NSU Horizons Fall 2007

horizons 27 product that he could use that would create change. He took the research and did something with it. “It was that level of commitment that was unusual from my perspective,” Mills said of Hollingsworth’s thesis, Implementing a Cognitive Restructuring Training Program in a Foster Care Setting for Adolescents with Behavioral Problems . “It doesn’t take very long to talk to him and see he has a passion for what he does,” Mills went on. “And he is doing research in an area where there is tremendous burnout. It isn’t a fun area to research, but he is very dedicated to it.” Hollingsworth, 54, earned his doctorate later in life, after raising two daughters with his wife Beth and dedicating his career to counsel- ing and helping at-risk youth. His earlier degrees include an associate of arts in criminal justice from the University of Hawaii, a bachelor of arts in sociology from McMurry University, and a master’s degree in social work from theUniversity of Texas at Arlington. “I think it was a natural progression. I started off working in the mental health field dealing with kids in psychiatric programs. Most of the kids there had major depressive episodes or substance abuse issues; many were runaways, some in gangs. So that’s probably a natural progression from there,” Hollingsworth said. “I wanted to get my master’s degree so I could work with them on a higher level. But it seems like every time I would expand my knowledge in a certain area, I wanted to go out and learn more.” Hollingsworth’s passion for helping youngsters may stem from his own challenging upbringing as a child of a migrant oil field worker, explained long-time friend James Martin. A licensed professional clinical counselor, Martin went to junior high school with Hollingsworth in Texas and later worked for him at a mental health center for youth. “He had a pretty rough upbringing—to the point of abuse, both physical and emotional,” Martin said. “They didn’t have a lot of money. Jerry was like kids who get into trouble these days: you can look at their file and see they were desert- ed. In a lot of ways, Jerry fits that profile. Essentially, he raised himself.” Hollingsworth describes his youth in realis- tic terms. “My dad was in the oil field culture. Texas is rich in oil production, so he drilled for oil on a rig. As soon as they’d strike oil, they’d take off and drill another hole somewhere else. We were seen as transients, and we were treated like migrant workers.” Hollingsworth even lived out of an 8- by 15-foot trailer with his parents and brother for much of his high school years. Those experiences, Martin said, help make Hollingsworth the hands-on, solution-oriented professor he is. “It surely has a lot to do with it,” Martin said. “He has a lot of empathy. He’s been there, he’s done it, and he’s pretty intense in helping these kids,” which is unique among social workers, Martin admits. “There are a lot of therapists out there, but there aren’t many who excel in understanding what these kids go through. We see a lot of therapists come and go because they can’t stand the pressure. But Jerry, he won’t retire. He’ll be doing this until he dies.” n lisa bolivar is a writer in tamarac, florida.