Q: Could you explain what VNA social workers do?
VNA social workers provide emotional, social, and practical support to patients and families receiving home health or hospice care. We assess psychosocial needs, help patients adjust to illness or life changes, connect families with community resources, assist with advance care planning, and provide counseling and crisis support.
Our role is to ensure that care extends beyond medical treatment by addressing the whole person — emotionally, socially, and environmentally — while helping patients remain safely and comfortably at home.
Q: Why do you think VNA social workers are so important?
VNA social workers are essential because healthcare involves more than physical symptoms. Patients and families often face emotional stress, financial strain, caregiver burnout, and difficult decisions.
Social workers help navigate these challenges, advocate for patients, and ensure they have the support systems and resources needed to maintain dignity and quality of life. We also play a critical role in reducing hospital readmissions and supporting smooth transitions in care.
Q: What do you do as a Hospice social worker for the VNA?
As a VNA Hospice social worker, we conduct psychosocial assessments, provide counseling, and collaborate closely with nurses, therapists, and physicians to coordinate care. We assist families with advance directives, long-term care planning, and accessing community services such as financial assistance, transportation, or meal programs.
In hospice, we also provide grief support and help families navigate end-of-life decisions with compassion and clarity.
Q: Who makes up the team of social workers at the VNA?
Our team includes licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), medical social workers (MSWs), and Licensed Mental Health counselors (LMHCs) who specialize in home health and hospice care. Each brings unique experience and strengths, but we all share a commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care.
We work as part of an interdisciplinary team to ensure every patient receives comprehensive support.
Q: If there is anything else you’d like to add?
Social work in home health and hospice is about meeting people where they are — physically and emotionally. We often walk alongside families during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. It is an honor to provide support, advocacy, and reassurance during those times.
At its heart, our work is about dignity, connection, and compassion.
As an LCSW and Director of Social Services and Ethics at the Visiting Nurse Association, my leadership is grounded in compassion, integrity, and advocacy. I have the privilege of guiding a dedicated team of social workers who support patients and families through some of life’s most vulnerable moments — from complex medical diagnoses to end-of-life care.
In my role, I provide clinical supervision, mentorship, and ethical guidance across our hospice and home health programs. I work closely with interdisciplinary teams to navigate challenging decisions, ensuring that patient autonomy, dignity, and cultural values remain at the center of care. Whether facilitating conversations around advance directives, resolving ethical dilemmas, or supporting staff through emotionally difficult cases, I strive to create an environment where both families and clinicians feel heard and supported.
Leadership in social work, to me, means modeling empathy while maintaining clear ethical standards. It means empowering my team to practice confidently, think critically, and lead with heart. I am deeply committed to strengthening systems of care that recognize the whole person — not just their diagnosis — and to fostering a culture where compassion and accountability go hand in hand.
It is an honor to serve in a role that allows me to advocate not only for patients and families, but also for the social workers whose dedication makes holistic, patient-centered care possible every day.
This month, I celebrate not only the profession of social work, but the incredible dedication of our team. Their empathy, resilience, and advocacy truly make a difference in the lives of the patients and families we serve every day.
