Staff Spotlight: Markeith Elliott

When Markeith first enrolled in college at North Corlina A&T State University, he couldn’t have imagined that he would end up working at Samaritan Inns.

“I wanted to work with computer coding and engineering and things like that. So more technical based STEM type degrees. But once I actually got to college, I realized that wasn’t me. I’m a people person.”

With a love of people and passion for mental health, Markeith changed to Psychology. He then came to DC to get his Masters in Social Work at Howard University, where he enrolled in a substance use disorder class. It was that class where he truly found his purpose. As someone with substance use disorders, he found a passion and compassion for those he was serving.

“We look at mental health as if it has a negative connotation to it a lot of times, as if a scarlet letter, if you deal with mental health, you may be behind or whatever the stigma may be but we all deal with mental health in our own ways.”

After graduation, he came to Samaritan Inns as an intake counselor in the Women with Children Program. The program is typically staffed with women but Markeith has embraced his unique position.

“I was raised in a house full of women. So I get [it]. Growing up, I was the one to take care of them and protect [my mom and sister]. And I kind of take that the same way here. I’m real protective of my women here. But, we’re all human. A lot of the principles I teach are relatable to everybody.”

When asked about his favorite part of the intake position, he shared that it is getting to meet the clients on their first day. “They get to see my face, feel my energy, and it gives them the motivation to complete the treatment program.”

Markeith’s passion and joy certainly have been embraced and recognized by clients and other members of the Samaritan Inns team. He has since been promoted to Clinical Manager, taking on more programmatic duties, such as team management and group therapy sessions, while continuing to conduct intake assessments. He is also working on completing his Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work (LICSW) license.

He is continuing to grow our program and instill in the women who come to Samaritan Inns that the hope of healing is real and they can recover.