This week we sadly say goodbye to our social worker Sam. Sam Goodwin, LGSW, started working at The DC Center for the LGBT Community in May 2016 as The Center’s first Staff Social Worker/Therapist, and has been a great asset to the Center ever since. She helped to launch The DC Center’s first ever Behavior Health Program, providing trauma-informed mental health support services to LGBTQ survivors of crime, violence, and trauma in Washington, DC. Over the past two years, Sam has served over 93 individual clients at The DC Center, providing a variety of services including individual, group and couples therapy, case management, intakes, crisis intervention, education, outreach, referrals to the LGBTQ violence prevention hotline, and warm hand-offs to LGBTQ-friendly and affirming practitioners across the DMV. Sam has also been an integral part of The DC Anti-Violence Project, helping to organize monthly meetings, visioning processes and strategic planning for the organization. She helped to coordinate the DC AVP event series ‘Taking the Stage, Taking a Stand: LGBTQ Voices Against Violence,’ several Survivor Art Expression Night events, and the 6 cycles of the Queer Women Working Through Trauma group. Her kind and caring demeanor along with her positive attitude has not only brought joy to her clients but to everyone who works and volunteers here at the Center, and will be dearly missed.
This summer, Sam will be moving to Cheltenham, England, with her partner, Ryan, and their two cats, Kinsey and Putter. She is looking forward to serving the community of Cheltenham by providing sex therapy and other mental health services and is hoping to be involved with efforts of the LGBTQ community across the pond as well. Although we are sad to see her leave, we know she will be doing amazing things in her next endeavors. Thank you Sam!