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 Degrees:
B.S. in Criminal Justice, San Diego State University
M.A. in Psychology, Chapman University
Ph.D. in Criminology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Although AIU Online Criminal Justice instructor Dawna Komorosky now has her Ph.D., she didn't when working as a Treatment Manager - one of the many "real world" jobs she has held in the criminal justice field -- in San Diego. "It was my first job after graduating with my MFCC (Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy). After years in Loss Prevention at Neiman Marcus, I knew I wanted to change directions and work with families within the social system so I went back to get a relevant Master's Degree. This was the job it got me."
Komorosky was one of seven treatment managers in a private foster family agency that contracted with San Diego County. "The internal resources and programs the county had to deal with foster families were overwhelmed so they contracted out with private firms to cover what they couldn't. Of course the county contracted out the cases that needed the most attention."
Although many titles in today's world are highly descriptive, Komorosky's title of "Treatment Manager" is not. You might guess she worked with substance abusers and their families. She did not. Komorosky's job as a Treatment Manager was to work with foster parents and the foster children they cared for. Whether there were behavioral or mental health issues with the children, a foster family wanting to drop out of the foster program, scheduling visits with biological parents, or problems at a child's school, if it was one of her assigned cases, it was Komorosky's job to figure it out. She was there for the foster parents and children.
But enough generalities about Komorosky's job; let's get specifics on what a typical day as a treatment manager is like.
Komorosky spends one morning each week meeting individually with her boss, the Program Director (who is a Licensed Counselor and Social Worker), to go over her caseload. This isn't that morning though, so Komorosky jumps right into looking through the files of the foster parents and kids she is scheduled to see this afternoon. Komorosky usually has around one dozen active cases, although she has had as many as 17 at one time. She meets with each child and foster parent at least once a week; she can see her most troubled cases three to four times a week though.
After a morning spent pouring over stacks of her own notes - understandably, Komorosky is the one who creates the files and keeps them current - it's time to hit the field and see the kids and parents. The first meeting, with six-year old Paul and eight-year old James, is about an hour drive away and not in the best of neighborhoods. "This job doesn't come with a fancy expense account or corporate perks, so I drive my own car." (She'll get reimbursed for mileage later.) As usual, she grabs lunch on the way.
The foster mom called Komorosky three days ago to tell her that she found Paul up in the middle of the night watching inappropriate shows on television. He had woken up James and gotten him to watch them as well. "Paul meets weekly with a therapist to deal with the emotional effects of his having been abused, so it's not my job to get to the bottom of why he's watching these shows; it is my job to curb that behavior in the home though." She shows the foster mom how to password-protect explicit and violent television shows. That problem solved, she chats with both Paul and James individually for a few minutes and then sets up a time for next week's meeting, making sure to let everyone know they can call her anytime if something comes up. Back in her car, Komorosky make notes in Paul's and James' files about the visit before heading off to three more similar meetings, each followed by Komorosky taking the time to update the kid's file.
This is supposed to be an 8 to 5 job, but a lot of the foster parents work during the day. . Komorosky has to work with their schedules. Tonight, like most nights, she has a 6:00 meeting. While the lateness of this meeting isn't unusual, it is unusual for another reason. Kenya, the 15-year old girl Komorosky is meeting with, is getting ready to leave the foster care system and be reunited with her biological mother, who has been clean - off of drugs and alcohol - for eight months now. As much as Komorosky would like to see all of her foster kids back with their families, it is a rarity. In fact, in eight months on the job, Kenya is the first of Komorosky's cases to go home.
"While this is a very emotionally-draining job - it's still difficult for me to hear these kids' stories and not want to take them all home and make everything better - there are highpoints like when Kenya gets to go home or like James better managing his rage. The kids totally make the job. Foster parents are nice, but it is really the kids that keep me coming back day after day."
The Road to Treatment Manager
Does Komorosky's day sound like one you'd like? Well then, here's some advice from her on how to get there:
 A Master's Degree in Criminal Justice, Psychology or Sociology is a requirement.
Classes in juvenile justice, juvenile victimization, the legal system, counseling, addiction, and overviews of criminal justice can really give you a leg up.
Make sure you have a strong support system of friends and family available for yourself. This is an emotionally draining and potentially frustrating job and you have to make sure to take care of yourself first.
If you have time while doing your master's, volunteer at a counseling center. It will look good on your resume while giving you some great hands-on experience.
Get to know yourself. To be successful in this career you have to be open, compassionate, organized, have good leadership skills, be able to work well with people and on your own, you need to care, and you need to be able to set boundaries.
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While this is a very emotionally-draining job - it's still difficult for me to hear these kids' stories and not want to take them all home and make everything better...
— Dr. Dawna Komorosky |
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