Erin DeWolfe – Supervisor Spotlight

Erin DeWolfe, Somerset House’s site supervisor, was last featured in the March issue of our agency newsletter and she discussed that change is a major inspiration for her. She’s now focusing on continued clinical development of her program while ensuring that staff morale remains high.

Erin, who has a master’s degree in social work from the University at Buffalo and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), has been with the agency since February. In her short time with us, she has helped to bring many positive changes to Somerset House. Communication among staff and residents has improved and the program’s utilization rate has increased by 12% so far this year. Somerset House even started accepting new admissions on the weekends. “People are on the wait list so we have to move,” she explained. Meanwhile, the abstinence rate has increased by 3.3% compared to this point last year.

Staff morale has increased thanks to Erin’s focus on the professional development of her staff. “My focus is on getting their desired professional outcomes met,” she explained. The program is working to increase education and growth opportunities, as well. “It all helps with retention,” Erin mentioned. “Everyone is very invested in the work here.” The program is still experiencing challenges related to its open positions due to the program’s rural location, but Erin knows she has help to cover shifts if she needs it. “Thankfully, we have a lot of support from other employees and other sites who are helping out,” she said.

The agency’s leadership team has also been very supportive of Erin in her new position. “The supervisors are amazing,” she exclaimed. “If I have a question, they always get back to me. They’re always extremely helpful.” Erin also said that the onboarding process she experienced was very helpful thanks to Andrea Ocasio, our director of clinical services.

With summer right around the corner, Erin has many plans for the program to take advantage of its peaceful location and the good weather. “We’re going to get a hammock and a volleyball net since we have so much space,” she said. Somerset House residents are also planning on visiting the Buffalo Zoo. And once she’s able to fill her open staffing positions, Erin plans to open up the in-house AA meeting to the community with bonfires. “We’re getting better and better each month,” said Erin.