MSW Spotlight: Aurea Bailey
Aurea Bailey is used to being on the move. She’s lived in Kansas, Missouri and Germany, embracing the surroundings depending on where her military family was stationed. It’s a lifestyle that allowed her to meet many people and see different perspectives, and she grounds herself now in pursuit of a Master of Social Work degree.
Bailey, who will receive her MSW from the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare in May, currently lives in St. Robert, Missouri. Her family had to move there abruptly when her husband was relocated, but the nature of the online MSW program through Jayhawk Global kept options open for Bailey.
Her practicum is at KVC in St. James, Missouri. KVC is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of programs and services to help children and families through mental health care.
A unique aspect of Bailey’s practicum at KVC is its setting – a campus that has cabins and stables with horses for equestrian therapy. Children ranging from ages 5 to 18 spend time there to work through trauma-related behaviors before they return to their biological and foster families.
And yes, the horses are a standout at KVC.
“I’ve fallen in love with that aspect,” Bailey said. “And I didn’t realize all the resources they would have.”
Part of the program involves the children spending time with the horses and helping take care of them. This is all with the goal of reuniting kids with their foster families, which also have mental health services offered to them.
“These are not bad kids,” Bailey said. “This is a kid who's been through trauma. This is kind of how we can approach it and get that kind of support.”
The School of Social Welfare’s flexibility was crucial in enabling Bailey to have this option as a practicum, she said. Before moving to Missouri, Bailey and her family were in Kansas, and her practicum was at the Student Basic Needs Coalition.
While Bailey loves her role at KVC, she also enjoys the education aspect of social work. With an LMSW, Bailey said she would be open to a therapy position at KVC, or a clinician position in a school, if her family moves back to Kansas.
Bailey’s experience with KU aligned with her personal values as someone who has lived all over the world. It’s the idea that everyone deserves a chance, no matter where they are.
That’s her stance on mental health support, as well.
“But everybody, right? Everybody should have access to this,” Bailey said. “It shouldn’t be exclusive based on where you can be. I fell in love with the online community.”