Three Ways Social Workers Further Our Work's Impact

The work our social workers do isn’t easy, but it’s so important, and they do it day in and day out. We’re always grateful for their hard work and dedication to our youth, but during National Social Workers Month this March, we want to take the time to acknowledge them for all that they do.

Here are three ways social workers are integral to our work:

They guide

When families experience challenging situations, our social workers are there to determine what interventions need to take place, and make sure they receive it.

“As I was working with one of the families I serve, whose kids just came in to care, I started by identifying issues they were having. Then, once we identified those, I had to determine what services are going to best equip them to care for their children in the future. We did the integrated assessment, and I was also able to help the mother see how certain classes and services that we offer can benefit her.”

They check in

Our social workers look out for the youth they serve by thoroughly checking in on their well-being to make sure they’re safe and physically, psychologically, socially, and emotionally stable.

Social Worker, Tyler Michael feels that checking in on her youth is key to developing a trusting relationship. “I always make sure I am able to talk to my youth one-on-one, because that makes them feel like they are being seen and heard. I want them to know that I truly am listening to them and focusing all my attention on them.” Michael also meets with all of her clients three times a month, attends their IEP meetings, and takes them to their doctors appointments as a form of consistently checking in.

They advocate

Social workers are able to speak on behalf of the kids and families they serve to advocate for the needs that will be in their best interests.

Our social workers here at Hoyleton believe in empowering our youth to speak up and tell their stories. In order to do so, sometimes our social workers have to step in and advocate for each child. Social Worker, Tyler Michaels, fuels this passion by advocating on behalf of one of her 15-year-old clients. “I could tell something wasn’t right in the home and that the kids were scared, so I actually advocated on behalf of the kids. Finally, when they came in to care, they were able to admit that they now see how they were in a bad situation, but in the given moment they could not speak up for themselves,” Michael said. “Now, the 15-year-old is actually very empowered and speaking up for herself and telling her story of what happened.”

Remember, March is a time to recognize social workers. So, if you know a social worker, please make sure to thank them for the many ways they serve others when they need it most.