HSD Employee Spotlight—Yvonne Seyler

Yvonne Seyler is a Sr. Human Services Supervisor with the Aging & Disability Services Division, which plans, coordinates, and advocates for a comprehensive service delivery system for older people, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers in Seattle and throughout King County. She has been a part of the team at Seattle Human Services for ten years this December!

What is your role at Seattle Human Services?

I am a Senior Supervisor for the Care Coordination Program with the Aging and Disability Services (ADS) Division. I work in the South King County Office in Renton managing nine case managers in the Title 19 program, which includes the New Freedom program. We provide an array of services to the countywide community, such as assessing them in their home to obtain their monthly personal caregiving hours which allows clients to remain living independently in their homes. During my time at ADS, I have also volunteered on several committees such as the training team committee, forms committee, hiring process committee, and Holiday party committee and I am a former Latinx Caucus member.

What made you want to work in human services?

I started my career as a paralegal and worked in that field for 11 years, working in criminal, family law, and personal injury cases. I realized I wanted to do more in and for my community and wanted to give back in a different way. As a result, I changed my career path to work in Social Services and started working as a case manager in 2004 at a non-profit agency in Tacoma, Washington; and worked for a couple of non-profit agencies before joining ADS in 2014.

I enjoy helping others which includes our community members and our staff. Giving back to the community is a vital part of my life and working at ADS has allowed me to give back daily, in many ways.

How has your job changed in recent years?

I started in 2014 as a Case Manager at the Renton office. In 2017, I was promoted to Senior Counselor in the Seattle office and then quickly promoted to Senior Supervisor in the Seattle office the same year. In 2018 I transferred back to the Renton office and continue now in the role as a Senior Supervisor. Our job is ever-changing in that there are always changes. We are about to move our offices into a new location in Renton! I have learned to roll with and adapt to updates but am definitely someone who asks a lot of questions and provides feedback.

What do you love about your job?

There are so many things I love about my job that keep me going every day. I love being able to provide services to our community and being able to assist those in need. It's so rewarding to see clients accomplish their goals or obtain the needed items/services they need to remain independently in their homes. The best part of my job is working with my teams. I work on a team with other supervisors, and I supervise a team of nine case managers. Building and having great relationships is such an essential part of the work we do. We all have good and rough days and, when it's a rough day, I always remind myself of all the good we are doing to assist our clients, the community, and the great staff we have! We have an amazing staff! I also enjoy being able to advocate on behalf of both the people we serve and the team members I work with.

How do you contribute to HSD's overarching goals related to racial equity?

I come from a line of hard-working and strong Latina women in my family who have accomplished so much in the communities they lived in. My grandmother, mother, and tía (aunt) have all instilled so many important values in me and became pillars in their communities for the work they accomplished with racial equity. I strive to keep those values not only in my home life but at work as well. I am committed to the overarching goals related to racial equity by sharing my life and work experiences and by bringing the team together to learn about one another and share experiences, especially since my team is so diverse. We utilize our language skills in Spanish, Punjabi, Russian, and Ukrainian to assist our clients and their families. There is so much we can learn from each other and continue to learn. Using my racial equity lens daily when working with my team and clients is always at the forefront.

What motivates you or keeps you going?

Many things motivate me. The passion and drive I bring to ADS keep me going and my team keeps me motivated. They are always willing to take on additional work to assist their peers and the agency, take on challenges, and constantly work through complex situations with an eagerness to learn and grow.

I'm so proud of each of my case managers' work and client accomplishments and how they always come through to help no matter what the need is:

• Obtain needed medical equipment not covered by insurance
• Find a caregiver
• Assist a client move
• Obtain emergency food assistance
• Pay an electricity bill to avoid a shutoff
• Find a medical provider and obtain the medical treatment needed
• Create emergency evacuation safety plans
• Get a ramp and/or grab bars in their shower installed
• Help a client to remain housed by getting a voucher or emergency rental assistance approved

All of these examples assist the people we serve to remain independently in their homes and to age in place with dignity. The love of the work we do and the ability to help our clients by making meaningful impacts is motivating.

What's one piece of advice for HSD newcomers or recent graduates in your field?

Ask lots of questions. Lean into your team and your peers. There is a lot to learn when you first onboard with the department but there is support available. We really are a family at HSD and in the ADS Division, and there are people always willing to assist you. You just have to ask. Give yourself and others grace and make time to get in some good self-care.

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