What Are the Traits of a Successful Field Staff?
Often when I am talking to a prospective field staff during the interview process, they ask me what traits I look for in a candidate. From my time in the field, working as a field staff, talking to successful high-level employees, and examining the commonalities between past staff and others who did not thrive in their previous employment, I have boiled down what I believe to be the five essential traits that seem to be universal among successful people and field staff alike.
When I was 12 years old, I was in living in Hawaii (where I grew up) and hiking to a gorgeous spot called Maunawili falls with a big gang of kids and grown ups from our neighborhood.
A crackle comes over the radio, “Backup, Backup. This is Group 1. We need…”
Earlier this year I lost my older sister Colleen, after a decades-long battle with addiction. In our younger years we were very close. Over the last several years we had become more estranged, largely because of the choice I made for me and my own family to detach from the dysfunction that was associated with her disease. It wasn’t without years of trying to help and intervene in so many different ways. This became the case for my other siblings, as well as many other friends and loved ones who one by one distanced themselves over time. And yet with that, I still miss her and will always love her.
Recently, a friend who has a teenager texted me: “I am a rabid fan of Brad Reedy’s 
After being on hold for more than a year because of Covid precautions, parent field visits have returned to Evoke. And with that, they have once again become a source of many questions on my weekly parent phone calls preceding the trips. The most common ones often include “What can we expect them to be like?”, "What if they ask about the future?”, and usually some variation of “What if it doesn’t go well?”
It was a cold morning in the wilderness and the boys of Evoke Group One were struggling with the basic task of stacking wood to get the morning fire going. Before this task was to begin, the boys had to wake up, pack their packs, run the organization group that distributes the daily chores, walk to the camp, place their packs in order in pack line, and stand and listen to the breakfast logistical group. “C’mon guys, we’ve stacked wood every morning for the past week. We should know this by now. Let’s get it together,” exclaimed a field staff in frustration.
The field is a place of learning, challenge, and growth for clients as well as staff at Evoke. Field Instructors learn through structured training and continued professional development during their time with the company. The Field Instructor role encompasses so many different areas that there is always something new for staff to strengthen. This focus on what we can do better is not easy yet is one of the great benefits of the job and helps us provide the best possible care for clients!
Since their inception, mutual help groups have functioned as a valuable resource to individuals in need of community support. And while there have been many detrimental consequences associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the most significant impacts I have observed in my clinical work relates to the profound lack of connection many of my clients have experienced. Due to measures such as social distancing, capacity guidelines, and travel restrictions, virtual interactions have become ubiquitous. Now more than ever, providing individuals with safe access to support and connection is critical. Fortunately, the accessibility of virtual help groups has also improved rapidly over the past two years.