When Trisha (Parker) Reynolds graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Studies, she didn’t have a clear path established for her next move. It wasn’t until she started at the Wyoming County Department of Social Services (DSS) that this 2003 PCS graduate discovered that social work was her passion. As the new Program Coordinator for the Justice for Children Advocacy Center (JFCAC) in Genesee County, Trisha is continuing her dedicated work in child welfare.
“I always knew I wanted to work with people in some manner, and have always loved children. For some reason, I hadn’t really considered social work when studying for my bachelor’s degree. At DSS, I was able to use my communication and conflict management skills, but in a way to help others. It instantly felt right.”
Trisha started her career at DSS as a part-time Community Service Aide before becoming a caseworker in Preventative Services and Foster Care. It was then that she realized that social work was where she was meant to be. Trisha eventually moved into Child Protective Services (CPS) and, at the same time, decided to go back to school to earn a master’s degree in Social Work. While working full-time, and attending the University at Buffalo part-time, Trisha completed two internships, including one at the JFCAC.
While her passion was child welfare, after 10 years at DSS, Trisha took a position with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision at the Wyoming Correctional Facility. As an Offender Rehabilitation Coordinator, Trisha would assess the programming needs of incarcerated individuals and help prepare them to be released. She also developed and ran the Family Reunion Program and taught a parenting class and trauma class. Working with incarcerated individuals, as opposed to victims, gave Trisha a new skill set, but her heart was always with working with child victims.
“While it was a needed change, I always kept an eye on positions in child welfare, specifically at the JFCAC because I loved my experience with the agency both as a caseworker and an intern. When the Program Coordinator position came up, I couldn’t refuse. It felt like my education and my career path led me right to this.”
Trisha started as the Program Coordinator at the JFCAC in spring 2024. She works closely with a team of professionals in law enforcement, child welfare, mental health and medical, probation, as well as attorneys and other professionals, to support child victims. Cases of child sexual and physical abuse are referred to the JFCAC by CPS and law enforcement, and Trisha and her team provide wide-ranging support including forensic interviews, trauma therapy, victim advocacy, and medical examinations.
“It’s amazing to see so many professionals working together with a common goal. It’s amazing to see the commitment, the passion, the efforts, and the emotion that goes into these cases,” she said.
Dealing with trauma and abuse every day is the most difficult part of Trisha’s job. For any student interested in a career in child advocacy or child welfare, Trisha suggests getting into a good social work program, and taking interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, child behavior, and criminal justice courses. Social work provides wide-ranging options, including working in child welfare, in schools, in hospitals, in mental health, in law enforcement, and much more.
“Social work can be stressful - caseloads are high, responsibilities weigh heavy, hours are long,” said Trisha. “But knowing that you’re working so hard to try to make a positive impact on someone’s life is so incredibly meaningful.”