Charlotte Barnett is one busy woman. As she works toward her master’s degree in social welfare, this hardworking student also completes 20 hours of service per week as an intern for Beach Cities Health District (BCHD) through a connection with the Geriatric Social Work Educational Consortium (GSWEC.)
Born and raised in Hermosa Beach, California, Charlotte is no stranger to the Beach Cities. After completing her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Saint Mary’s College of California, she returned to school for her master’s in social welfare at UCLA, which she is scheduled to finish June 2019. Part of her program is to complete an internship and her school furnished a list of agencies for students to choose from. When Charlotte noticed BCHD was on it, she was happy having been familiar with them when she interned back in the summer of 2014 for the Move Well Program. “I was so stoked to see them listed as a possibility.” She selected her choices, BCHD among them, and shortly after, she was called in for interviews before being selected.
As an intern for BCHD, Charlotte provides home counseling, conducts home visits and group visits, and is involved with case management. She attends strategic meetings and assists with the MoveWell program, as well as sharing in a host of other responsibilities during her nine-month internship of 20 hours per week.
It’s clear when you talk to Charlotte that she has a passion for working with and helping senior citizens, having discovered it herself back in high school when she volunteered at Sunrise Assisted Living. And her first home visit for her internship at BCHD stands out because it reminded her of how much she loves interacting with seniors. Michael Reighley, Care Management Coordinator and Charlotte’s supervisor, sees the passion in her, explaining, “Charlotte is very compassionate and easy going in her interactions with our care management clients. She demonstrates excellent Social Work skills such as active listening, building rapport, providing emotional support to clients, and active and engaging group facilitation skills.”
For those thinking about volunteering for BCHD, Charlotte advises, “Don’t be shy or afraid. Everyone at BCHD is so welcoming and they’re open to hearing feedback.” When this hard-working student has a moment of spare time, which likely isn’t much, she enjoys running, practicing yoga and spending time outdoors.
Written by Christina Parisi
