Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcella Jackson.
Marcella, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My Story: From Service to Purpose
I was born and raised in Baltimore City, Maryland, to the late Pastor Victor B. Jackson Sr. and Lady Darlene M. Jackson. From an early age, my parents instilled in me the values of faith, hard work, education, perseverance, and service to others. Those principles would become the foundation upon which I built my life and career.
In 2001, I graduated from Edmondson-Westside High School and immediately enrolled at Coppin State University on a full academic scholarship. Determined to make the most of the opportunity, I dedicated myself to my studies and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and a minor in Psychology. I completed my degree requirements during the Winter semester of 2004 with an overall GPA of 3.9.
My first professional position after college was with WIN Family Services, Inc., a privately owned therapeutic foster care agency in Baltimore, Maryland. WIN’s mission was unique because it integrated godly principles and values into its work with children and families. The organization believed that serving vulnerable children was not simply a job, but a calling from God. Their philosophy aligned perfectly with my own personal values and sense of purpose.
Within three months of employment, I successfully passed my Board-approved licensing examination and became a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW). During my early years at WIN, I was blessed to be mentored by exceptional leaders, including Rosetta Crosby, Ayo Brown, LMSW, and Subramonianpillai Teal, LCSW-C. They taught me not only how to become a better social worker, but also how to lead with integrity, compassion, and excellence.
I worked tirelessly, arriving on time every day, serving families throughout the community, attending weekend trainings, maintaining strong documentation, and consistently going beyond my assigned duties. After only six months, I received my first promotion to Therapeutic Foster Care Supervisor. It was my first experience in leadership and reinforced my belief that stewardship, consistency, and hard work create opportunities.
In 2006, I welcomed my first son, Jeremiah, into the world. Becoming a mother was one of the greatest blessings of my life. I took a year away from school to focus on raising my son while continuing to work. During that time, my father encouraged me to continue my education. As the first person in my immediate family to earn a college degree, he challenged me to reach even higher and pursue a master’s degree.
Following his advice, I enrolled at Morgan State University in 2007 to pursue a Dual Master’s Degree in Social Work and Special Education. To fully commit to my education, I made the difficult decision to leave WIN Family Services and accept a paid internship with the Maryland Department of Human Services. Although the move significantly reduced my income, it created opportunities that would ultimately change the course of my career.
As an intern in Child Welfare, I had to start over from the bottom. I performed case management duties and accepted assignments wherever I was needed. I was informed that the Department only offered permanent positions to a limited number of top-performing interns, and competition was intense. As a single mother with a young child, I understood what was at stake. There was no backup plan. I knew I had to perform at the highest level if I wanted to secure my future.
I completed the Advanced Standing Program during the Winter of 2008 and was offered a permanent position as a Family Services Caseworker in Child Protective Services with the Maryland Department of Human Services. I later graduated from Morgan State University in 2009 with my Dual Master’s Degree.
Throughout my state service career, I worked in Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County Departments of Social Services. While I valued each opportunity, the frequent transfers left me searching for greater stability and the ability to work closer to home.
When I sought guidance from Human Resources, I learned that obtaining my Master’s-level social work license would allow me to qualify for higher-paying positions and provide more control over my career opportunities. What sounded simple became one of the greatest challenges of my life.
I took the Master’s Social Work licensing examination and failed.
Then I took it again and failed.
And again.
And again.
In total, I failed the examination nine times.
Each time, I missed the passing score by only a few points. I understood the material. I practiced it daily. Yet test anxiety repeatedly stood between me and my goal. There were moments of discouragement, embarrassment, and frustration. I failed the exam so many times that the testing center staff knew me by name. My parents became hesitant to ask how the exam went because they knew how painful the experience had become.
But I refused to quit.
In 2012, after years of persistence, determination, prayer, and faith, I finally passed and became a Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW).
When I returned home and shared the news with my father, he immediately burst into tears and exclaimed, “Thank you, Jesus! God, I prayed and You answered!”
It remains one of the most meaningful moments of my life.
After obtaining my license, I successfully applied for a Family Services Caseworker Supervisor position with the Baltimore City Department of Social Services. I proudly served in that role until 2021, leading teams and helping countless children and families navigate some of the most difficult circumstances of their lives.
In 2018, I gave birth to my youngest son, Jaden. Shortly after his birth, he experienced significant health challenges that required my full attention. Balancing motherhood, leadership, and caregiving became increasingly difficult, and I eventually took a leave of absence to care for him.
