From Foster Youth to Social Worker (feat. Travis Hand, Texas Children’s Hospital)
It’s a joy to have Travis Hand, a Licensed Master Social Worker who currently serves as a Behavioral Health Specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital, on our latest episode of the podcast. Once a teen struggling to navigate the challenges of growing up in the foster care system, Travis gained a strong passion for social work in college.
This conversation is full of perspective and encouragement for each of us as we find our place along the River!
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Key Takeaways
- Just being there for someone is invaluable. Travis often felt alone as a teen in foster care, but a few kind people in Travis’s life were willing to be there no matter what. That support made a big positive impact on Travis’s sense of self-worth, and it just goes to show how much of a gift it is to simply show up for those in need.
- Helping youth see their potential can spur positive change. Like we saw in Travis’s story, when you show up for a child and express belief in them, that child will begin to trust themselves more, learning to appreciate their unique strengths and skills. When you show faith in someone, you can radically change the trajectory of their life.
- Foster care can provide connection. There were so many hardships in Travis’s story that many other children in foster care have experienced as well. But Travis appreciates that foster care provided chances in life for other people to show up, to be there, and to provide connection when it was needed most.
Resources
Meet the Guest
Travis Hand is a LMSW with 4 years of experience in behavioral counseling, program development, and community engagement. Travis graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, receiving high honors with both an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Social Work. While at UT Austin, Travis formed the school’s very first former foster and adoptive youth leadership organization. Today, Travis works as a Behavioral Health Specialist at Texas Children’s Hospital.
