Rachel Nyakako is a clinical social worker in the Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center (CHPCC) at Boston Children’s Hospital. She serves as a link for patients and families in need of mental and behavioral healthcare and resources. Such support, she says, can come in many forms, depending on what her busy days bring.
Collaborating with a multidisciplinary team, Nyakako provides psychosocial assessments and ongoing therapy, assists with care coordination and crisis intervention, and connects families to resources and referral services.
“A family may come in for a well-child visit or to urgent care and want to speak to a social worker,” she says. “We’re there to build relationships and to be a resource hub across many different needs.”
On Choosing Simmons
Nyakako had been studying osteopathy in the United Kingdom when she became intrigued with the mental health aspects of holistic care. Upon returning to the States, she decided to pursue a Master of Social Work instead.
Nyakako was drawn to the clinical focus of Simmons’ social work program — particularly the opportunity to earn a certificate in trauma-informed care.
“I knew I wanted to do therapy after graduation,” she says. “I could take those skills into so many realms.”
She also appreciated the curriculum’s emphasis on seminar-based courses.
Social Work Career Preparation at Simmons
Through core coursework and targeted study in the Social Work + Trauma Practice Certificate program, Nyakako reports that she gained a deep understanding of “how trauma affects people across their development and lifetime.”
Outside the classroom, she participated in an intensive simulation partnership with Tufts University School of Medicine, where she role-played practice scenarios with medical students.
For her first placement, Nyakako interned at Babson College. She counseled students, assisted with crisis intervention, and offered psychoeducation around COVID-19 precautions.
Her second internship allowed her to explore her growing interest in medical social work with children, adolescents, and families. As a clinical social worker at Franciscan Children’s, she provided one-on-one therapy to patients in the Inpatient Adolescent Unit, conducted weekly family meetings, and attended rounds with a multidisciplinary team.
Throughout her career preparation at Simmons, Nyakako says she learned how to build therapeutic relationships that “support people going through delicate and difficult times.”
Why Clinical Social Work is Meaningful
At Boston Children’s, Nyakako says she can support and follow families who might be struggling.
“Then they come in for an appointment and they’re showing pictures of their child’s graduation or a new baby. We’re there for the hard and the good, and that brings a beautiful, small community feel to the work,” she says.