Social workers are at the very core of family-centered care at Nemours Children's. Our social workers understand and have unique training in helping and providing therapeutic support to patients and families during an illness, a surgery or procedure, or confronting a new diagnosis. Social workers play an integral role in the medical team, supporting families in conversations with their medical providers and in managing the emotional toll of a difficult illness or diagnosis. Social workers also assist families in preparing for discharge and connecting to community agencies and resources.
How We Can Help
Social workers are mental health providers trained to evaluate and address each family’s unique psychosocial needs. Help starts with your social worker talking to you about your immediate needs and concerns. With this information, your social worker is better equipped to address issues like:
- therapeutic support and counseling with a new or existing diagnosis and hospitalization, and communication with your child’s medical team
- community resource questions and needs such as transportation, language services, therapy services outside of Nemours and disease-specific support
- financial concerns
- information on government program such as WIC, Medicaid, SNAP and Social Security
- help with communicating with school or employer, or finding an advocate
- if you or your child are feeling unsafe
- assistance finding a medical equipment or home health agency
- housing concerns and food insecurity
- experiencing a mental health crisis
- compassionate care during end of life
Services We Provide
Case Management
Providing ongoing needs assessment, service coordination, information and referrals, consultation regarding custody and consent issues, and transition to adult care for kids with chronic conditions and complex illnesses.
Discharge Planning
Coordinating your child’s home health care and home equipment needs, providing referrals/placement in residential facilities, coordinating ambulance transportation and Medicaid transportation providers, referrals to and coordination with community services, and assisting with school services.
Crisis Intervention
Helping your family cope with trauma, death, or a life-threatening/serious diagnosis by orienting you with the hospital and our services, mobilizing your support system, and providing end-of-life assistance. In cases of child abuse or domestic violence, we can help coordinate safe discharge with outside agencies.
Counseling & Support
Helping your family cope with trauma, death, or a life-threatening/serious diagnosis by orienting you with the hospital and our services, mobilizing your support system, and providing end-of-life assistance. In cases of child abuse or domestic violence, we can help coordinate safe discharge with outside agencies.
Community Liaison Services
Helping your family secure emergency assistance, identify state and federal programs, and access nonprofit services as needed.
Community Advocacy
Coordinating services with community agencies, schools, and insurance companies, serving as board members of local non-profit organizations, and impacting government policies and public awareness about pediatric health care issues. Our social workers also inform children and families of their health care rights and responsibilities.
Support Groups
Establishing and assisting onsite support groups for parents and youth.
Our Social Work Leadership Team
Our social workers will do whatever it takes to improve the emotional well-being of your child and your family. We’re specially trained to assess the overall psychosocial functioning of patients and families — and we’re assigned to specific areas of medicine and specific children, so we’re familiar with what you’re going through.
Mary Franden, LCSW
Director of Social Work
David Gregory, LCSW
Patient and Family Services Clinical Manager
Emily Jackson, LCSW
Social Work Supervisor
Carrie Sewell Roberts, LCSW
Social Work Supervisor
Lesley Sharp Haushalter, LCSW
Social Work Supervisor
Coping With Complex Conditions
To learn more, check out these articles from Nemours’ KidsHealth.org (the most-visited website in the world devoted to children’s health):
Who We Are
The Master of Social Work (MSW) Internship Program at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is committed to training 2nd year MSW students. Internships are offered across the hospital in various settings.
Contact us
We are happy to discuss internship possibilities with any accredited school of social work. Placements are negotiated directly through Field Education Departments.
Interested students should talk with their Field Education Faculty who can contact our training program coordinator.
For more information on the MSW Internship Training Program, please drop us a line at socialworkintern@nemours.org.
Contact Us
The Department of Social Work provides 24-hour coverage seven days a week. Regular hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Extended hours on-call service is available evenings/nights and weekends for patient care emergencies.
Department of Patient and Family Services
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware
Phone: (302) 651-4230
Fax: (302) 651-5066
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