Cesare Becomes Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Christina Cesare graduated from UMF with a degree in psychology and earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of Maine. Having successfully completed the Association of Social Work Board exam, she’s now a licensed clinical social worker and certified alcohol and drug counselor with Evergreen Behavioral Services, the clinical mental health branch of Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington. Working in nearby public schools and out of her Evergreen office, Cesare diagnoses and treats clients ages 6 to 60 who struggle with anxiety, mood, behavior and substance abuse disorders.
Cesare’s journey to becoming a licensed clinical social worker began with her first teaching practicum experience when she was an elementary education major at UMF.
“One of my students who had a difficult home life was going to have to switch schools because of a change in custody. He clung to me on his last day of school because he didn’t want to leave. I was the only person he would allow near him. I knew then that I wanted to learn how to help troubled children beyond attending to their academic development,” said Cesare, who switched majors from elementary education to psychology.
UMF’s psychology program proved to be better preparation than Cesare ever imagined for her master’s degree program in social work.
“When I took my first master’s course in social work, I thought the material looked very familiar. That’s because we were using a revised edition of a textbook that I had when I took my Child and Family Counseling and Psychopathology course with Dr. Susan Anzivino at UMF,” she said. “I remember her telling the class that she was going to challenge us by having us work with a graduate-level textbook. A lot of what I learned in graduate school was either review or very familiar.”
Cesare completed all of her master’s degree internships at Evergreen Behavioral Services under the supervision of Sharon Neil, a 1996 graduate of UMF and licensed clinical social worker. In fact, since graduating Cesare’s ties to UMF are as strong as ever. She works with her former academic advisor, Dr. Dan Seabold, to place current UMF students as counseling interns with Evergreen’s school-age clients. She also shares an office with her former professor (turned colleague), Dr. Susan Anzivino, who complements theory with practice by working as a psychologist at Evergreen.
