It takes a strong and compassionate individual to help those on the front lines through their most vulnerable moments. This is where Caitlyn Kalisik’s skills shine the brightest, which is why she was thrilled to join the City of La Porte as a police social worker on April 17 of this year. In this role, she helps city law enforcement with mental health and substance abuse-related issues.
From the moment she came across the open position, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“When this job came about, I saw it pop up and I said, ‘This is definitely my dream job. I’d really love to do that,’” Kalisik said. ”I like being able to bring support and hear people out in their worst moments because I can provide support.”
Kalisik has always been passionate about helping others. She originally wanted to become a therapist and held previous positions in the social work field in years prior to her role at the City. These positions, however, lacked that one-on-one interaction with others, and she felt very unfulfilled in her work for that reason. She wanted a position where she could work directly with others and help them through challenging times while changing their lives for the better, something the social work position did offer.
Upon hearing about the position, she was willing to work through any and all obstacles so she could obtain her dream career.
“I said, ‘You know what, I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to apply for it just because it's my dream job,’” Kalisik said. “Not long after that, they offered me the job.”
While she was beyond excited to receive the offer, Kalisik had a major decision ahead of her. Even though the job she had prior wasn’t her ideal career, she had great benefits and had just received a generous pay raise, and as a single mom, a major career change seemed daunting at first. However, she knew in her heart that this was her dream position, so she decided to take the leap.
Kalisik's passion for working with officers in particular stemmed from her time serving in the Marine Corps. She came from a broken home, but the people she served with really helped her find her place in the world, forever changing her for the better. She noticed law enforcement mimicked a similar culture and therefore felt officers as extended members of her found family. She wanted to do what she could to help them out.
“I loved the camaraderie, the closeness, and just feeling like I found a family who wasn't necessarily my blood but would be there for me. I decided to come to law enforcement because it's a similar culture, and it has been. I feel like this is my family, and I want to help officers and staff here,” Kalisik said.
Now, Kalisik loves what she does and loves that she’s able to make such a positive impact in the officers’ lives. Her position itself is also rather new, which makes holding this title all the more special.
“It's really only been in the State of Indiana since 2019. It’s been less than three years that we’ve been implementing social workers in the police departments, and right now I think there's less than 30 of us in the state,” Kalisik said. “I never would have assumed that this would be something that would exist, but as soon as it started coming out, I was like, ‘That's my ticket. I would be so good at that.’”
Kalisik’s good-hearted nature extends outside her work life as well. She’s a board member for Anam Cara Counseling Stables in La Porte and runs a veterans group on the first Friday of every month. She interned at the equine physical therapy facility during her master’s degree and, upon hearing she was a veteran, she was then asked to lead the group.
“I never envisioned myself wanting to do that professionally, but once I learned about it, I was sold,” Kalisik said. “It makes so much sense to use this as a partner to help people heal.”
Additionally, Kalisik enjoys being outside, gardening, and spending time with her daughter. The two have recently started jiu jitsu lessons together, and it's a fun way for the two to bond while staying active.
A Wisconsin native, Kalisik has loved getting to know the La Porte community. In the time she’s been here, she’s gotten to meet great people while creating lifelong experiences for her and her family, and loves everything the city has to offer.
“I really like this community because I've been able to put down roots and I've met incredibly supportive, genuine people. Overall, there's just a lot of togetherness in the community. There's a lot of people that want to make a big difference, and as a driven person for change, it's nice to see other people around me who have shared interests and things like that,” she said.