Brianne Sampson and her family
Guiding individuals through the hardships of life is a passion of Hope For The Warriors social worker Brianne Sampson. As a military spouse, she experienced and witnessed the daily challenges the military community faces, which inspired her to pursue an education in social work so she could use that passion to truly make a difference.
While in her Master of Social Work (MSW) program, Brianne was required to have an internship to gain hands-on experience in the field. This is when she came across HOPE and discovered the opportunity to really explore working with the military community.
“Being a military spouse [while pursuing my education] and seeing first-hand the struggles that come from combat deployments, I wanted to be a part of the helping community to serve fellow military families,” said Brianne. “I advocated for my internship at HOPE during my advanced year and fell in love with the work and the people!”
After completing her internship in 2014, Brianne’s journey with HOPE wasn’t over. In fact, it was only just the beginning. She was hired full-time to continue making a difference for the warrior community and is now nearing her 8-year anniversary with the organization!
Bringing her time with Hope For The Warriors full circle, Brianne now oversees and manages the same internship program she was once a part of. She helps individuals discover their passions through experience and prepares the next generation of social workers to feel confident in their ability to provide care, especially for the military community.
“Interns provide comprehensive clinical case management to veterans and their families utilizing our well-being approach,” said Brianne. “Needs assessments are conducted to determine immediate support with housing, food security, utility assistance, mental health care and other pressing matters a veteran and family may experience because of injuries suffered from military service.”
One area Brianne and the rest of the social work team really focus on is building resiliency. Recognizing how important this is to overall well-being and how big of a difference it can make in recovery and overcoming obstacles, Brianne takes time to focus on this in her own life.
“Gratitude is my favorite self-resiliency practice,” said Brianne. “Taking a moment to pause and reflect on things I’m grateful for that day, sometimes even in that hour, can make a huge difference in my ability to cope with stress. I find that on days when I’m having a difficult time, taking a moment to pause and reflect on something that made me smile in the last few days can give me a boost to shift my mind to a positive place and allow me to re-focus on a new task or just feel energized.”
Brianne’s dedication to this field has made her extremely impactful to HOPE’s warrior community. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the states of Pennsylvania, California, and North Carolina, and additionally is a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Pennsylvania.
Thank you, Brianne, for the compassion and care you show towards our military community each and every day! We are proud to have you on our team and are excited to see all the lives you transform as your journey with HOPE continues.
“I have learned so much at HOPE,” said Brianne. “I have an amazing and supportive team, leadership that believes in me (even when I may have doubts), and of course all the amazing families I get to serve and support. I know that each Friday when I look back on my week, I know that I was able to make a difference in some way.”
Get Connected
If you are currently an MSW student or a prospective student who wants to plan ahead and is interested in learning more about interning with HOPE, please talk with your university’s social work field placement office to coordinate. While we are already booked through the 2022-2023 academic year, we encourage you to look ahead to future dates! If you would like to talk with Brianne directly about opportunities, please reach out to her at bsampson@hopeforthewarriors.org.
The HOPE Spouse and Caregiver Scholarship Program is another great resource. If you or a loved one are pursuing an MSW, we encourage you to apply to our “Restoring Hope Scholarship.” At HOPE, we understand the sacrifice and dedication of the spouse and caregiver community, and this is just one of the many ways we show our gratitude for all you do. For more information, click here to connect to services.