Profile in Advocacy
I'm delighted that Amanda Flory, is my
Profile in Advocacy
this week
.
Amanda, is a Transitional
Care Social worker, with the HOPE Initiative and a champion advocate for those suffering from the disease of addiction. She was brought on in May, 2016
through a funded position from the County of Nash, to work directly with participants in the HOPE Initiative. Hope Initiative participants are those with substance use disorders seeking treatment and recovery.
Her anonymous nominator says, "During the past 2 years, Amanda has shown a commitment and compassion for others through her work that often goes beyond her scheduled work hours.
During this time, Amanda has been directly involved with placing HOPE Initiative participants (over 350) on their path to recovery. In addition to her work with the HOPE Initiative, she leads the Coalition for Addiction Recovery and Education (C.A.R.E.) and was instrumental in the planning and execution of a Syringe Exchange Program (April 2017) and a Recovery Community Center (July 2018) for Nash County.
In addition, she has made presentations to county commissioners, coalition groups, and police agencies across the state to further advocate for more treatment and pathways for those suffering from substance use disorders.
She has also forged partnerships with treatment facilities and other groups such as APNC, NCHRC, NCRC, etc.
This is just some of the work that Amanda has done over the past two years and her desire to make the world a better place is beyond anything I have seen. Her tireless effort to advocate for those in need shows a level of dedication and professionalism that the profession of social work can be very proud of indeed."
Amanda answered my 5 standard questions:
1.
Advocate, from Latin advocatus means "one called to aid (another)”. What moves you to aid others in this way?
I personally feel everyone has an obligation to help others, whether it’s through small acts of kindness or dedicating your life to the service of others. I had a strong desire from a young age to work with people and to help, in some capacity, enact positive change in our world. I feel extremely fortunate that I have been given a platform through my professional work to help others in their time of need, and hopefully make their world a little bit better.
2.
What’s the single most important character trait that makes an effective advocate?
There are a multitude of characteristics that make an effective advocate, but if I had to choose one it would be to genuinely care about those you’re working with. Any helping profession has numerous challenges, and I think many of us struggle with not being able to solve every problem or when outcomes aren’t what we had hoped for. I think when people know we genuinely care about them though, they feel seen, heard, and validated. Within that lies the catalyst for being able to effectively advocate for their needs.
3.
Share with us an advocacy story from your work – one in which you are most proud or where you learned the most.
I’ve been impacted by everyone I’ve worked with, some more significantly than others, and have also learned through each relationship. It’s difficult to pinpoint something that I’m most proud of, but there are a few people that will be forever memorable. I’m most proud of these, for the trust they put in me in their time of need and for the courage it took them to share their wants, needs, fears, and hopes with me. They allowed me to serve as their advocate and trusted me to empower them with what they needed at the time.
4.
When you look back, how will you measure your success as an advocate?
I hope I’m able to measure my success through the happiness of others around me and those that I’ve worked with. Few things are more special than seeing someone that is doing well, healthy and happy in life, and knowing how far they’ve come and everything they’ve overcame to get to this point. Advocacy is not always an easy thing, but the outcomes are often times immeasurable.
5.
Tomato-based or vinegar?
I’ve been a vegetarian for the past nine years, so my BBQ days are over. However, born and raised in Eastern NC, I have to say that BBQ isn’t BBQ unless it’s vinegar-based.
If you have suggested topics for
Advocacy 101
or know someone we should feature in
Profile in Advocacy
, do let me know.
Until next time,
Kathleen