My name is Melanie Duncan.  I graduated from PCC in 2001 with an A.A.S. degree in Human Services Technology.  When I first began PCC I was in the college transfer program.  I decided to stay at PCC and go into a two year program but I was not sure what program to go into.  All I knew was that I love to work with people and help people.  The Human Services Program was perfect.  When I began, the coordinator, Sheri Narin, was very welcoming and encouraging.  

    While enrolled in the program, I experienced two internships in the human services field.  My first internship was with the Guardian Ad Litem program at the court house.  I went through training to become an advocate for abused and neglected children who had been taken away from their homes and placed in foster care.  My responsibilities were to speak with the child, the parents, the foster parents, the social worker, school personnel who knew the child or a counselor who knew the child, and determine what was in the best interest of the child, and present that to the judge.

My second internship was with Head Start with Person County Schools.  As an intern, I assisted the teachers in the classrooms, went on home visits and conducted family assessments. If the families had any goals or needs, we then came up with objectives strategies and time lines to help them accomplish their goals. 

    I then started working at Person County Group Homes at Generations Adult Day Services.  I worked with the elderly and disabled.  The clientele consisted of individuals who are blind, mentally impaired, elderly, could not speak or hear, were diabetic, had Alzheimer's disease, and someone who was confined to a wheel chair.  My responsibilities included providing case management for some of the clients, assisting with daily activities, and assisting with hygiene.

    After a year working at Generations, I was offered a job as a Family Service Worker at Person County Head Start, where I had done my second internship.  My duties were the same as when I was an intern, with additional responsibilities of transporting children to medical and dental appointments and more.  After three years there, I was offered a  job at Person County Department of Social Services in Adult Medicaid as an Income Maintenance Caseworker.  My job responsibilities are to  determine eligibility for medical expenses for those who are over 65 years of age or who have been determined to be disabled by Social Security Disability.  My clients live at home, or are in long term care, or are in assisted living homes.

    The education that I received from Sheri Narin and Kathy Oakley in the Human Services Program prepared me for the internships and job opportunities that I have been able to experience.   I have used a lot of the skills that I learned in case management, counseling, gerontology, interviewing techniques, working with exceptionality, working with diveristy, and many more to get me where I am today.