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All in Adams--Kelsey Root
13 Plays13 hours ago
Thank you for tuning in to All in Adams. This episode we host special guest Kelsey Root. Kelsey is a child welfare Assessment Supervisor and also Adams County's Winter Overall Employee of the Season. We talk to Kelsey about what drives her to help families overcome some of the hardest journeys in life, and what it means to her to be honored by her peers.
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Transcript
Introduction to All In Adams Podcast
00:00:04
Speaker
Welcome to All In Adams, the official podcast of Adams County government, where we're all in for our residents, our employees, and our community. So whether you live here, work here, or you just want to know more about what makes Adams County a great place to be, thanks for tuning in.
00:00:21
Speaker
We're all in, Adams.
Introduction of Kelsey Root, Winter 2020-25 Employee of the Season
00:00:23
Speaker
Hi, everyone. Thanks for watching All In Adams. I'm Melo Acevedo, an employee engagement specialist here at Adams County, and I'm joined by a very special guest, Kelsey Root. Hi, Kelsey. Hi, Melo.
00:00:33
Speaker
Kelsey is our overall Winter 2020-25 Employee of the Season Award winner, which is a very special recognition that we do quarterly here at Adams County.
00:00:44
Speaker
And we're just so lucky to have you on the team and so happy to be talking to you today. How are you feeling? I'm feeling really good. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, well, Kelsey, I'd like to start just by sort of introducing you a little bit and talking about who you are and your role.
Kelsey's Role in Human Services Division
00:00:58
Speaker
um So Kelsey works within our human services division, specifically within children and family services, where she's an assessment supervisor. um But if you could talk more about the specifics of your role and what you do here, I'm sure the folks at home would love to hear it.
00:01:12
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. um My name is Kelsey Rue. I am an assessment supervisor. i have stepped into this role as of this year, so it's fairly new to me. um Prior to that, I was a caseworker for six years, and I just, I love child welfare. I always say I'm a lifer. i can't imagine doing anything else.
00:01:28
Speaker
um Having grown up in kinship care myself, it's definitely, um it's an honor to be in this seat and walking alongside families who are very similar to my own. Yeah. And the personal tie um always just, I'm sure it evoked a lot in you as you were going through school and making that decision with what did you want to do in life?
00:01:47
Speaker
um And it pointed you towards this career. But um now that you're in a supervisory role, it's sort of changing a little bit, right? Yep. Yep. I'm creating my own new team. So it's a, it's very up and coming. it It's, it's going to be a dream team. And I'm so excited to just bring on people who have the same mission and values as my own and really serving the families of Adams County.
00:02:07
Speaker
Yeah, i um I know for a fact that you're creating your new team because we were working earlier this week, specifically you and I, to help staff that team and build it up.
The Assessment Team's Role in Child Welfare
00:02:16
Speaker
um Again, could you kind of go into what is assessment?
00:02:20
Speaker
ah What specifically ah is going to be the role of this team ah and others, of course, here Adams County as you move forward? Yeah. Yeah. Assessment is one of the first um lines of contact with a family.
00:02:33
Speaker
um After we receive a report of abuse or neglect to our child protection hotline, we are the first people going out, meeting families, addressing the safety issues, trying to resolve them. um we We work alongside families in a very quick time frame. We only have 60 days to kind of get in and get our job done. And if we can't, then that's when we'll transition transition it onto a Permanency caseworker, but we are really the first people going in. And so our first contact, um it really sets the whole tone for what child welfare is like and what their experience will be like.
00:03:05
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, you are quite literally doing an assessment of the situation, right? Yes. um And yet you're following all these guidelines, but doing your best to to make sure that you're approaching it from a place where the people feel safe and they understand your purpose and why you're there. And I think that that's something that you excel at.
00:03:21
Speaker
um Now, Kelsey, you you excel in a lot of things. This is why you were named our winter 2025 Employee of the Season. Congratulations, by the way. i know that you sadly weren't there to accept the award ah in person, which was sad, but it was accepted on your behalf. And thankfully, we're able to honor you in this way, which is nice. Yeah, thank you. um But tell me, you know what what was it like when you heard for the first time that you were the winner? like How was that reaction and what what does that mean to you?
Gratitude and Recognition
00:03:49
Speaker
I think, you know, it it always feels good to be recognized for the work that you are doing and for people to see that you are are putting in the blood, sweat, tears, all of it to make families be successful.
00:04:00
Speaker
um But truly, i think a lot of the credit goes to the families I've worked with. I am so fortunate to have worked with people who who want um to grow and learn and and and make changes. And um I mean, I feel like I owe all of the credit to them because everything that I was recognized for, I could not have done by myself.
00:04:19
Speaker
Yeah. Well, you did it with the families in mind, right? And the overall welfare of of the whole family unit, um but especially the kiddos, of course. um I want to know, ah recognition is such an important area of our own welfare at work, right?
00:04:36
Speaker
ah There's the concept, i don't know if you've ever heard, of an emotional equity bank where every day, right, we're investing a little bit of our own emotions into the job. And if you keep investing more from this bank and you're not putting anything in, well, what happens when you overdraft, right?
00:04:51
Speaker
And so when we do things like this, the employee of the season awards and the various nominations that we recognize people for, ah hopefully it fills your emotional equity bank. um So like, what does this what does this mean to you to be recognized in this way here at Adams County?
00:05:08
Speaker
I think, again, it it makes me feel like the work I'm doing matters. um We don't always have happy endings to the the families we work with. We don't always see things through. And so to have such a positive thing to be recognized for reminds me ah of my
Employee of the Season Award's Impact on Well-being
00:05:24
Speaker
why. It's why I stay in this field. It's why I keep going, even when the days are really, really hard.
