Buncombe County is home to stars who filmed a video showcasing what a workday is like for Child Welfare workers. The video was part of an initiative from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to help illustrate the labor that goes into social work which can be used in recruitment and educational settings.
Buncombe County Social Workers Brittany Bingham, George O. Boakye-Ansah, and Berkley Churchill were handpicked and invited to participate in the recording, along with a cameo from Daniel Snook.
The video, featured on the NCDHHS’ Child Welfare Careers website and YouTube channel, provides a realistic preview of the job, and follows social workers as they go to court hearings, do home visits, collaborate with co-workers, and more.
They were able to share what got them into social work, important skills to have in the role, and the need for more social workers.
George says he was motivated to participate to help provide insight into the work they do to encourage others who are interested in the field to apply.
“I do believe that the more social workers we have in the field, the better services we can provide to those we serve,” George says.
Having cameras follow her work proved to be a new experience for Brittany.
“It was a little nerve-racking to be vulnerable about this work, especially in the interview portion,” Brittany says. “There were several cameras and an entire crew asking about our most personal work processes and our paths into social work. It felt intense in the moment.”
Berkley wanted to participate in the project to help show a true representation of what a day as a social worker is like.
“They wanted to showcase how we juggle multiple tasks at once including travel, home visits, and court involvement,” she says. Berkley says the crew asked them what they would naturally do in situations instead of providing a script.
The video illustrates how dynamic the job is.
“I would hope viewers could see that we deal with hard things but also get to experience lots of joyful times as well, it’s all a balance,” Brittany says.
They all hope the video shows how much social workers care about their clients and families.
“When you work in a bank, your medium of exchange is currency,” George says. “For social workers, our currency is human lives, and we don’t take that for granted.”