March was National Social Worker Month, and we know how meaningful it is to be able to offer this service to our patients with our Medical Social Worker, Monica Handlos. By having her at PHS, we can take care of not only our patient’s medical needs, but also their emotional ones by providing community resource identification and referrals, emotional and social support and counseling, consultation with a medical team during discharge from the hospital, and crisis intervention.
Monica recently received her LICSW – or Licensed Individual Clinical Social Worker – after taking her clinical exam in February. This broadens Monica’s abilities regarding the services she can provide and the clients she can work with, which is a benefit everyone from patients and families to doctors and PHS staff will see.
Previously holding her LGSW (Licensed Graduate Social Worker) after receiving her Masters, Monica worked towards her LICSW by meeting with a social work supervisor to discuss her clinical work (4,000 hours worth) as it related to ethics and consultations, as well as continued education on topics such as ethics, boundaries, diagnosis and case consultation. Upon passing her exam in February, she officially received her LICSW.
“By providing social work services at PHS, I’m able to work with families and children to give them the resources they need to thrive in all aspects, from medical to biopsychosocial,” said Monica. “This complete care means the best outcomes for our patients, and I’m happy to be involved in that.”
Thank you Monica – and all social workers – for putting so much time, energy and compassion into everything you do. How has a social worker impacted you or your family? We’d love to hear!
