January 23, 2024 | By: Sarah Haberbosch
Hi! I’m Sarah. I am the owner and lead clinical social worker at Branch of Hope, LLC and Roots of Strength, LLC. I’m so glad you’re reading this and getting to know me a little better!
Before Social Work
I grew up in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia where I began volunteering as a firefighter at the age of 14. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. While at Ship I met my best friend, now administrative coordinator, Kait, while in the Army ROTC program. Unfortunately, I was unable to Commission due to a car accident which led to a medical disqualification. After this accident one of the best things came into my life was in the form of a four-legged, 75-pound, fluffy mutt that loved running through the woods as much as I did. I also met my husband of 9 years while volunteering at the local firehouse. While I continued to volunteer, I also completed my EMT certification. Rounding this out, I was a volunteer firefighter for almost a decade and an EMT for 2 years.
While at Ship, I also had the opportunity to conduct research on the topics of Terror Management Theory as well as studying Military and Civilian Views on US Military Sustainability. Each of these projects were presented both locally at Ship as well as Nationally at different conferences. During this time I was able attend a class on crisis intervention which afforded me the amazing opportunity to complete brief externships with the local critical incident stress management (CISM) team and peer led warm line. This is where my passion for crisis response and suicide prevention began.
Life & Social Work
After graduating from Ship, I moved to Maryland with my husband while he attended the police academy. I started my professional career as a hotline and crisis chat counselor and a mobile crisis team member. Shortly after moving, I began my Master’s of Social Work at Catholic University but ended up transferring to the University of Maryland at Baltimore. I graduated UMB in May 2017 with my MSW and a concentration in Behavioral Health. (I was also incredibly pregnant)! My foundation year internship was in the City School System while my advanced year internship was with the local VA Medical Center. While at the VA I was a social work intern on the inpatient psychiatry unit. I continued to work in the field of crisis response and suicide prevention all throughout my master’s program. About a year after graduation, I was hired by the local VA and back on the inpatient psychiatry unit. Since being at the VA I have also provided individual and group therapy to Veterans and have most recently been developing programming for Caregivers of Veterans with Mental Health needs.
I now have three beautiful children with my husband and have been licensed as a LCSW-C (Licensed Certified Social Worker – Clinical) and have become a board approved supervisor for LMSWs working towards their independent license. I love being able to support new social workers and provide additional education and guidance on suicide risk. However, I approach each supervisee as an individual and find that I learn as much from them as I hope they’re learning from me. I continue to train others on the spectrum of suicide risk through workshops that I host and consultation that I provide.
I have been working in the field of crisis intervention and the spectrum of suicide risk for over a decade now. I have a specialized focus on the First Responder, Military, and Veteran community. Please keep in mind that first responders are not just who we think of first like firefighters, law enforcement and EMTs but also our community’s dispatchers, medical staff (i.e. critical care transport nurses), paramedics, corrections officers, and mobile crisis team members. Depending on the situation, it could include more people as well. Branch of Hope, LLC also specializes in Law Enforcement Mental Health Assessments which are now mandated by Maryland law.
My Niche
I always felt a call to serve whether through volunteering with my local fire departments or earning a scholarship for ROTC. However, with losing the ability to Commission and new chronic pain impacting my ability to run calls, I had to go a different direction. So, I pursued my service in another way and learned how the field of social work allows someone to do so many different things. Now I have the pleasure of dedicating my time to helping the First Responder, Military, and Veteran communities. These populations may be small, but they are a critical piece to our country, communities, our lives, and safety. The challenges and concerns they face deserve culturally humble care based on expertise and experience. First Responders, Veterans and Military communities deserve to access the same high quality mental health support that other individuals can access.
My lived experience also has a lot to do with why I dedicate my time to First Responders, Military, and Veterans. You now know that I was a firefighter, EMT, Crisis Hotline Counselor and Mobile Crisis Team Clinician. But my life also includes me co-existing with and supporting so many other people. My husband is a local law enforcement officer, and together we are raising our three children. I also have several family members, including my brothers, who have served in our nation’s military. Many other family members are serving their communities through law enforcement or healthcare as well. I also have several friends who are actively serving in the military, are veterans or are members of their first responder community. Because of the immersion I’ve had in these communities, I am so passionate about helping them and their families.
Some Random Fun Things!
My Favorites:
Hot chocolate ☕
A long drive on back roads 🛣️
Hearing my kids’ laughter 😁
Backyard firepits 🔥
Quality conversations with friends 🗣️
My family [blood and chosen] 👨👩👧👦
Favorite Quotes:
“Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday” – Unknown
“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” – Albert Einstein
“Kindness can transform someone’s dark moment with a blaze of light. You’ll never know how much your caring matters.” – Amy Leigh Mercree
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream” – C.S. Lewis
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“There are only four kinds of people in the world: Those who have been caregivers. Those who are currently caregivers. Those who will be caregivers, and those who will need a caregiver.” – Rosalyn Carter
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness” – Desmond Tutu
“Keep a little fire burning; however small, however hidden.” – Cormac McCarthy
“Hope…sometimes that’s all you have when you have nothing else. If you have it, you have everything – Unknown
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.” – John Green
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness.” – Brene Brown
Thank you!
If you've made it to the end, thank you for reading and learning more about me! I'm so glad to have you hear reading my blog and learning more about me and what my practices do. If you want to see more, be sure to check out Branch of Hope, LLC and Roots of Strength, LLC on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Disclaimer
This blog and website represents the opinions of Sarah Haberbosch, LCSW-C and her guests to the blog and website. Views and opinions expressed in the blog and website are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.
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