KIM HERZING

Kim Herzing is originally from Buffalo, New York. She spent half of her childhood in Houston, Texas. She has called Greensboro, North Carolina home for the last 14 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Psychology and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Last year she completed the clinical requirements to practice counseling in the mental health field to both adults and children in the state of North Carolina.

Through out her career in the human service field, Kim has had the opportunity to work with several diverse populations (at risk youth, adults and children with developmental disabilities, and substance abuse). Currently, she works full-time for the Guilford County Department of Public Health providing in-home psycho/social counseling and case management to women of low socio-economic status. These women have recently given birth and are at risk for having a subsequent poor birth outcome due to medical/psychological/or social risks. She works part-time providing counseling and suppervision to three therapeutic foster care homes in Randolph County. In addition, Kim is in the process of opening up a part-time private practice in Greensboro where she provides both individual and family counseling

When she is not helping others, Kim can be found flying the friendly skies. She has a passion for aviation and has been a licensed pilot for 10 years. She holds a single-engine land rating and has future plans to get her license to land on the water. She enjoys international as well as local travel. Kim loves to learn about other cultures, customs, and religions. She spends her free time with family and close friends enjoying good conversation and a variety of activities.

Through the Group Study Exchange, Kim is hoping to learn more about the medical and mental health care system in Taiwan. Currently, the infant mortality rate in North Carolina is higher than in Taiwan. She would like to learn about specific policies and practices around interconceptional and prenatal care that has helped Taiwan to have a lower infant mortality rate. Kim is very interested in learning about the beliefs and practices around mental health with both adults and children. She is looking forward to making new connections and forming new friendships. She would love to have the opportunity to increase her job skills, step outside of her comfort zone through public speaking, and increase her knowledge base so that she can share this information with other professionals as well as better serve the families she works with.