Antoinette Selvy: ‘No two people are alike’

Social work is a demanding field. Those involved with helping children, such as Antoinette Selvy, a  court-appointed special advocate with the Vicksburg Child Abuse Prevention Center, solve issues regarding broken homes and forgotten children, navigating countless court dates. Selvy spends her days helping children realize that their lives matter.

At a young age, Selvy saw the importance of helping others. 

“Even when I was in high school, I always wanted to help people,” she said. “I went on a retreat with my ROTC class, and we visited L.I.F.E., which stands for Living Independently for Everyone. They promote the advancement and independence of people with physical disabilities, and I do believe that this also contributed to me being a fan of doing social work.

“A lot of people overlook people with disabilities, and I think seeing that is what prompted me to want to get into this field. It’s just my desire to love people and help them any way that I can.”

In any situation, Selvy is optimistic and a people person.

“I was working at a casino, and I thought to myself that I love working with people,” she said. “I was working as a table-games dealer, and I just loved it. I love working with people and all my life, I pretty much assisted people and gave people advice to get back on the right track when they strayed away. 

“I decided that I wanted to go back to school and, because of my background, I majored in social work and received my degree. And that’s how I got started.”

After obtaining her bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University, she went on to work with the Mississippi Child Protection Services before moving on to the Vicksburg CAP Center.

Selvy’s experience in the field has taught her many lessons when it comes to people— how to treat them and how to help them—but there is one lesson that is always in the back of her mind.

“What I’ve learned about working in this field is that everyone is different,” Selvy said. “No two people are alike. So you have to approach every situation differently. Whether you have a parent that’s on drugs or a parent that abuses their child or children, you have to find the underlying issue of what caused that behavior. … Everyone is open to change.”

Though her work is sometimes draining, Selvy perseveres because of her dedication to her clients.

“I get overwhelmed with my work just about every day, because I’m just so invested into my clients,”she said. “I want the best for them. I do take my work home, and I worry, and I try to make sure that everything is fine. I enjoy my work, but I’m just so invested in it that sometimes it consumes me. I care for all of my clients, and I just want what is best for them.”

Selvy encourages everyone to take a day to volunteer with the Vicksburg Child Abuse Prevention Center to see all it has to offer. Those interested in being a voice for children, or if they have questions about social work or what the CAP Center does, can come by at 3530 Manor Drive, Suite 6.

“We’re always looking for help,” she said.