Jennifer Sauvie, CMSW
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
--– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As a social worker, I embrace the idea of planting seeds of hope within the clients I serve. Facing barriers such as poverty, mental illness, trauma, addiction, and illiteracy can leave a person feeling lost in the dark. It is truly a beautiful thing to witness the onset of a glimmer of light/empowerment in the eyes of another.
I am new to the staff here at Belmont, teaching my first School Social Work course as an adjunct professor. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to nurture the excitement within young social workers to go out and make a difference, especially within the same environment that fostered my own love for the profession. I had the privilege of graduating with my BSSW from Belmont in 2001, as well as obtaining my license in school social work at that time. I then went straight into the Advanced Standing graduate program at the University of TN, College of Social Work in Nashville.
After graduating in 2002 with my MSSW, I began working with Youth Villages doing intensive in-home family preservation work.
From there, I began working with Family & Children’s Service as a school-based therapist in an elementary school in East Nashville. I adored the diverse group of children and families I worked with both individually and in groups. I also treasured the opportunities to collaborate with other social workers, community service providers, school personnel and the residents to advocate for community building and safety. I must say that to my delight the children were always planting their own seeds of encouragement within me through the daily hugs I received. I changed programs within Family & Children’s Service last October to begin working with Rutherford county recipients of Families First facing barriers such as mental illness, domestic violence, substance abuse, child behavioral problems and learning disabilities. The ultimate goal is to assist the client in becoming self-sufficient. The role has been both rejuvenating and challenging and is enabling me to continue clinical growth while pursuing licensure.
