archive test

Each day, Texas Children’s social workers help break down barriers that prevent our patients and families from getting the support they need in the face of illness and hospitalization.

The Medical Center’s Social Work department recently gathered for a Luau-themed bash to celebrate Social Work Month and a very exciting milestone – reaching 100 team members! From longest-tenured to newly-hired, our One Amazing Team of social workers connected over food and drinks and were treated to custom t-shirts, flower leis and special words of acknowledgment from their leaders.

“We’re so excited to be here celebrating this team that has grown to 100 employees,” said Michelle Lawson, director of clinical support services. “There are so many aspects to patient care, and it’s critical to help families deal with life as it impacts their health journey. I love that I get to support and work our social workers – we figure it out together, and get our patients what they need.”

Like many teams, social work staff numbers took a hit during the pandemic – just when it felt like their services were needed most.

“Having more social workers on staff means we don’t have to pick and choose which families get a consult, and we don’t have to rush to see as many people as we can,” said Maggie Lampe, assistant director of social work. “We want to spend all the time we need with each individual, and now that we have more social workers we can do just that.”

Social worker Porschea Wilson (The Woodlands) was recently recognized for going that extra mile when she set aside more time out of her schedule to color a picture with an acute care patient.

“The patient’s mother stated Porschea was very patient with the child and spent as much time as she could with her until she had another call to go to,” reads Porschea’s Caught You Caring submission. “Thank you for making such a BIG impact for this patient’s first hospitalization and setting her up for a positive experience!”

Texas Children’s social workers are professionals who have earned a master’s degree and are licensed by the state of Texas. They are vital components of the multidisciplinary care team – helping families locate community resources, assisting in crisis interventions, providing counseling, educating families on a child’s diagnosis, and so much more.

Click here to learn more about Social Work at Texas Children’s. A social worker can be contacted 24/7 by calling the hospital page operator at 832-824-2099.

When the National Association of Social Workers settled on a theme for Social Work Month 2021, they picked “Social Workers Are Essential” as a reminder that this helping profession affects positive change for entire communities.

At Texas Children’s, social workers make a difference every day – overcoming any obstacles that stand in the way of our patients and their families achieving healthy, fully functional lives.

As we enter the final days of Social Work Month, we look at how our social workers rise above challenges to meet people where they are, and get them where they want to be.

Committed to care through every circumstance

Medical social worker Becky Butler has long known that to truly help our patients and their families, she has to understand their stories. So when she met “Mary,” an eating-disorder patient expressing suicidal thoughts, she didn’t hesitate to spend nearly three hours actively listening to the young woman share her strengths and struggles.

A college senior who had aged out of foster care, Mary had spent years in and out of homelessness. With nowhere left to turn, she’d started to consider ending her life.

“I was devastated,” said Butler, who works in the Diabetes and Endocrine Care Center. “This girl has too much good in her and so much potential. I knew I could help.”

Determined to ensure that Mary wouldn’t face her hardships alone, Butler devised creative ways to offer support. When Mary returned the next day, she received gift cards to assist with securing housing and covering her basic needs. Mary was overwhelmed that people had come together to provide resources just for her – and Butler wasn’t done yet.

After tapping into her professional network, Butler heard of a job opening for a foster care youth to mentor other youth. The position came with a 2-year contract and $36,000 annual salary, and Butler knew Mary would be a great fit. With a good job, her own place, full-time enrollment in college and a team to help treat her eating disorder, Mary is now on her way to success.

For Butler, being a Texas Children’s social worker is about fully committing herself to getting the job done, no matter the circumstance – whether providing a refrigerator to a family with no safe place to keep their child’s insulin, or advocating for the most vulnerable children we serve.

“That’s my job: getting kids on the paths they want to be on,” she said.

Communicating compassion amid a pandemic

One of our social workers’ most significant responsibilities is providing a level of empathy and support that can’t be found elsewhere. Then came COVID-19 and the realization that their physical presence – so often a balm for emotional wounds – could be a dangerous intervention.

“Many of us had to reimagine our mechanisms of support to continue offering our very best to the patients and families we care for so much,” said Claire Crawford, a social worker for Palliative Care Services.

Where social workers had once been a fixture at the bedside, transitioning to a work-from-home schedule meant adapting to a new reality. In-person check-ins became phone calls, emails and telehealth consults. Visitation restrictions made social workers stand-in supporters.

In the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, social worker Kelsey Thibodeaux fielded more requests for emotional support, and spent more time offering therapeutic listening to caregivers stretched to their limits. In Palliative Care, social workers found themselves unable to offer a shoulder to cry on, a hand to soothe a crying baby, or fingers to squeeze when speaking wasn’t possible.

Inspired by fellow social worker Shannon Barnes, Crawford adopted a new language to communicate her compassion: both hands laid one over the other, covering her heart.

“A year later, I have had more moments of helplessness, hopelessness, adaptation and growth than I can count,” Crawford said. “My social work colleagues have shown up physically, virtually – and most important – emotionally to give families the caring presence needed to get through the hardest times of their lives.”

Social workers are a critical part of our multidisciplinary team at Texas Children’s. As we celebrate Social Work Recognition Month, learn more about how they support our patients. Read more

On October 18, Texas Children’s Hospital’s Social Work Department received the Compassionate Touch Roy Hatch Award 2018 at the Lifeline Chaplaincy & Compassionate Touch Benefit Dinner.

The Social Work team consists of over 75 social workers that are dedicated to enhancing the social functioning and overall well-being of our patients.

“The social work team has strength in its diversity and ability to provide compassionate care to patients and families through illness and/or hospitalization,” Director of Clinical Support Services, Michelle Lawson said. “Our patients and families come to Texas Children’s Hospital for excellent medical care, and our social workers are a part of the interdisciplinary team that help support families throughout their medical journey.”

The Compassionate Touch program was implemented to assist those without adequate financial support for non-medical needs. Lifeline Chaplaincy is dedicated to providing compassionate support to the seriously ill, their families and caregivers, and to being an educational resource for crisis ministry. Both organizations partnered together to annually acknowledge and reward extraordinary social workers who support Compassionate Touch.

The Roy Hatch Award is named after a NASA retiree who was highly devoted to Lifeline Chaplaincy. The award includes direct patient funding for selected medical institutions.

“The social work department is excited about the recognition from Lifeline Chaplaincy and the Compassionate Touch program,” Lawson said. “The selection as the recipient of the Roy Hatch award this year is a wonderful recognition of the strong partnership that our social work team has with Lifeline in providing assistance to the patients and families at Texas Children’s Hospital.”