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Social Work

The Social Worker meets our parents or guardians while we are in St. Joseph's. A part of the job of the Social Worker is to help and support our parents to understand better the reasons why we are an inpatient, the treatment we are getting and how best to support us to get better mentally and emotionally.  Usually the Social Worker meets our family members together with the doctor, nurse or other member of the team. 
 
Another part of the Social Worker’s job is to discuss with our parents possible changes that could be made to the way family members relate to each other and how our family organises itself, which could be helpful to all family members and to us when we return home.  
 
Sometimes we will take part in the discussions between the Social Worker and our parents.  Sometimes too, our whole family, including brothers and sisters, will be included.
 
The Social Worker, along with the other members of the team, has the responsibility to ensure that all of us resident in the unit are safe from harm and trauma.  At times the Social Worker has to inform the Social Workers in the Child and Family Agency in the community of a serious trauma, which we may have underwent in the past, or of a risk of harm, which we are facing now.
 
At times, the Social Worker joins with other members of the team to provide small therapeutic or educational groups for us staying in the unit.
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