Lily Drescher, MSW'19. Courtesy photo
𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗖𝗦𝗦𝗪: Clinical
𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲: Older Adults and Families
𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲: Clinical Social Worker on the Mind and Memory Care team at Mass General Hospital within the Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine
Lily Drescher, MSW'19, says that she chose the Boston College School of Social Work for its commitment to serving older adults and their families.
Now, as a clinical social worker on the mind and memory care team at Massachusetts General Hospital, she is on the frontlines of serving people aged 65 and up—the nation’s fastest growing segment of the population.
"I find it rewarding to walk alongside patients and families during a very difficult journey," she says, "offering dementia education, support, and a listening ear."
Drescher recently joined the BCSSW Alumni Board to inspire current students to pursue careers aimed at improving the health and well-being of older adults, a client population that’s often invisible to service providers despite a near ubiquitous presence.
"The aging population is going to continue to grow over the next several decades and will need social workers now more than ever," she says. "It is important to me that I share what I know about this population as well as the passion I have for the work in the hopes that it will inspire other students to continue working in this field long-term."
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗖𝗦𝗦𝗪 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯?
My network of colleagues has been the most important. A lot of the people I have met through BC have helped me along my career in terms of finding a role that matches my skill set.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲?
I work with caregivers who are facing a loved one's illness, specifically those impacted by Alzheimer's and other dementias. I find it rewarding to walk alongside patients and families during a very difficult journey, offering dementia education, support, and a listening ear.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗦𝗪 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗿?
Try to maintain the connections that you've built at BC! Stay in touch, ask how people are doing in their new roles, and always engage in new learning along the way.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱?
I joined the alumni board because I am really passionate about getting MSW students interested and engaged in social work for older adults and families. I really benefited from the OAF concentration when I was a student at BC, and the OAF concentration is what initially drew me to BC for graduate school. The aging population is going to continue to grow over the next several decades and will need social workers now more than ever. It is important to me that I share what I know about this population as well as the passion I have for the work in the hopes that it will inspire other students to continue working in this field long-term.