Change Agents: Summit County Juvenile Court employee named one of Ohio's social workers of the year
Kandice Lacy said she fell into her career in social work "by accident."
After growing up on Akron's east side and graduating from East High School in 2001, she was attending Ohio State University on a full-ride scholarship to study architecture.
Then she got pregnant, and she didn't know where to turn.
Lacy remembers a thought she had while walking on The Oval at OSU.
"I didn't know where to turn. I didn't know who to talk to, who to turn to," she said. "And so I remember I was walking on The Oval, and I said, if I get an opportunity to help people like myself who doesn’t know what's out there or who could use support, that's what I'm going to do. And then here I am. I felt like I kind of spoke my career into existence.”
Nearly two decades after that thought, Lacy, who now works as a detention mental health clinician at the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center, was recognized as the Region 2 recipient of the 2021 Social Worker of the Year Award by the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Lacy, 38, was recognized Saturday at the Social Work Celebration Gala at the Center for Science & Industry in Columbus. Region 2 includes Erie, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.
The award honors members who exemplify the best of the profession’s values and achievements through superb accomplishments in the practice of social work, according to the association.
“I'm not used to that adoration or attention. I don't do this job for recognition. I'm just here for the kids," Lacy said. "I'm just here as a support in just providing them with whatever their mental health needs may be while they're staying here with us at Dan Street.”
Two-time University of Akron graduate
Lacy transferred from Ohio State to the University of Akron, graduating with her bachelor's degree in 2008 and her master's degree in 2010, both in social work.
“I'm very proud to be from Akron and to live in Akron," she said. "No matter what people say about it, it’s home, I'm doing well here and this is my community."
After graduation, she worked at HM Life Opportunity Services, a housing agency for homeless single-parent families, from 2008 to 2016. She then joined Summit County Public Health, working with the Help Me Grow program and doing home visits with new parents.
Lacy then began working at the juvenile detention center in 2017, saying the job description was "like a dream."
"Dealing with incarcerated youth, representation matters. Culturally, mental health is seen as a weakness. We're usually told to get involved with church or take it to the Lord," she said. "I felt that if I could show some of these young individuals that it is OK to talk to somebody, it's OK to seek help, not everybody is trying to get into your business or change you or anything like that, that it's OK to not be OK. That was my goal, is to change what therapy looks like."
Lacy works with youth in therapy
In her position at the detention center, Lacy helps address the mental health needs of the youth through therapy and stress management techniques, like breathing techniques or mindfulness activities. The center has a therapy room, where the youth can come if they need to talk, take a break or visit with the court's new therapy dog, Tater Tot.
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"We never discuss their charges. That's not why we're here," she said. "But we teach them coping skills, things that they would usually do on the outs to cope with whatever is upsetting them they don't have access to here."
Lacy said she also will go to court with the youth and help them deal with their trauma.
"A lot of the kids that come into here don't see some of the stuff that they've gone through as trauma. A lot of them don't. At least to me, being shot or being shot at is traumatizing. For them, it's normal," she said. "We're here to help them realize that there's ways to work through some of the stuff that you've seen, some of the stuff that you've been through ... We're basically a safe space in what can be a scary place for the kids who come through here.”
Lacy said some of the challenges of the job are hearing what the children have gone through, or seeing news articles and knowing she may meet those children in the detention center.
But her favorite parts are when the children feel comfortable enough to open up to her, as well as those who come back after they leave to tell her they're doing well or ask her to be their therapist on the outside (which isn't possible).
"I’m always humbled that now they see that therapy is something that they can engage in, and it's OK. It's OK to talk to somebody," she said. "A lot of times, what these kids need is just somebody to listen.”
Nominator, judge talk about Lacy
Lacy was nominated by her friend and colleague, Sarah Balser, a fellow social worker and doctoral fellow at Case Western Reserve University.
Lacy called Balser "really amazing," saying she felt "humbled and surprised."
"I don't know what I've done to deserve this," she said. "I don't do anything that I do for recognition ... But to know that someone is watching and paying attention, it was really cool to see that I had inspired someone to think that highly of me to nominate me for something so big."
The pair met while Lacy was working at Summit County Public Health and Balser was an intern there.
“Kandice has a beautiful light of energy that makes all around her feel better, comforted and safe,” Balser said. “Her spirit radiates kindness, and I am so proud to be in a profession that includes people with like her.”
Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio said she wasn't surprised when she heard Lacy had won the award.
"It's really nice when you see someone that works as hard as she does, and is as dedicated as she is to the clients that we have here, to be recognized by their peers as doing extraordinary work," she said.
Lacy is one of three mental health social workers who work at the juvenile detention center, providing counseling and therapy.
The positions were created as part of the court's participation in the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative through the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
The purpose of the initiative is to make sure that youth are only held when it's needed for the safety of the community, as well as that kids being held have access to the services they need, Teodosio said.
The court was evaluated, and it was determined that "while we were doing a lot of hard work to screen for youth that were in need of mental health services, we really didn't have a vehicle to provide those services to the youth once they were here," Teodosio said.
The Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board agreed to fund the positions.
“She has a real passion for the youth. You can really tell when you see her interact with them, or when you speak to her that she really wants to help these youth along through what is a very difficult time in their life," Teodosio said. "For some of these youth, it may be the first time that they've been away from home, and they find themselves in a locked facility, charged with pretty serious offenses, if they're being held here. So she takes the time to talk to them, to listen to them, to help them understand things that they can do to better tolerate their stay with us."
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'Just kids still'
Lacy's son, who launched her plan to go into social work when she got pregnant with him, just graduated from high school and is attending Hiram College in the fall.
He plans to study sports management, but he's also spoken about getting into social work, "which is really cool," his mom said.
"I told him don't do it on account of me. Do what you want to do," she said. "But if this is something that you're interested in, Black men in social work are like unicorns, so I’m like, go for it."
Lacy said she wants members of the public to remember that the kids at the detention center are "just kids still." They may act "big and tough," but in the center, they color, do puzzles and play basketball.
"It doesn't excuse actions or allegations or anything like that. Our job is important because a lot of these kids don't have a voice," she said. "A lot of these kids have unspoken issues that a lot of times by the time they’ve got to us, it probably wasn't dealt with.
"It's not lost on me that we're not gonna be able to change everybody, and we're not looking to change anyone," she said. "But if I could just plant one seed in one of these youths to help them take pause and make a better decision, then I feel like I've done my job."
Contact Beacon Journal reporter Emily Mills at emills@thebeaconjournal.com and on Twitter @EmilyMills818.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Juvenile Court employee named one of Ohio's social workers of year
