Social Workers

Certified social workers work with Valerie Fund patients, parents and families. Their overall goal is to minimize the emotional impact of the family so that parents, siblings, or others who care for the sick child are prepared and fortified to do so.  Social workers help families learn to manage decisions such as whether or not a parent should stop working in order to care for the sick child; how to address the needs of the healthy siblings; or how to deal with increasing financial demands due to the child’s illness; and how to locate emergency financial aid.  Overall, the social worker serves the roles of counselor/ therapist, liaison and advocate to help families meet an array of new and complex needs for their child and their entire families.