Social workers can make a difficult pregnancy or birth experience a little easier

When new or expecting parents at M Health Fairview need some extra support, they can lean on one of five social workers from the Maternal and Child Health team. The social workers can help get answers to care plan questions, connect new parents to resources, and offer trauma informed support at a difficult time.

Amy White, MSW LICSW, took time out of her day to share some ways social workers can help, dispel some misconceptions about her profession, and share self-care tips for new parents.

What is it like to be a social worker in one of our hospitals?

Our team likes to say that we see pregnant people everywhere. A lot of our families have a baby in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). They might need emotional support because it can be a lot, especially if they live a long distance away or have other children. Some families are grieving for what could have been if their pregnancy or childbirth had complications.

 We also take referrals for pregnant patients who need emotional or social support. Finally, we support moms who have a medical condition complicating their pregnancies or when a baby has been diagnosed with a condition before birth.

I really enjoy being able to support families before their baby even comes or as their baby comes. It's such a monumental change in people's lives.

You work with new or expecting parents who may have just learned their baby has a complication. What advice do you have for parents in this difficult situation?

I encourage people to trust their own wisdom and intuition. Some people think they aren’t a parent yet because their baby hasn’t been born, but they are being a parent. They're advocating for their babies or gathering information and making decisions. I also remind parents that they are the most important part of their baby’s care team.

I really encourage them to lean on their support system. That can be family, friends, community resources or professional therapeutic support. Some of our families will say they don’t really have that support system. In some cases, we help them develop a network by connecting them with a public health nurse or other organizations that support parents and pregnant people.

What do you wish that people understood about what social workers do?

I think a lot of times when people hear “social worker,” they think about someone who works with families living in poverty or someone who takes children away from families.  We are trained to use a strengths-based lens and are there to advocate for family within the healthcare model.  I understand that some people might have had different life experiences or trauma while interacting with systems, and that they might not be excited to talk to me.  Social workers are available to support all families going through difficult experiences.

 Hospital social workers are here to help. I’m a point person during your hospitalization. If I don't know something, I can help get the answers. I’m there to help make what could be a difficult experience more manageable.

Helpful and friendly social workers are available in many places in our communities. We have social workers in libraries, schools, community organizations, and police departments. They are ready to help and hopefully can provide a positive experience.

Social workers have high rates of burnout. How do you take care of your own well-being?

I see myself as being a tiny snapshot in someone's life journey. When a hospital social worker crosses paths with a family, it can be on the worst day of the family’s life. But I know, because I've been doing this a long time, that their life will include significant times of joy as well as times of sorrows. I like to focus on that journey. I don't know what that journey is going be like, but I'm going to trust that there will be joy in their future. That helps me not to get too consumed by the sadness.

I also really like to focus on who shows up for families. I have met many amazing grandparents, aunties and uncles who support families in all different situations. I also trust that that those folks will continue to support that family moving forward. My job ends when the family is discharged from the hospital, but there are folks gathered around that family. It helps to focus on that piece of it.

You’ve been a social worker for 30 years. What still surprises you?

I’m surprised that families continue to face the same challenges when they're interacting with the healthcare system, child protection, or other systems. Particularly for families where English might not be their first language, or who have had significant trauma when they've interacted with systems in the past. Sometimes people have lost faith in the systems.

Part of what we do is advocacy. We help people figure out where to go and how to navigate systems. We might speak on someone’s behalf if they’re in a place where they are unable or don’t have the energy to do that. We’re also engaged in system change through legislative advocacy, giving a voice to issues, and reducing barriers.