Suad Diriye is a social worker and case manager at the Green Street Shelter-ACEDONE, a multi-service shelter assisting individuals who are experiencing homelessness. The shelter, which recently became affiliated with the nonprofit organization ACEDONE (African Community Economic Development of New England), helps nearly 60 people a day, says Suad. She works with 19 clients with a range of goals, from obtaining identification and securing housing to completing immigration paperwork and job applications. Some of her clients are employed but saving up for housing, and a growing number are new migrants. “The shelter’s work not only makes a difference in our clients’ lives,” she says, “but also contributes to many societal impacts.”
On choosing Simmons
Since graduating from Suffolk University with a B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in Community and Youth in 2018, Suad worked at nonprofit and social services organizations but felt limited without an advanced degree. “I wanted to connect with individuals on a deeper level,” she says. “Pursuing an MSW aligned with that goal.” Suad chose Simmons, she reports, for its “comprehensive” program. “It was important to me,” she says, “to graduate ready to apply classroom learning directly to the real world.”
How Simmons prepared her
Suad came into the program, she says, “open to where my education would take me.” That approach allowed her to gain a broad range of skills and experiences—all of which offered ready application in her current role. She cites a course on substance use as particularly helpful, as well as training in harm reduction through a specialized internship program sponsored by RIZE Massachusetts, a nonprofit working to end overdose deaths. Suad also received tuition assistance from ACEDONE through its educational partnership with Simmons Social Work. For her first placement at the Child Witness to Violence Project at Boston Medical Center, Suad conducted play and trauma-focused therapy with youth who have been exposed to domestic or community violence, in addition to providing support and resources to their caregivers. For her second placement, she interned at the Pine Street Inn in Boston—the largest homeless services provider in New England—to thoroughly prepare her for her work today. “Simmons gave me the whole picture—to meet clients where they’re at and to recognize that they are the expert in their life,” says Suad. “I developed a new perspective.”
Why the work is meaningful
“I love helping my clients navigate the system and achieve their goals,” says Suad. “Each and every one has different needs. I knew before getting my MSW that advocating was important, but after graduating from Simmons, I feel like that ability is what defines us.”