PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 21, No. 19, May 2, 2002

On the job: Terry Jobin

By Sharita Forrest, Assistant Editor
(217) 244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu

Photo by Bill Wiegand Terry Jobin is the director of the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program.

Terry Jobin is the director of the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program. Jobin r

eceived a master’s of social work degree from St. Louis University in 1973 and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Marquette University in 1966. A licensed clinical social worker and a certified employee assistance professional, Jobin worked in various inpatient and outpatient mental health settings before joining the UI in 1995.

Give me a little background on the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program.
The FSAP is what we call a "broad brush" program. People just bring in all kinds of personal and work-related issues, and we try to help them out. We see people with psychological and emotional problems such as depression and anxiety, substance abuse, grief and concerns about marriage and children. It’s a chance to talk with a professional counselor in a confidential setting and assess the situation and determine what resources may be available to help folks deal with the problems they’re having in their lives.

What types of other issues do you encounter?
We see people having trouble making transitions from foreign countries. We had a person a few weeks ago who showed up with no money in his pocket and needed help getting a short-term loan until his first paycheck came through. We reach out a lot to supervisors and help with people who may be having conflicts in the workplace. Other people who are having difficulties on the job are having some stressors in their personal lives as well.

Do you do all the counseling here at FSAP?
We provide short-term counseling: four to six visits. We refer about half the people who come in to community resources outside this office and help them utilize their benefits to access those services. I’ve had people come in who just wanted to talk about a situation and didn’t want anything beyond that.

What is your favorite part of your job?
All of it is my favorite part. I enjoy meeting employees and finding resources for them. I enjoy consulting with supervisors about situations they may be having concerning troubled employees. I like providing presentations to the campus population. And I like the fact that I meet really wonderful people through this position.

What is the most challenging part of your job?
It’s all challenging. Perhaps the most challenging part is finding good resources for people and encouraging them to follow up with those resources I identify that might be helpful to them.

What are your interests outside of work?
I like to bike and try to get in about 40 miles a week when the weather is good. I am involved with our church. I like to travel. We get up to Minnesota quite a bit and Wisconsin. I like to fish and take canoe trips up in the boundary waters canoe area in northern Minnesota.

Your Web page said you were in the Peace Corps and went to Micronesia. Tell me about that.
I was in the Peace Corps for three years – 1966 through 1969. I had graduated from college and wanted to take some time off before graduate school. It gave me added experience in terms of working with communities and with organizational structures that I have been able to utilize throughout the years. Another thing I learned was an appreciation for different cultures and not to judge other cultures by American culture.

What was it like living in Micronesia?
I lived on a small island in the western Pacific. I think it was about 80 to 100 acres. A little over 100 people lived there. I was teaching school and doing health education. We had ships that came out from what we called the district center that would bring mail and supplies. The native foods were very good, very healthy. I had to learn the local language: Trukese. A local family took care of me, and I got very close to them. We still correspond a few times a year. In fact, I will be going back to visit them this June. I haven’t been back there for over 30 years. I will only be able to be there for about 2 1/2 weeks. My daughter is going to accompany me. She was born there.