on them to come get us,” said a homeless woman who did not want to be named. She has been experiencing unsheltered homelessness since 2006.
While she waits, she does what she can to get by.
“You hear my generator. And my tent has built-in lights. It’s an instant tent, but it has lights built into it that are powered by 4D batteries.” Currently, she is working with DRC’s outreach team in hopes of being housed.
Members of the DRC Solutions outreach team visit camps to get homeless individuals on the housing list. DRC staff ask homeless individuals standardized HUD assessment questions to get them on the housing list.
Members of the DRC Solutions outreach team visit camps to get homeless individuals on the housing list. DRC staff ask homeless individuals standardized HUD assessment questions to get them on the housing list.
An individual who had been experiencing unsheltered homelessness since 2006 walks to her tent to check on her generator.
An individual who had been experiencing unsheltered homelessness since 2006 walks to her tent to check on her generator.
The DRC does standardized HUD assessments to assess the homeless individual’s vulnerability and need for housing. Individuals are prioritized based on how long they have been experiencing homelessness, their health, age, if they are a veteran, if they have children and other factors that help determine their vulnerability. They are then added to the housing database.
After adding an individual to the database, the DRC outreach team regularly checks in on their clients to help them meet their immediate needs and to verify their ongoing homelessness. They also help clients gather critical documents to have access to basic things such as a job and an apartment. Once the individual becomes eligible for housing, the team finds them and connects them with their housing program.
“It is not a simple thing just to get someone from the streets into a house. There are so many steps, so many obstacles,” said Vandertie.
The social work program teaches students how to ethically deal with different obstacles students may face.
“We can't go and tell someone how to improve their lives. And we can't, we can't tell someone like what they're doing wrong and what they should be doing, because that's not what social work is about," said Uriel Huerta, a master of social work degree student and former DRC Solutions intern. "It's about meeting someone where they are, showing them where they can go and helping them get to where they want to be.”
On the job, students apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations, but interns also make an impact on TCU’s campus.
“I think what's great about the social work department and the idea of us going out into the community is that we can bring it back to the community,” Vandertie said.
In the classroom
Social work majors not only learn how to apply their skills in the field, but also try to understand what’s behind the issues they help address.
Homelessness is a consequence of bigger social problems, Huerta said.
The TCU social work program teaches students about macro social work which looks at social problems from a broader viewpoint to help find resolutions.
“It's important as social workers, not just to be doing the one-on-one kinds of skills, but the larger macro policy type of work,” Jackson said.
In Tarrant County, the cost of housing and rental units continues to rise while wages do not.
“So that's where the issue starts. I think that's the fundamental problem,” said Wilson.
There are less affordable housing units available than the amount of people who need them. According to the Tarrant County 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan, 87,740 of all homeowners in the urban county consortium are severely cost burdened, spending 50% or more of their income on housing.
“Being there on East Lancaster, here in Fort Worth, where you see all these people who are just sleeping outside, sleeping on sidewalks, this is a result of something more than just not being able to budget, or not being able to get help with a substance use disorder, or having bad family relationships,” Huerta said. “All of this is this just kind of speaks to society in general.”
Household incomes for renters are varied with the majority of households in the extremely low and low income brackets. Only 29% of renters in Tarrant County have household incomes well above the HUD adjusted median family income level.
“We need to address other issues that impact homelessness,” said Megan Morris, a TCU social work alum who did her internship with Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. “Continuing to provide emergency shelter, or housing vouchers or food stamps will only meet people's needs for right now. We really need to address the reasons why people are struggling with these issues.”
Having more prevention services and not just intervention when someone is already experiencing homelessness is a key step in helping the issue, said Huerta.
To learn more about the current state of homelessness in Tarrant County click below:
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