Patients Served:
Social Services support patients within the Women and Child Care Centre (NICU, Pediatrics, and Birthing Unit).
Clinical Service/Program Overview:
Our two Social Workers in the Women and Child Care Centre Social Services Department work diligently to advocate for and support our patients within the Women and Child Care Centre.
The birth of a new baby, diagnosis of illness/disability in a child or deteriorating health of a premature infant can be major sources of stress within a family for a variety of reasons. Our Social Workers offer support to our patients and their families in an inclusive non-judgmental manner. The major roles they have are:
- Advocate - represents the interests of the family when communication breaks down between family and patient and/or staff
- Assistant - assists the family in determining their caring functions
- Counselor - aids the family with managing painful emotions and maintaining the family's optimal integrity
- Educator - Provides instruction on coping skills individually and in groups
- Enabler - enables a process for the identification of resources to take place
- Facilitator - facilitates the identification of options and the making of choices which are open to the family
- Mediator - serves as a mediator in conflictual situations