Abby Frantz, MSW, LICSW, '05MSW is the Director of Wellness Programming and Training at Groton School in Groton, MA. Abby spoke to us about her time in the Simmons Master of Social Work program and her career in Wellness.
What made you decide to pursue your Master of Social Work at Simmons?
I was working at a residential treatment facility as a milieu counselor, and the therapists there all had their MSW, and my favorite one had their MSW from Simmons. I was really interested in the work that they were doing because it was much more in-depth. I used them as mentors to pave my way to get my MSW because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do at that age.
What drew me to Simmons was the fact that the primary focus of the MSW program was clinical social work. Additionally, my mother is an alumna of the library science school. The school is so well recognized, and people I respected had attended. I'm proud to be a Simmons alumna and proud of all the work that they do.
Tell me about your work at Groton School. How has your work changed or evolved since you first started?
Prior to Groton, I spent five years in the emergency department at Boston Children's Hospital, where I became very well versed in crisis intervention. I think one of the reasons that I was brought to Groton was because of that background. Groton is a co-ed, private boarding school that incredibly high achieving students in grades 8-12 attend from all over the world. Many students are away from their families, so we are their support systems in crisis situations.
I was initially brought on as a counselor and I would see students in individual therapy and help with their peer counseling program. I went from being the counselor to the Deputy Director of Counseling. Within that role, I started our training program where we train students from William James College, as well as Simmons School of Social Work.
Now I am the Director of Wellness Programming and Training, which means I am responsible for overseeing all our social and emotional learning, as well as any wellness initiatives and themes that come up throughout the year. I also provide individual counseling to students throughout the year.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I think the connection is the most rewarding piece. There students at Groton are phenomenal and I have special relationships with them. I enjoy getting to know them and building their trust. My happiness is also really dictated by my colleagues who are incredible professionals. I also like being able to start new initiatives that have never been present before. Groton is a school that was new to social-emotional learning and wellness in general. Over the past seven years, since our Director of Counseling came on, it's just done a 180 in terms of recognizing the importance of mental health awareness and wellness.
I have a therapy dog who I get to bring to school every day, which is a nice way of making bonds with students who are away from home and who are missing their dogs. It's something that at an independent school I'm able to do, which brings me joy.
When it comes to training college students, it is like giving back in a way. When I did my internship, I really appreciated and respected my supervisors. I also like seeing people at the beginning of their careers. I remember all the questions that I had at the beginning of my career, and I enjoy helping guide students through that. It's exciting to see new social workers and new psychologists with such a passion for the fields, especially because the past few years have been hard on mental health and health workers. It can be reinvigorating to work with people at the beginning of their careers.
How did Simmons prepare you to become a leader in your field?
It gave me the foundation to be a strong social worker. I have been a Simmons supervisor for a long time. I've taught in the online program as an adjunct professor, as well as been a field instructor. And I think all those different opportunities that I probably wouldn't have had if I wasn't a Simmons alum really increased my confidence as a leader and drove me to where I am today.
Any general advice on how people can maintain wellness in their everyday lives?
It might sound boring and cheesy, but sleep is the number one importance. We really need to prioritize self-care, whatever that means to the individual, whether it's going for a walk or watching a TV show and doing it without guilt is important. Just as we prioritize taking a shower and brushing our teeth, we should prioritize having a piece of our day for self-care that has no guilt associated with it and is seen as something you need as part of your whole wellness journey.
I think that the other piece is asking for help if you need it. There are so many resources on the Simmons campus and in Boston in general. We should normalize that just like how some of us needed help in math, some of us might need help in understanding our self-care and wellness.