Stephanie Delano is an LICSW clinical supervisor at CHD’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic in Easthampton, where she is responsible for day-to-day management of clinic staff and provides ongoing development and supervision of court referrals for the Probate and Family Courts in Hampshire and Berkshire Counties.

What she likes most about her role is having the support and understanding from management that allows her to maintain “a flexible and sustainable work-life balance. I also like having a level of autonomy to explore/pursue interests and opportunities for growth within the agency.”

Part of Delano’s job is also serving as field instructor for two clinical interns in their advanced MSW practicum. Delano herself was also an intern at CHD’s Easthampton Clinic when she was earning her MSW in clinical social work at Westfield State University. She said her internship helped prepare her for her present position because the level of support, accessibility, and strong leadership provided and modeled by her supervisors Shannon Hicks and Katelyn Prendergast helped her to build the clinical skills and the confidence she needed to take on new challenges—starting as a clinician and ultimately leading to my current role.”

Delano said having direct contact with individuals served by the clinic during her internship enabled her to have the opportunity to learn and implement best practices, gain clinical experience, and build confidence implementing interventions with a diverse population. “I didn’t know what to expect, since it was my first experience in an outpatient setting,” she said. “However, it equipped me with the confidence and skill set to feel more at ease transitioning into a full-time position post- graduation.”