00:05:29
Speaker
And I hope it also sets a standard for other caseworkers in similar roles that
00:05:36
Speaker
Our work matters. yeah And the way we treat families and the way we treat them with dignity, it matters. Yeah, absolutely. um And clearly it matters because this is not this is not an easy award to be recognized for, right? the The way that we do this is we have a nomination period open for um Quite a while where any employee can nominate somebody and specifically say why they think they should win a category. And then it goes through a voting period. We have a whole committee of people that look through and then kind of choose and say, hey, like this is the person that we really think shined and went above and beyond.
00:06:10
Speaker
And you really exemplified that. So but great job there. um I also want to ask ah if you can, because I know we're already now we're in June at this
Empowerment and Cultural Humility in Social Work
00:06:19
Speaker
point. So summer is knocking on the door.
00:06:21
Speaker
um But is there something special that really stands out to you ah that you feel like you accomplished with families over the past winter season? Yeah, I think just going back to the award and and what I was recognized for, um i am so proud of my work that I had done with that family.
00:06:38
Speaker
um Without getting into too specific, i worked with a family who did not speak the same language as myself. So that already posed somewhat of a barrier as far as how I could be most supportive to them.
00:06:52
Speaker
I'm an English-speaking person, and so I... I needed to to try and help them understand my role in a way that didn't feel too overwhelming. um I will also add that this family was developmentally delayed themselves, um and they were caring for a special needs child. And it was so important to me to empower this family to so to be able to care for their child in a way that doesn't make sense.
00:07:20
Speaker
them reliant on the department or um it it just truly sets them up for success. It honors their own experiences. It meets the family where they are at. It is building on their strengths.
00:07:32
Speaker
I love a strength-based approach because we are just, we are what walking alongside families in some of the hardest times of their lives. And we need to treat that opportunity like it's an honor.
00:07:43
Speaker
Right. I love that you talked about the differences between yourself as an individual and what you're able to bring, right? ah Whether you're bilingual or multilingual or not, right? We each have what we have.
00:07:55
Speaker
And yet you were still able to show up and deliver and work with this family in a way that they were receptive. You and I specifically, we talk about cultural humility a lot. Um, so obviously I feel like you took a very, um, you took that in mind as you, as you approach this, but, um, I may, I may be surprising you with a question here, but what does cultural humility mean to you or look like to you and the way that you approach these families?
00:08:19
Speaker
think taking into consideration everybody's experiences and acknowledging that There is no right way to life. um We all are going through trial and error. None of us are experienced at this. we get It's not like we are put on this planet with a handbook of what to do.
00:08:37
Speaker
So just acknowledging that there are strengths in every single person that we are serving and really taking into consideration that everybody's experience is unique from mine. So what I think is not... um It's not the right way.
00:08:56
Speaker
i am a very collaborative person and just leaning into those strengths, building on them and also taking into consideration the services that are available or the stereotypes that are built up, the barriers that people are overcoming and just thinking helping them knock those down. i i I truly believe that every single family i work with already has the necessary qualities to overcome all of this adversity.
00:09:23
Speaker
I just got to help them find the tools. it's It's not up to me to solve their problems. It's just up to me to walk alongside them while they figure it out. Yeah, I think that's a beautiful statement. And even I specifically um want to hover over what you said, find the tools.
00:09:36
Speaker
ah That ties to something you said earlier, which is like using the resources available to you. um Do you feel like, well obviously you do, you do a great job tapping into those resources and enabling those families to know what is available to them and not just those families, um but the teams, right? The teams here at Adams County that you work with to know how we can better service these families.
Resources and Barriers in Adams County
00:09:58
Speaker
Yeah, i'm and I'm still learning every single day. There's so many resources available. And there are also so many... wait lists for things, which is really unfortunate. And so just also acknowledging that there are barriers put up that are not always a fault.
00:10:15
Speaker
Um, but also recognizing we have so many resources in the county. I was fortunate enough yesterday to learn about a warrant forgiveness program where, um, people with a low level open warrants are able to come in and have their warrants forgiven. And just what a blessing that is.
00:10:35
Speaker
Wow. Wow.
Personal Insights and Upcoming Plans
00:10:36
Speaker
Well, Kelsey, before we go, i again, i love surprises and I feel like I did not prepare you for this, but I do know that we squeezed, we squeezed this interview in because you're going to be doing something fun soon. Do you, are you willing to share with us ah that are you getting any sort of a break coming up here?
00:10:53
Speaker
I am. Yes, I am going to refill my bank and I am traveling to Europe. And so I am also just so lucky to continue meeting people from all different kinds of walks of life and just growing. Wow.
00:11:08
Speaker
Well, Kelsey, thank you so much for joining us today and being our guest on this
Conclusion and Engagement with Adams County
00:11:12
Speaker
podcast. Once again, huge congratulations on being the overall winter 2025 Employee of the Season Award winner.
00:11:19
Speaker
um And everyone at home, thank you so much for watching All in Atoms. Once again, I've been Melo Acevedo. Have a great day. That's a wrap for this episode of All in Adams. Thank you for joining us as we explore the people, programs, and the policies that make Adams County a great place to live, work, and thrive.
00:11:37
Speaker
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe and share with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know. We're all in for bringing you the stories that matter most.
00:11:48
Speaker
Until next time, take care of each other and stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, and X. We're all in, Adams, and we're all in for you.