What does a typical day look like behind the scenes at our organization? While no two days are exactly the same, each is grounded in purpose, collaboration, and a shared commitment to our work. From early-morning check-ins to problem-solving moments and meaningful conversations, our staff bring a wide range of skills, perspectives, and passion to everything they take on.
A Day In The Life As an Exit Specialist at Life After Hate
My other half and I text each other to check in a couple times each day. I remember getting a text from him early in our relationship, which said, “How was your day? Or do I not want to know?” I laughed but also understood where he was coming from, as many people have told me before that they find what I do for work fascinating, but they probably couldn’t handle some of what I see and hear.
My day starts the same way as anyone else’s, and, thankfully, I have become more of a morning person over the years. I’m up at 7am each day to start around 9am and will often tell people “that I only had to walk 15 feet to my desk,” while I recognize the benefits of working remotely. When I first started this job in 2020, I remember meditating every morning to check in with myself before starting my day. I’ll admit that in recent years I’ve become a bit complacent with that; however, it might also be the case that I don’t need to be as detailed with self-care anymore, as I have become familiar with this work. I do it as I feel like it now and I’m finding this approach is actually best.
I work directly with individuals who are looking to leave hate fueled extremism. It was my life before deciding to make my escape from it in 2015. Those days will not be missed, but not forgotten either, as I continue to work with people who are leaving or have already left these networks. I see it now as a period of life I went through in order to be able to do this work, as opposed to something that needs to define me forever.
Going into each meeting with my participants, I never really know what to expect and I admit that this is one of many things I enjoy about the work. I’m someone who likes being kept on their toes at work, meanwhile keeping my personal life fairly predictable. It’s funny to think about as I’m writing this piece that I’ll lose my mind if I lose my keys, however I have a strong enough nerve to listen to someone’s full account of what they went through while they were engaged in extremism.
I’ve been asked on several occasions how I get people to open up and the answer is a lot simpler than one may think; just talk with them. Ever since I started working at Life After Hate, I’ve always taken a more casual approach as it’s authentic for me. I’ve also learned the value of being straight to the point in conversation, as many participants actually appreciate it. Many of the participants I’ve worked with over the years have trouble trusting anyone, so transparency is key when working with them.
As with any job in the helping profession, one needs to accept the wins and losses when dealing with people. It’s entirely possible for someone to backslide, and I have seen this happen before; I often tell them that I definitely get it, as I was once in the early stages of exiting as well, but more importantly, I would want to know how and why this happened for them so that we can get past it together. There are, of course, the wins which are worthy of celebrating; it’s a great feeling when someone tells you about their success, and you are able to remember where they once were and see how far they have come.
A Day In The Life As a Case Manager at Life After Hate
It is 8 am, and I have just arrived at work. Working remotely, in virtual spaces, can feel lonely, however we have curated a space here to ensure that the team stays connected, so the first matter of business in the mornings is making sure we greet one another at the start of our day. We utilize a communication workspace application, which allows our team members to know who is here for the day and communicate with one another periodically throughout the day, regarding work-related matters.
After morning greetings, I open my workspace to review my work calendar to see what my day will look like regarding meetings. I also check and respond to any emails before proceeding.
A case manager’s day may vary depending on how many meetings with participants they may facilitate in one day. For me, I try not to schedule more than 4-5 participants in one day, as the work we do is heavy and I want to ensure that I am showing up fully and present for each participant. There may be moments where my day is jam-packed, but I usually like to space my meetings out.
Case Manager (CM) virtual sessions with participants can range from :
1. Initial screening meetings to ensure that the participant is a fit for Life After Hate programming.
2 .Onboarding interview meetings facilitated by a Case Manager, in which a participant is asked several questions, including background history information, to help the Case Manager identify how to best support the participant’s needs.
3. Intervention plan meetings facilitated by a Case Manager, in which participants and Cm will collectively come up with goals together, based on information provided by the participant, from their onboarding screening interview.
4. Routine check-in meetings facilitated by the Case Manager to offer new resources/ referrals and or education to participants and check in on the continuity of resources that may already be in place. These meetings happen weekly/biweekly or as needed, depending on the individual’s needs. Some participants’ needs may be higher, so you may see them more often than others.
5. Sometimes participants may not have availability for a Zoom call, so there will be call/email/text check-ins as well.
Case managers also spend a lot of time researching and finding resources for participants that fit their needs, as the referrals are not one-size-fits-all. So, although we have a directory of resources, there is still research that needs to be done. After facilitating virtual sessions for the day and entering documentation, I carve out time for seek resources tailored to my participants’ unique needs. Many of our participants are on fixed incomes or have little to no income, so the resources I find often need to be free or on sliding scales.
Cm’s follow-up with Exit Specialists regarding participants we may share and discuss their progress/and or any concerns and updates, so we are aware if there are any new resources that a participant may need. We jump on Zoom/ telephone or email to obtain this information.
We document all communication interactions with each one of our participants in a database that protects all sensitive information. We assess the risk of harm to others and or the individual during all of our interactions, as well. If a participant shows that they are at risk, we will complete a suicide assessment with them and report it appropriately. We are not a Mental health facility/clinic, and we do not provide therapy, but we have a duty to ensure safety at all times.
If we have a release of information for any of our participants there are days when we may connect with a participant’s therapist/ outside providers and or anyone else on their support team, discussing information, providing education, and or referrals to help them, with the participant’s permission.
I usually end my day by sending friendly follow-up meeting reminders to my participants who I am scheduled to meet with the next day, to ensure they are aware of our meeting and send the meeting link attachment for their convenience.
As case managers, we run two different educational groups on two evenings each month, for 1 hour and 30 minutes. One group is a Family and Friends support group for individuals who have loved ones who are involved in hate-fueled violence. The second group is a Women’s group for our Exiting women participants, providing a safe space to discuss various topics. As a facilitator of these groups, it is the case manager’s responsibility to create a curriculum that provides education on the week’s topics of discussion to help participants.
Case managers also facilitate virtual meetings with co-facilitators of these groups, Exit Specialists, and or the family support specialist, in order to brainstorm different topics and implement plans for the way the group is run, and to ensure the group is running as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Their roles may differ, but a shared sense of responsibility unites them, the leveraging of their respective expertise, and, of course, a belief in the impact of their work together. We trust this snapshot of daily life offers a deeper understanding of how our mission moves from intention to action—one day, one conversation, and one dedicated team member at a time.