In 2022, I made another major career transition by leaving state government to pursue a leadership opportunity in the private sector as a Clinical Director. What I hoped would be a promising new chapter unexpectedly ended when I was wrongfully terminated.
At nearly the same time, I experienced another devastating loss: the passing of my beloved father after a lengthy illness.
Losing my career and losing my father simultaneously were two of the most painful experiences I have ever endured. Yet those moments of heartbreak ultimately became the catalyst for something greater.
Out of grief came purpose.
Out of loss came vision.
Out of uncertainty came faith.
And out of those experiences, Victory Behavioral Solutions, LLC was born.
Today, as Founder and CEO of Victory Behavioral Solutions, I remain committed to the mission that has guided me throughout my entire career: serving individuals and families with compassion, excellence, dignity, and hope. My journey has not been defined by the obstacles I faced, but by the decision to keep moving forward despite them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. While I am grateful for the opportunities and accomplishments I’ve achieved, my journey has been filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments when I had to rely heavily on my faith and perseverance.
One of my earliest challenges was balancing motherhood, work, and higher education. I became a mother while pursuing my professional goals, and there were many times when I had to make difficult sacrifices to continue moving forward. As a single mother, there were no guarantees, and every educational and career decision carried significant financial and personal consequences.
Another major challenge was leaving a stable leadership position at WIN Family Services to return to school full-time. Although pursuing my Dual Master’s Degree was the right decision, it required a substantial reduction in income and meant starting over professionally as an intern. At the time, I was raising a young child and competing for one of only a few permanent positions within the Maryland Department of Human Services. The pressure to succeed was enormous because I knew my family’s future depended on it.
Perhaps one of the most defining struggles of my life was obtaining my Master’s-level social work license. I failed the licensing examination nine times. Each time I narrowly missed the passing score by only a few points. It was emotionally exhausting and, at times, discouraging. There were moments when I questioned myself, but I never questioned my purpose. I continued studying, praying, preparing, and showing up until I finally passed. Looking back, that experience taught me one of the greatest lessons of my life: failure is not final unless you quit.
The most difficult period of my journey came years later when I faced two life-changing events almost simultaneously. I lost my father, Pastor Victor B. Jackson Sr., after a lengthy illness, and around the same time I experienced an unexpected and devastating job loss. Losing my father meant losing one of my greatest supporters, mentors, and sources of encouragement. Professionally, I found myself uncertain about what came next.
At the same time, my youngest son, Jaden, was experiencing significant health challenges that required my full attention as a mother. Balancing caregiving responsibilities, grief, and career uncertainty was one of the hardest seasons of my life.
However, what I have learned is that some of life’s greatest blessings are born from its greatest disappointments. What initially felt like devastating setbacks became the foundation for something greater. Those experiences pushed me to step out on faith, trust God completely, and build Victory Behavioral Solutions, LLC.
The road has not been smooth, but every obstacle strengthened my resilience, deepened my faith, and prepared me for the responsibility of leading and serving others. If my journey has taught me anything, it is that success is not about avoiding adversity—it’s about continuing to move forward despite it.
My story is proof that setbacks do not determine your future. Faith, perseverance, and purpose do.
What began as a little girl growing up in Baltimore City has become a lifelong mission to help others heal, grow, and overcome their own challenges. And this is only the beginning.
As you know, we’re big fans of Victory Behavioral Solutions LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Victory Behavioral Solutions, LLC is an outpatient mental health organization founded on the belief that every individual deserves access to compassionate, high-quality behavioral health services regardless of their circumstances. Our mission is to empower individuals and families to overcome barriers, improve their emotional well-being, and achieve their fullest potential through personalized, evidence-based care.
We provide a comprehensive range of mental health services for children, adolescents, adults, and families. Our services include mental health therapy, psychiatric rehabilitation programs (PRP), psychosocial assessments, treatment planning, care coordination, case management, and community-based support services. We specialize in serving individuals who are experiencing challenges related to depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, behavioral disorders, life transitions, and other mental health concerns.
What sets Victory Behavioral Solutions apart is our commitment to treating the whole person—not just the diagnosis. We recognize that mental health is influenced by many factors, including family dynamics, education, employment, housing stability, physical health, and access to community resources. Because of this, we take a holistic and client-centered approach to care that focuses on building strengths, promoting resilience, and creating meaningful, long-term outcomes.
