‘We don’t want there to be any barriers’

Pediatric social workers connect families to best resources for their kids

Story by Kelly Morris | Photo by Kaitlan Braden

Navigators? Connectors? Helpers? Educators? Removers of barriers? If you’re wondering what to call the social workers who provide dedicated care on the Children’s Allied Health team in South Zone — all of the above apply.

“We don’t want there to be any barriers,” says Cara Cunningham, a social worker on the Children’s Allied Health team in Medicine Hat.

Cunningham often sees parents struggling find the resources and supports they need as she helps families with children access services from the Children’s Allied Health such as behavioural supports, speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and diagnostic clinics.

“Looking at a diagnosis for your child can be a very challenging and emotional process, and families often need support with that,” Cunningham adds. “Part of my role is just making sure they feel supported, that we’re here, and that they can always reach out to us.”

In Brooks, social worker and intake coordinator Jennifer Barath is the first contact for parents accessing services from the Children’s Allied Health team.

“When a family says — ‘Oh, my child isn’t talking yet, and they also can’t walk’ — I can connect them to all of our services at one time,” she says. “We can start navigating the different services they need in the community or in our department. Whatever the family’s needs are, I help connect them with services that are best suited for them.”

Whether coordinating team members who collaborate on care, or connecting families with resources and services within the community, Barath and Cunningham are experts in finding the care families need.

“I might not know the answer, but I can find answers,” says Cunningham. “I know what’s available for various supports and services in the community — and I can connect with colleagues here in the hospital — so a lot of what I do is about communication and connecting them to the right resources and people.”

Thanks to Connect Care, access to supports and resources across zones are also in closer reach.

“Connect Care has opened things up,” adds Barath. “The connections to the different departments and different workers throughout Alberta Health Services have opened up a lot of extra communication, and made it more mainstream for the families, which is nice.”

Pediatric social workers Barath and Cunningham also network with colleagues and community, navigate systems, and find answers — but most of all, they provide support.

“We all want to be supported,” says Cunningham. “I think social work adds a lot to families feeling supported — and to know that help is here.”