National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE
I love the beach, particularly at the Pacific Ocean. I plan to live near the ocean again because of the energy of the wind and water, and the way the unrelenting crashing of the waves fills me with respect and gratitude for the immense vastness of the universe and humbles me. I love music relative to my mood or activities at the moment, but I am partial to soulful acoustic alternative almost anytime.
I am passionate about ending domestic violence in our world, and have been blessed with the opportunity to work as a domestic violence educator for the last few years. I spent this past year developing a training presentation and traveling the State of Louisiana to deliver it to counselors in every major city. I am particularly interested in the cross-over population of families experiencing domestic violence and child abuse/neglect issues and hope to do work at a system level to continue improving the support to these families by the private and public agencies that serve them.
I like things simple, easy-going, and natural, with NO DRAMA! NONE!!! In my current evolution, I have found it important to my sustainability to seek and nurture those friendships which are most balanced and mutually enriching...and I am blessed with wonderful girlfriends who nurture my spirit and keep me afloat, and bright, amazing colleagues who inspire me to be the best social worker I can be! I dig in my flower beds for relaxation and practice yoga when I have time. I'm a social work dork because I love to read policy and research literature. I enjoy browsing the internet just consuming information about our world, especially political pieces that add to the transparency and accountability of government. Graduate school has helped me find my centrist nature and I hope to work mediating conflict in relationships and policy by helping opposing sides to find common ground for mutual benefit.
I am a newly graduated MSW (Master in Social Work) from LSU. I loved being a student again - it was like being able to go back in time, knowing what I know now. I left a 15 year career as a paralegal after volunteering at the local battered women's shelter, which ultimately inspired me to find work that I love, and fulfillment through service and advocacy of the vulnerable and oppressed--this is one of the most meaningful blessings, for which I am the most grateful! My employment interests are in grant-writing and resource development, program development and cultivating community partnerships, legal advocacy, legislative policy and social activism. I also enjoy researching and creating educational pieces with skill-building exercises for a variety of topics. I currently work with an agency that provides family support services and counseling to children and families with child welfare issues.
Shawn Cleveland is the love of my life, muse and best friend for over 9 years. We write and play acoustic original music, do open mics and acoustic shows in town when school and work schedules permit, and record in our home "studio." We have two dogs, Andi, a 10-year-old Boston Terrier, and Sheva, a 5-year-old fawn Boxer. We love to travel to Southern California, Chicago, the East Coast and Florida, especially Disneyworld! Life is fun, peaceful, serene, filled with laughter and simple, intensely ecstatic moments. I just hope I can learn to relax and enjoy my new profession and give it every ounce of my being.
One of the gifts of time is that I have become comfortable in my own skin...finally! One of most sustaining phrases in my life has been the Serenity Prayer, and life becomes so much less overwhelming when I ignore the things I have no control over, and focus my energies on the things that I can influence along my path. My role models are the Dalai Lama and Gandhi, because of their fundamental dedication to peace, and because they were committed to achieving freedom through NON-VIOLENCE.
"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government." Thomas Paine.
"An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty.
It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." —Thomas Paine, Dissertation on First Principles of Government, Paris, 1795
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