Can you introduce yourself, and tell me a bit about yourself?

My name is Fatmah Babu, and I currently

reside in downtown Los Angeles. I currently
work as a case manager at the Los Angeles
County Department of Mental Health as well
as serving as the shelter director at the
Women’s Shelter of Los Angeles. I was born
in Nairobi, Kenya in the 60’s and emigrated
as a refugee in the early 80’s to Toronto, then
finally made the move to Los Angeles in the
early 90’s.

What do you currently do for work?

I currently serve as the Shelter Case Manager at The Jewish Family Service of Los
Angeles and as the Shelter Director at the Women’s Shelter of Los Angeles. I have
been working with The Jewish Family Service for about 20 years now, and with
the women’s shelter for about 16 years all together.
What made you want to enter a field like this?
I did not really have much of a choice. I was a single
mother to 5 children and was just picking up work where
I could. I finally had the opportunity to go into a
technical school and get some certifications. I always
wanted to work with individuals suffering from mental
health problems. Back in Kenya, many of my own loved
ones suffered from mental health problems, and I have
always been passionate about helping those who do not
have that many resources as I once did not.
How did you get these
positions you currently
hold?
I was able to work entry level
jobs at these organizations
for about 7 years. After getting a few more certifications under my belt, I was able
to be promoted into more technical positions like counseling and case
management. After working in those positions for a few years, I was formally
approached about management positions within the two organizations and was
further promoted. Most individuals do not have to go through what I went to, but I
just had to do whatever I could to climb the ladder.
What does an average day look like for you?
Since I work 2 jobs technically, my week is crazy. I work at The Jewish Family
Service 4 days a week now, and work 6 days a week at the Women’s Shelter. On
the days that I work both jobs, I head to The Jewish Family Service at around noon
and work my shift until 8 PM. While I am there, I am helping with counseling
services, and I am setting meetings with individuals that we serve and working
their cases throughout the day while also hosting different programs for the mental
health patients we are serving. After 8 PM, I head to the Women’s Shelter at
around 11 PM and work the overnight shift until 7 AM where I am basically going
over checklists throughout the night and making sure that all the women and
children staying in our shelter are all accounted for and safe.
What suggestions would you give to people who want to join this field?
Do not be afraid to fail. I failed many times throughout my long career, but it was
through those failures where I learned how to deal with the populations I was
serving. The mental health patients and the individuals at the Women’s shelter all
has different complexities. And it is through being in the environment with them
where I was able to learn about their complexities and how I could better serve
them. It is ultimately about empathy, if you cannot be empathetic, then it is going
to be a long hard career path.
Thank you!