Pediatric social workers support children and families accessing care across the inpatient and outpatient system. Our pediatric social workers are essential members of each child’s multidisciplinary team. They use their skills in assessment and intervention to provide our families with counseling, education and resources to enhance their ability to cope with illness or injury. Our social workers are also skilled at navigating the healthcare and behavioral health systems to promote quality care for children and to support families to access available community resources to support health and psychosocial well-being beyond the medical setting.
MSW internships in pediatrics are offered in varying specialties, including:
- Ambulatory clinics
- Child Advocacy and Protection
- Inpatient pediatrics
- Intensive care nursery
Students have the opportunity to work alongside an experienced team of social workers, practice comprehensive assessment and care planning, and provide supportive counseling and intervention as needed. Students join a multi-disciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses, child life specialists, OT, and PT.
It is important to know that at Dartmouth Health, pediatric social workers primarily work with parents, care-givers, and families and do not provide individual clinical intervention with children.
Pediatric social work at Dartmouth Health
Get a feel for what a Pediatric Social Worker does at Dartmouth Health through the personal perspective of Zoe C. Frechette, MSW, Pediatric Social Worker.