Brooke Mathis-Adkins has been a foster care case manager in Logan, West Virginia, since 2019.
She grew up in southern West Virginia with her parents, who Brooke says are everything to her and have always been in her corner. Brooke recently got married (congratulations!) and lives with her husband and her six-year-old rescue dog, Duke.
She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Marshall University. She is also currently obtaining her social work licensure. During her time in college, Brooke did several internships, including one at Necco.
“I did one of my internships in my undergrad at Necco, which got my foot in the door,” Brooke says. “The more I participated in things [at Necco], the more I fell in love with it.”
Brooke worked with the team of Licensing Specialists in Logan and added that it was always fun and informative.
“One thing that truly stood out to me was how wonderful and welcoming the people at Necco Logan were to me.” Brooke says, “They took me everywhere with them and made me feel so included.”
Even though there have been several moments that made Brooke feel like she was in the right place, she shared one specific story from three years ago:
I placed a teenage female in one of my homes. About a month later, the teenager had to be removed from the home due to behavioral issues like lying, verbal aggression and marijuana use. Feeling discouraged, I moved her to another one of my homes. I tried hard to keep her with me because I felt that I could establish a good rapport with her because I had already made progress with her.
While in this foster home, she made great progress in school, at home, with me and in therapy. While we had hoped to reunite the teenager with her biological mother, we found out that was no longer an option. I immediately went to talk to her current foster parents about the possibility of doing a legal guardianship. Thankfully, the family felt that this girl was the “perfect fit” for them and would love nothing more than to become her legal guardians. When it became official six months later, we had such a big celebration!
Just last week, I visited their foster home. The teenage girl ran and hugged me, saying ‘I have a surprise for you. Thank you for always believing in me.’ She handed me three college acceptance letters (she is a senior in high school now). Tears of joy filled our eyes. I hugged her and told her I would always believe in her and never doubt her. That’s when I knew I was meant for this.
Brooke’s main advice to current and future employees is to stay humble. Whether you are brand new to the foster care industry or a veteran at the company, there is always something to learn from others.
“No matter how long you are employed at this job, you do not and will not ever know everything” Brooke says, “I’ve been employed as a case manager for over four years now, and I learn more and more every day.”
She adds there is no competition; your office is your team, so stay humble and help one another. Leaning on your team to create a support system is important for both your success and the success of the child.
We are honored to have case managers that are as passionate and dedicated as Brooke. To find out more about Necco’s Foster Care program, visit the Foster Care Overview page, or if you are interested in a career at Necco, find our opportunities on the Careers Page.