After packing her bags in whirwhind, Danielle Jatlow flew to Florida to visit her ailing grandmother. The 101-year-old woman she lovingly called Nana had been in excellent health. But Jatlow received word that her grandmother’s condition was deteriorating.
Upon arrival, Jatlow sensed uncertainty. Three health professionals offered varied opinions and approaches to her grandmother's care, and family members pressed for answers.
Jatlow took a deep breath and focused on staying present. Instead of becoming anxious, she felt a connection to the doctor, nurse and social worker who were trying to help. Being in the moment helped her slow down. It also freed her from the need to know the exact outcome or how long her grandmother had left to live. Instead, she centered on the meaningful qualities of that moment and their relationship.
Jatlow wrote about her visit in , a book she co-edited with Professor Jan Fook, who recently retired as the chair of the Social Work Department in ̽̽'s College of Education and Social Services (CESS).
“It felt a little vulnerable to write a personal story for this book,” she says. “But what I hope people will take from my story is that transformative experiences and practices happen across different contexts, settings and scenarios.”
From Literature to Social Work
Jatlow grew up in Maryland and studied literature at the University of Michigan. After graduating, she moved to San Francisco to work in the book publishing field. She also founded a literary press and magazine. But everything changed when she started volunteering the overnight shift at a local housing shelter for young people.
The experience inspired Jatlow to change career direction and pursue a master’s degree in social work. In New York City, she worked with adolescents and single mothers living with HIV and AIDS and with individuals experiencing substance use and mental health issues. She also worked with people returning home to their community following incarceration.
After moving to Vermont, she ran a therapeutic after-school program and then served as the director of a community health clinic for adolescents, young adults and their families. In this role she focused on increasing access for those who might not otherwise receive support by co-developing community health initiatives aimed at creative engagement and inter-disciplinary partnerships.
“The thing about social work is that you can find your spot,” she says. “At different times, you might have different interests, which is something I really appreciate.”
Jatlow joined ̽̽ in 2020 and currently teaches social work courses across the undergraduate and master’s degree programs, including Field Experience Seminar, Theories in Social Work, and Critical Approaches to Assessment in Social Work.
“Our students are bright, smart, critical thinkers," she says. "They bring a lot of self-awareness to their work and challenge each other to be authentic and principled. They hold a lens of social justice in everything they do. They're also focused on caring for themselves and caring for each other in the very best ways. I'm always excited to step into the classroom with them.”
A Transforming Field
The history of social work in the United States started in the mid-1800s to help address poverty in large cities. World War II was a turning point, leading to efforts to help professionalize the field.
As someone who has focused largely on health and mental health in her social work practice, Jatlow says social work needs to address oppressive structures at a variety of levels to create change, particularly for those who are most marginalized by policies, systems and structures.
Curiosity, Learning and Hope
In the beginning pages of the book, readers learn that transformative social work is not always clear-cut and well-defined.
However, it is apparent that social workers are examining their work’s cultural and philosophical foundations, staying curious and creating change. The contributors in the book share micro to macro ideas and examples of transformative social work from a range of local, national and international perspectives.
The book is written primarily for social work professionals working at colleges and universities, educators and social work practitioners. Other CESS contributors include Associate Professor Brenda Solomon, Senior Lecturer Emerita JB Barna, Program Specialist Ken Bechtel, Business Manager Kate Ball Clem, and social work students Kate Gannon, BC Garvey, Erin Mackenzie, Tiffany Tuttle, and Tucker Boyd.
Jatlow’s visit with her beloved grandmother helped her reaffirm the importance of cultivating curiosity and patience during challenging and complex emotional experiences.
"When we face big life transitions, or when meaningful relationships are transitioning, it can be a time of great pain, sorrow and grief," she says. "But it's also a time of great learning, opportunity and hope.”
