Social work at Texas Children's Hospital

You might hear about social workers from time to time on the news, or maybe on your television screen. Many hear about social workers in relation to state protective agencies and welfare organizations. Did you know social workers are often employed in a wide variety of other settings, including schools, nursing homes, community nonprofit organizations, and even hospitals like Texas Children’s?

In fact, Texas Children’s Hospital employs over 100 social workers across our system, and we are all licensed by the State of Texas and hold a master’s degree in our field.

When we meet with you and your family, either physically or by phone, our first task is to explore how you’re feeling and coping with your situation. We also might ask you a variety of questions to better understand details regarding your family, employment, education and sources of support as part of our psychosocial assessment. This assessment serves to identify sources of stress and to empower you by building upon the support and coping skills you already have. Then, we’re able to work toward matching you and your family with appropriate supportive resources as needs arise.  

Below, you can find just a handful of ways one of our social workers might help your family at Texas Children’s:

• Your baby is admitted to the NICU, and you need to talk with someone about your fears
• Your child is admitted to the hospital for the first time, and your surroundings are unfamiliar and difficult to understand
• You’re concerned about developing postpartum depression
• You’re nervous about taking your new baby or chronically-ill child home for the first time
• You were transferred to Texas Children’s from out of town, or even out of state, and need information about where to stay, alongside other community resources
• You’re having difficulty arranging transportation to and from doctors’ appointments
• Your child just received a life-changing diagnosis, and you need to express your feelings
• You think your child is suffering from depression or anxiety

One of our social workers might even visit you without being requested by you or your physician. At Texas Children’s, social workers are vital members of the medical team, and we’re here to help.

We might come to meet your family due to a new diagnosis, an extended hospital stay or the possible need for emotional support. We’ll take a proactive approach with our care in hopes of preventing any needs or concerns from turning into a crisis. Texas Children’s has social workers available around the clock, 24/7. Each inpatient service and outpatient clinic has a designated social worker. You can request a social worker to be paged or contacted at any time. We’re here for you and your family.