Social Work & Care Management Services for Children

Social workers and care managers are important members of your child’s healthcare team. If you or your child need help handling the many emotions and other challenges that come with medical care, our licensed professional social workers are here for you. We work with children who are in the hospital, as well as those who are patients at our outpatient programs at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone.

When your child is ready to leave the hospital, our social workers, along with our care managers, make sure you have everything you need to care for your child safely at home. Social work services are provided by Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care, which advances the health and wellbeing of children and families.

How Social Workers Can Help Your Child and Family

Social workers work closely with doctors, nurses, child life specialists, physical therapists, and other medical professionals to help care for you and your family. We can help your child and family in the following ways:

• finding out who can answer specific questions about your child’s medical care
• providing counseling and support to help your child and family adjust emotionally to the stress of having a medical condition
• explaining your child’s medical situation to siblings and other family members
• organizing meetings with your child’s healthcare team and supporting you during the discussion
• helping your family develop a plan to cope with your child’s illness
• helping explain your child’s medical needs to teachers and schools, and working with them so your child gets support during the hospital stay and the transition back to school
• working with your child’s healthcare team to determine what they need at home, including home care, medical equipment, and supplies
• helping connect you with other families experiencing similar challenges
• directing you to community resources, including mental health services
• offering assistance with housing issues, accessing public assistance, or helping you if you are in need of financial resources, services for children with different abilities, or information about health insurance coverage

Contact Social Work Services

For more information about social work services, please call the following numbers:

• For Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital—34th Street and our outpatient locations, please call 212-263-5018.
• For NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, please call 212-598-6030.
• For NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, please call 718-630-7515.

How Care Managers Can Help Your Child and Family

A care manager’s job is to make sure your child’s transition from hospital to home goes as smoothly as possible.

Care managers, who are registered nurses, work with your child’s doctor to determine when your child is ready to leave the hospital. They then help create a plan to get your child safely from hospital to home.

A care manager, along with a social worker, educates you and helps you to express your needs to your child’s medical team and insurance company. They confirm that the services your child requires after leaving the hospital are covered by insurance.

After you are home, a care manager calls to check in with you and answer any questions you have. Our goal is to make sure that your child can safely continue to recover at home, where they are most comfortable.