Why should I consider adding a social worker to our Early Intervention team?

As a parent, what will I gain from a social worker?

What types of resources can a social worker connect me to?

Why should I consider adding a social worker to our Early Intervention team?

Taking care of young children can be demanding, and parents are often being pulled in many directions, adding even more stress. A social worker can join your Early Intervention team to support your family in many different ways to make sure that you have the resources, tools, and strategies to navigate through the challenges of everyday life.

Support can include:

  • Counseling to manage challenges in your life such as illness, death of a loved one, unemployment, housing issues and other family issues and providing resources to address each challenge.
  • Assisting you in accessing food assistance resources, child care, and healthcare.
  • Facilitating parent education 
  • Helping you navigate government assistance and benefits programs such as Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insurance, and food assistance programs.
  • Responding to crisis situations such as mental health crises, postpartum depression, and spousal or child abuse reports.
  • Advocating for access to resources needed to improve life.

As a parent, what will I gain from a social worker?

There are times in all of our lives when we need someone to talk to. Having a child who is at risk of having or has a developmental delay can be stressful. It can be helpful to talk about your feelings, vent frustrations, and bounce ideas off another person outside of the situation. A social worker will listen to your concerns and assist with creating a plan for services and assistance.

Additionally, when added stressors arise such as moving, separation or divorce, loss of a job, or major illness, social work services can be added to the team to help identify and address these challenges with you, as well as brainstorm different types of support or coping strategies to ensure physical and mental well being.