Our organization was born from both professional experience and personal purpose. Having spent nearly two decades serving children and families through Maryland’s public child welfare system, I witnessed firsthand the gaps that often exist between individuals in need and the services available to support them. Victory Behavioral Solutions was created to bridge those gaps by providing accessible, responsive, and culturally competent behavioral health services that meet people where they are.
We are also proud to be an organization that invests heavily in developing future leaders and behavioral health professionals. We believe that strong communities are built through strong service providers, and we are committed to mentorship, professional growth, and maintaining the highest standards of ethical and clinical excellence.
One of the things I am most proud of is the culture we have built. The word “Victory” is more than our name—it represents our philosophy. We believe victory can look different for every person. For some, victory is overcoming depression. For others, it is healing from trauma, rebuilding relationships, maintaining employment, succeeding in school, or simply getting through a difficult season in life. We celebrate every step forward and every milestone achieved by those we serve.
Our brand is rooted in faith, integrity, compassion, accountability, and service. While many organizations provide behavioral health services, our goal is to create lasting relationships and become a trusted partner in each client’s journey toward healing and personal growth.
As we continue to grow, our vision is to expand access to quality mental health services throughout Maryland and beyond while remaining committed to the values that inspired our founding. We want our readers to know that Victory Behavioral Solutions is more than a behavioral health organization—it is a place where hope is restored, lives are transformed, and victories are achieved every day.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I have learned that risk is often the price of growth. While I would not describe myself as someone who takes reckless risks, I do believe in taking calculated risks when they align with my values, purpose, and long-term goals.
Throughout my career, some of the most important opportunities in my life came from stepping into uncertainty. One of the first major risks I took was leaving a stable leadership position at WIN Family Services to return to graduate school full-time at Morgan State University. At the time, I was a young mother with financial responsibilities, and leaving a steady income for an internship that paid significantly less was not an easy decision. Many people would have viewed it as too risky, but I believed that investing in my education would create opportunities that would have a greater impact on my family’s future. Looking back, that decision ultimately opened the door to my career with the Maryland Department of Human Services.
Another significant risk was continuing to pursue my Master’s-level social work license after failing the examination multiple times. While most people think of risk in terms of money or business, I believe there is also emotional risk. Every time I registered for that exam, I risked disappointment, embarrassment, and failure. After failing nine times, many people would have walked away. Instead, I chose to keep going because I knew my long-term goals were bigger than my temporary setbacks. Passing that examination changed the trajectory of my career and taught me that persistence often requires taking the risk of trying one more time.
The greatest risk I ever took was becoming an entrepreneur. After nearly two decades in state government, I left the security of a stable career with benefits, a predictable salary, and a defined career path. Shortly thereafter, I experienced both the loss of my father and the loss of employment. Rather than allowing those circumstances to define me, I decided to build something of my own and dedicate it to the memory of my father.
Starting Victory Behavioral Solutions required me to step into the unknown. There were no guarantees of success. I invested my time, finances, reputation, and energy into building a company from the ground up. There were moments when the future seemed uncertain, but I believed that if I combined faith, hard work, integrity, and experience, I could create an organization that would positively impact the lives of others.
My perspective on risk has evolved over the years. I no longer view risk as something to fear. I view it as something to evaluate carefully. Every meaningful accomplishment in my life required some level of uncertainty. The key is understanding the difference between reckless decisions and calculated opportunities. Before making any major decision, I ask myself three questions: Does this align with my purpose? Does it create growth? And if I do not take this opportunity, will I regret it later?
Some of the biggest rewards in my life have come from taking chances when there was no guarantee of success. For me, risk is not about being fearless. It is about having the courage to move forward even when the outcome is uncertain. Faith has taught me that sometimes you have to take the first step before you can see the entire staircase.
When I look back over my journey, I realize that every major breakthrough in my life was on the other side of a risk I was willing to take.
Pricing:
- We accept all Medicaid – Medical Assistance insurance recipients
- We accept all Medicare recipients
- We accept commercial and employer based insurance including CareFirst Bluecross Blueshield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Humana recipients.
- We also accept cash self-payors for services.
- We accept VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, and Apple Pay for services rendered.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.victorybehavior.com/
- Instagram: @victorybehavioralsolutions
- Facebook: Victory Behavioral Solutions
