Lexington County Department of Social Services County Director Jennifer Jeffcoat resides in Lexington with her husband Brent and sons Brady and Grayson. “I love the people. Everybody is very friendly. It still has that hometown feel even though it’s grown by leaps and bounds,” said Jeffcoat, adding that much of her family’s free time revolves around their sports activities. “My husband is the head coach for lacrosse over at White Knoll, where my boys play. We definitely keep busy.”
Jeffcoat began her path towards her career when she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a major in Psychology and a minor in Social Work.
“I started out pursuing nursing because I really wanted to help people. My mom was a nurse, and that felt like it was a natural step, but as I started into my classes, I started taking social work classes and psychology classes,” said Jeffcoat.
“That spoke to me more because understanding and meeting people where they were really appealed to me. I wanted to understand people’s journeys and why they are who they are.”
Jeffcoat began her career in social work as an Eligibility Case Manager for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with the South Carolina Department of Social Services. She became a Child Welfare Case Manager and then supervised Intake Operations and Adult Advocacy for Lexington County.
“Originally, the counties would maintain their own intake process. So anytime the community would call in with reports of abuse or neglect, we would handle all of those calls. Sometimes individuals would call, and they weren’t necessarily making a report but really needed to connect with resources, and we would help to connect them with those resources.”
Jeffcoat said that helping people find the resources they need is one of the things she most enjoys about working with DSS. “DSS is here to help support families and strengthen them. I’ve been able to see the fruit of our labor. We’ve seen a lot of successful families that came to us in crisis, and we were able to provide services to help them.”
Jeffcoat also acknowledges that it can be emotionally demanding working in social work, especially with seeing difficult cases. “The work that we do is heavy and emotional, but there are always rewards, and that’s what keeps us going,” said Jeffcoat.
For those interested in following a career path in social services, Jeffcoat advises to build time management and organizational skills. She also stressed the importance of making sure that there is a passion to help others. “The Department of Social Services is always looking for good candidates for employment if you are interested in a career of the heart,” said Jeffcoat.
“It’s not easy work, but it is rewarding work. It certainly has to be in your heart to be called to this. We are advocates, whether it’s being able to advocate for a vulnerable adult or for a child. Our job is to help,” she shared.