Social Work
Social workers at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters help patients and their families cope with the emotional, mental and social problems resulting from an acute or chronic illness or disability. CHKD's specially trained social workers are an important part of the medical care team at the hospital, providing support services to patients and families in times of crisis or prolonged illness or injury.
What services do you offer?
We offer services to both inpatients and outpatients, including:
- Conducting comprehensive psychosocial history assessments of patients with their caregivers to aid in developing treatment plans
- Providing case management services and collaborating with CHKD's multidisciplinary medical team to implement the treatment plan
- Conducting mental health assessments and coordinating treatment plans
- Helping patients and families deal with situational crises
- Offering patients and families bereavement care
- Helping patients and their families adjust to an illness or new diagnosis and to hospitalization
- Coordinating on-going patient and family services with community resources
- Working with the family and CHKD's eligibility worker for applications to state funds for medical care
What about support groups in the hospital or the community?
We organize and conduct a variety of support groups in the hospital and help families become involved in others throughout Hampton Roads. To learn more about support groups that are affiliated with Children's Hospital of The King's Daugthers, visit our Support Group section.
Does your staff have special training?
CHKD's pediatric social workers all have undergraduate and graduate education in the field of social work and at least 2 to 4 years experience in a medical setting. All are licensed in their field or working towards licensure.
Where and when do you work with patients and families?
Every CHKD unit and/or program is staffed by a full-time pediatric social worker. Social workers meet with patients and families during the child's hospitalization and/or at a clinic visit.
How do I access social work services?
Services are requested by the nurses and doctors on behalf of patients and families.
How do I make an appointment?
Parents and family members should talk with their child's nurse or doctor about the possibility of meeting with one of CHKD's social workers. A visit will then be scheduled with the family at the hospital during their child's hospitalization or at a clinic visit.
How do I contact the pediatric social work department?
Social workers are available at (757) 668-7273 to meet with families and patients from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
During the week there is a social worker stationed in the Emergency Center until mid-night who is able to accept all in-house referrals. On the weekends, a social worker is in-house from 5pm to 9pm.
For after-hours service, social work can be reached through the hospital's nursing supervisor at (757) 668-7000.