Garrett Schwarz, Residential Manager at Stevens Treatment Group Home
Garrett Schwarz serves as the Residential Manager at Stevens Treatment Group Home.
Schwarz grew up in Bertrand, Neb. and always had aspirations to help others, especially children.
“When I finished high school I wanted to become a youth minister so I decided to attend York College. While there, I met my wife Jenna and started a family while still in school. That is also when I first heard about Epworth Village,” he said. “That’s when I decided, ‘Why not get a job working with kids since that was your goal in the first place?”
“It didn’t matter what setting it was,” Schwarz said adamantly. “I just wanted to help kids. So, I finished York College with a degree in General Studies and an emphasis in Youth Ministry and Communications and began working for Epworth Village in 2003 as a relief staff member. I have been here ever since.”
During Schwarz’s career path at Epworth, he has served as a para-professional at the Epworth Village Learning Center, was a shift leader at two separate residential facilities and then was offered the opportunity to be a Residential Manager.
“Our goal at Stevens Cottage is to try and prepare our children for going home or going to foster care. We want them to learn skills that will help them avoid falling into their pattern of behavior that referred them to Epworth Village in the first place,” he explained, adding, “The residential staff are trying to teach the children between right and wrong and to utilize their coping strategies when they feel there is no escape from escalating.”
“We, as direct care staff, want to teach the children that life is made up of choices. There are good choices and bad choices and each comes with a set of consequences. We want the children to know that when they make positive decisions, good consequences follow. We want them to feel confident and prepared to make a positive decision while being at Epworth Village, but also once they are in their home environments.”
Schwarz said that each child is treated as a unique, important person at Epworth, “Each child has their own Individualized Treatment Plan and each one has different barriers and behaviors to overcome. Success can be measured in many different ways and is going to be different for all the children. The overall goal is to get them to a safe home where they can take what they have learned at Epworth Village and continue to grow as a person and succeed in society.”