About the Expert Insights Series: The success of families depends on many stakeholders coming together to understand and respond to the complex needs of families. With so many facets of family well-being and endless commentary on topics, it can be difficult for professionals to find the reliable, relevant information they need to make informed decisions and stay current on key issues.
That’s why we created the Expert Insights Spotlight. This is a space where we talk to trusted experts across the many fields that contribute to flourishing families. These conversations offer actionable insights and digestible advice for professionals, advocates, and anyone working to support family well-being.
Alycia Faison is the director of the social work for KIPP Knowledge is Power Programs, a large network of open-enrollment college-preparatory schools in under-resourced communities. Faison started at Richland County Department of Social Services as a foster care social worker, then transitioned to Mecklenburg County DSS, where she worked as an Investigator. When she started at KIPP, she was a school social worker. She's passionate about helping at risk youth and has dedicated her career to addressing racial disparities in foster care. Previously working in child welfare for government agencies, she now leads a team of social workers who support KIPP students and families facing various challenges. Her breadth and depth of experience have allowed her to understand the integral roles social work plays in family success. Alycia's focus is on understanding family needs and ensuring the wellbeing of children.
In this part of the conversation, Faison touches on a concept integral to the success of any professional who works with families: taking time to practice self-care.
When Alycia Faison steps into her school each morning, she knows she’s walking into a job that doesn’t pause when the last bell rings—or when summer vacation rolls around.
As a school social worker, Faison is a 12-month employee because she recognizes that children and family's needs don’t take time off.
“I tell everybody from the beginning, even in the interview,” she says, “this is a very challenging job, and we hear a lot of different stories every day of the week. You have to find an outlet. We have to be intentional about taking care of ourselves as we try to help other people.”
Carrying It All
Social work means hearing hard stories that can’t be shared due to confidentiality agreements and protecting the safety of the children you are serving. Because of this, emotional weight can add up.
“You can’t talk to other people about it because it’s confidential,” Alycia explains. “So a lot of times that can weigh on you. So you have to learn how to compartmentalize. And the way you do that is finding whatever outlet, whatever release that you have for yourself, and being intentional to do that when we get off.”
At the Institute for Family, we explored this in our Lightbulb Moment piece, Empathy’s Toll: Mental Health for Family Professionals. The article quotes an unknown article, saying:
“As helping professionals, our greatest tool is ourselves. If we are not well, we cannot do our work well.”
Faison echoes this sentiment, ““As we help other people, we need to take care of ourselves.” She adds that she can only pour from her cup if it is full, which requires her to do things that bring her peace and outside purpose.
Setting the Tone
A Medium article summarizes how, in 2021, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) added self-care to the Code of Ethics, identifying it as a vital component to the success of the profession. The Code of Ethics now encourages, “Social work organizations, agencies, and educational institutions to promote organizational policies, practices, and materials to support social workers’ self-care.”
As a team leader, Faison makes sure she is following this by ensuring self-care isn’t just something talked about, but something practiced by her team members.
“I send weekly updates and I’m like, ‘Hey, for this weekend, find something to do to take care of yourself.’ During our check-in during the week, I'll ask them, ‘What did you do to take care of yourself over the weekend?’” she says.
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) defines self-care as any activity that supports a person’s emotional, mental, and physical health. That kind of care leads to better well-being, improved health, and higher job satisfaction.
Alycia keeps her self-care routine simple and effective:
“To avoid burnout, I tell people, find what makes you happy. And so for me, that’s going to church, that’s being with my family and my friends.”
Each day, Alycia begins with intention, doing something that helps her feel grounded and ready.
“I’m able to be rejuvenated and I feel like I hit the reset button,” she says.
This Is Bigger Than One Person
A recent study shared by the New York Post found that community and social service workers report the highest rates of lifetime diagnosed with depression. Health and social assistance workers were just behind. While this information is alarming, it is also an opportunity to adopt better practices and societal mindsets about mental health’s role in job satisfaction and outcomes.
Dr. Manish Sapra, executive director of Northwell Health’s Behavioral Service Line, put it clearly: Social service professionals need systems designed to support their mental health. It shouldn’t fall only on the employee. If we want the people supporting families to keep showing up every day, we need to show up for them, too.
Alycia Faison’s leadership reminds us that real care, both for others and for ourselves, starts with commitment and thoughtfulness. It can’t be a one-time act, but a daily practice of showing up for yourself so you can show up for the people who count on you to be your best.
“You have to be intentional about taking care of yourself as we try to help other people,” she says.
As Faison encourages her team, we invite you to do the same: Choose one thing each day that fills your cups, something that brings you joy, grounds you, and helps you feel rejuvenated. Like Faison, it could be spending ten minutes a day talking to a loved one, or it could be five minutes of quiet reflection. Whatever helps you reset and return to your work with clarity and care.
When we lead with softer, more human-centered practices, which includes caring for the professionals doing the work, we create space for people to feel energized, connected, and ready to serve families.