In Time of Crisis, Ashland Residents Can Turn to Jennifer Wuelfing

Hired to serve Ashland residents, Jennifer Wuelfing began her job as Ashland’s Director of Human Services in May of 2017.
“Prior to my hire, we had a youth and family services department and an elder outreach position. The vision of the town management team was to incorporate [these roles into] an all-encompassing Human Services department to increase capacity and serve a wider range of Ashland residents,” Wuelfing said.
“Human Services is here to assist any Ashland resident, of any age, in all socioeconomic positions—vulnerable, middle income and affluent. We collaborate with the senior center’s elder outreach position as well as many other town departments and a wide range of community partners, such as SMOC, Advocates, YMCA, BayPath Elder Services,” Wuelfing explained. “We assist in accessing resources, monetary and/or emotional in nature. We run a food pantry designed to serve the residents of Ashland who struggle with food insecurity.”
She said, “Human Services is an all-encompassing assistance department here to support residents struggling or needing assistance navigating through any mental health, social, emotional, or environmental stressor. We offer support through times of crisis. We cannot serve as someone’s ongoing treatment provider; however, people can call as often as they need and we can connect them to the appropriate ongoing resource, such as a permanent therapist or fuel assistance applications, whatever the situation requires.”
Compassion and Experience. “I chose the field of human services to make a difference in people’s lives. When I think about the worst times in my life, they were when I felt powerless and unheard. What I have to give to the world is using the compassion I have gained through my own experiences to do what I can to mitigate the turmoil in the lives of those I encounter; that’s what I want to do. I feel as though this role, in this town is perfect for me both personally and professionally. My career path has prepared me well for this job, and I feel good about that.”
When asked about her most is challenging situation, Wuelfing cited the systemic problems that she alone can’t fix, such as available affordable housing, cost of living in this area, as well as epidemics such as homelessness, substance use/misuse, sexual assault and domestic violence.
“My short term goals are to work with the team here at the municipal level to develop an accessible and helpful Human Services Department for the residents of Ashland,” she said. “My wide range of occupational/academic/practicum and volunteer experiences have put me in a knowledgeable position to excel in this role as it requires skills that yield connections with persons served, cultural humility, the ability to build community partnerships and access resources.”
In her spare time, Wuelfing enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, yoga, and art of any kind. “I strongly advocate for, and live a lifestyle that supports, environmental issues/animal rights issues/social justice issues,” she said.