Hidden Gems: Meet Anjanette Young of Cafe’ Social Work Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anjanette Young.

Hi Anjanette, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have worked in the Social Service industry since completing my undergraduate in 1993. It was an area I enjoyed and I was good at my job. As I matriculated throughout my career, I returned to school to secure my master’s degree, which was the next step in my career. I attended Springfield College satellite in Milwaukee, WI. Due to my full-time work schedule, I decided to participate in this school solely based on the location and availability of classes. I graduated with a master’s degree in human services. At that time, I was working as a caseworker in Child Welfare, and my current education with a master’s degree in human service served me well.

For the next 12 years of my career, I could secure other employment of my choice with no limitations. Friends and family saw me as the person to reach out to if they had questions about Social Services/Social Work. When they knew of students in school for Social Work, my name was given as someone who could provide them with sound advice about the profession. In the mid-two thousand, I had worked in the profession for over 15 years and was ready to start planning for retirement. I decided to start a private therapy practice for low-income families. I did not know; if I did not have the appropriate credentials to provide therapy after doing some research and talking to others who were doing what I wanted to do. I realized that my master’s degree in human services would not qualify me to take the social work licensing exam, which is what I needed to begin providing therapy. I decided to return to school and obtain another master’s degree in social work. It was a hard decision and one that did not make sense to many friends and family because I already had a master’s degree. I knew if I was going to get to my retirement plan, I needed to do this. After completing my master’s degree, I continued to secure my social work license, but by that time, the retirement plan had slightly shifted. I now understood that I was not fully prepared to reach my retirement goals because I did not know I needed a master’s in social work instead of a master’s in human services. I took an extended route to my goals because I did not have professional mentors in my life to guide me. Because of that, I decided that my retirement plan would now be mentoring and coaching new social workers to have the best experience to reach their ultimate goals. Café’s social work was birthed from that experience.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been fairly smooth?
It has not been a smooth road. Starting a business is never easy, and convincing people they should pay for your service is a bigger challenge. When I offered my advice for free, everyone thought I was the go-to person. However, when I started my business, I had to market myself to others and show that I had value. Running a business as a single person is hard because you are doing everything alone, and it can be overwhelming until the business grows to the point you can hire staff. Often the ability to hire staff takes many years. Café Social work is 3-years old, and I am still working alone. I contract out for some services, but I have no staff currently.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Café Social Work focuses on reaching minority and underrepresented students and professionals by offering 1 to 1 Mentoring, career coaching, Clinical Supervision, exam Prep & Study Groups, and Networking Events. Our goal is to lead by example, mentoring through the lens of the five cores of social work: principles of service, social justice, values, human relationship, and Integrity. The mission of Café Social Work will be to increase the presence of minority and underrepresented individuals currently practicing in the field. Those interested in learning more about the Social Work Profession will do this through mentoring, supervision, support, and networking. Café Social Work seeks to empower those with a passion for working in the Social Work profession with the tools needed to succeed in the Social Services Industry. Café Social Work seeks to mentor, empower, educate, and advocate on behalf of Social Work professionals who are aspiring to be the best at their craft. Café Social Work’s focus is on reaching minority, underrepresented individuals currently practicing in the field. Students at all levels; high school seniors, associate, bachelor, and master level students who would benefit from the support and expertise of Café Social Work.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Café Social Work is for profit, but their time will we give free services to a student who communicates an inability to pay. So, we ask those who relate to our mission to make a financial donation. Please reach out directly to discuss opportunities to volunteer at events.

Pricing:

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Contact Info:

• Website: Cafesocialwork.com
• Instagram: Cafe Social Work
• Facebook: Cafe Social Work