Saint Francis friends and colleagues honored a nearly 30-year career in child welfare with the recent retirement celebration of Linda Arthington in Salina.

Arthington, who earned her BSW from Kansas State University in 1995 and her MSW from University of Kansas in 2000, began her career in social work just as the State of Kansas began the privatization of foster care services in 1997.

“I received a call from a former classmate, informing me that Kansas Children’s Service League was hiring social workers,” she said. “Three weeks later I began my career as a Manhattan-based case manager covering multiple counties.”

She remained at the agency, earning multiple promotions, until she left KCSL to move to Great Bend to work for Saint Francis. She began her SFM career as the reintegration area director for Great Bend, Hays, and Colby. Over the years, she’s held several positions and served in multiple offices that also include Dodge City, Pratt, and Junction City. In 2015, she became director of kinship, the position she held until her recent retirement.

Arthington said she chose social work as a career because she wanted to more than a dead-end job.

“I was a single parent whose children were almost grown,” she noted. “My mentor suggested I look at social work, and once I checked into it I realized I had found my true calling. I’ve never looked back.”

She said she has also enjoyed her time at Saint Francis Ministries.

“My career at Saint Francis provided me with the opportunity to learn and grow every day, so I could provide the best services possible to the children and families in our care. I am honored to have been part of the team for so many years.”