Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana has added to its professional family by hiring two Directors of Social and Emotional Wellness, Angela Swelfer and Johnnett Roby. This is a new position for the organization as they look to expand their services.
Though Angela and Johnnett were hired from outside the organization, they both boast long careers in social work. For Johnnett, her passion for social services has spanned across nearly two decades. Having received her Masters of Social Work from Indiana University Northwest, Johnnett went on to gain 19 years of experience in social services.
Angela also received her Masters of Social Work from Indiana University Northwest. She later went on to continue her career through multiple capacities of social work, serving youth within our community in a variety of ways, including support services within public schools.
“We are very excited to add Angela and Johnnett to our administrative staff,” Ellis Dumas, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s Vice President of Programs and Outcomes, said. “We recognize how truly valuable their combined experience can be for this organization, and I’m looking forward to the seeing the positive impact they can have on our families.”
The new position, Director(s) of Social and Emotional Wellness, has a wide variety of responsibilities as both Directors will work within Clubs to facilitate Social, Emotional and Wellness (SEW) learning. This trauma-informed care fosters a positive foundation upon which members can learn about themselves and others in a safe, nurturing environment through focusing on the development of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills.
In Indiana, it is reported that 21% of children under 18 reported having experienced two or more adverse experiences, compared to 18% nationally according the Indiana Youth Institute. Couple this with the fact that more than one quarter (26%) of Indiana’s children (ages 3-17) have one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions compared to 22% nationally, the need for youth mental and emotional intervention is apparent.