Cristina Favaro, MSW ’23, always had a passion for working with children, especially during their early years, but her path to doing so was anything but linear. Fortunately, she eventually found her calling in social work. Now, she has accepted a position in the inaugural cohort of The Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services’ Social Work Residency, where she will work with babies, toddlers, and young children with behavioral, developmental, and emotional difficulties, and their families at one of the agency’s early childhood centers.
A selective three-year program for new MSW graduates, The Jewish Board’s Social Work Residency provides a competitive full-time salary and benefits, advanced training in evidence-based models, enhanced supervision and mentoring, treatment and supervision hours and exam preparation towards clinical licensure, and peer support. As one of six Behavioral Health Clinicians in the Residency’s Early Childhood Mental Health track, Cristina will gain mentored experience in play therapy and other modalities and fulfill her professional dream.
A Winding Path to Social Work
Cristina couldn’t have imagined such an outcome when she graduated from college and started her career as an AmeriCorps member with City Year. “Working in a New York City public school helped me realize that I didn’t want to teach and that I was interested in other roles with children,” Cristina said. She pivoted to a position as a Retail Supervisor for American Girl, drawn by its customer base of children and families and the opportunity to develop her management and leadership skills. After two years there, she moved into a human resources position at Eileen Fisher Inc. when COVID-19 hit.
“The pandemic forced me to take a step back and reevaluate my career,” Cristina said. “At the time, I was volunteering with The Bereavement Center of Westchester’s Tree House program, where I co-facilitated a peer support group for six- and seven-year olds who had lost a loved one. I really missed working with kids full-time and wanted to figure out how to do it in a way that was most enjoyable to me.”
Cristina thought she had found the answer in pursuing certification as a Child Life Specialist but pandemic restrictions made it impossible for her to get the required volunteer experience in a hospital setting. “That’s when my mom asked ‘have you ever thought about social work?’ I was like ‘no, I haven't really looked into it.’ And then I started researching programs in New York and came to the understanding that there’s just so much you can do with a social work degree. It’s much more versatile!”
Strong Preparation
Cristina credited her rigorous classes and practicum placements at child and family serving organizations with preparing her for The Jewish Board Residency. “NYU Silver provided me with the clinical expertise to work with diverse populations and taught me the importance of meeting the client where they’re at,” she said. “I learned how to take a holistic approach with clients and developed my confidence as a clinician. My elective courses ‘Clinical Practice with Children and Their Families,’ ‘Parent-Child Work in Culture and Context,’ and ‘Therapy Interventions for Traumatized Children’ reinforced my passion and solidified my decision to continue social work practice with young children and their families.”
Assistant Professor Kathrine Sullivan, who taught Cristina’s Social Work Practice IV class, also played an important role in Cristina’s pursuit of The Jewish Board Residency. While all graduating MSW students received an email about the opportunity, Cristina overlooked it and only applied after Dr. Sullivan brought it up in class. “She said it was a great, new, innovative program. Then, when I got the offer from The Jewish Board, I had another offer on the table and was in the process of interviewing with two other organizations. Dr. Sullivan made time to help me think through the pros and cons and what to look for in each of the roles. It was a very hard choice and she helped me make the right one.”
Looking Ahead
While the Residency officially starts in late August, The Jewish Board is planning a get together for the inaugural Residents to meet one another and senior leadership at the agency. “I’m really excited for that,” said Cristina. “Along with all the other benefits, something that is really appealing to me about this Residency is having that cohort of other MSWs in the same boat as me. I think that having that support network is really important in this field.”