Support Groups
The year 2005 was the 100th Anniversary of hospital social work, which began
at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The mission of the social work
profession is "to enhance human well-being and meet the basic human needs of all
people." This is carried out on a daily basis by the staff of the Social Work
Department at Bellevue Woman's Care Center. Our staff assists patients and families
with any emotional or psychosocial difficulty, which may impact recovery from
illness or hospitalization. Each inpatient is personally seen by a member of the
department to assure that their discharge will be a safe one and that any
identified needs are met. LDR and Ambulatory Surgical patients are seen upon
referral.
The department is compromised of Bachelors and Masters
prepared social workers or counselors and is staffed 7 days per week. Bellevue's
social work department is also a field instruction site for students from the
University at Albany, the College of Saint Rose, Union College, Siena and
Schenectady County Community College.
The staff addresses such issues as
teen or at-risk pregnancy, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health,
financial concerns, post-partum emotions, criminal justice issues or
bereavement.
The department has received over $400,000 in grants and
awards for its innovative programs, including the "2004 New York Patient Safety
Award" for its "Before Your Baby Basics" program.