Social Work

Our social workers provide emotional and psychosocial support to patients and families.  They caringly assess patient supports, stressors, and strengths and assist families in finding any needed services in their local communities. This team also helps families with securing medical assistance, as every child in Pennsylvania with a cleft or craniofacial issue qualifies for state medical assistance regardless of the family income.  Additionally, we provide prenatal/preadoption counseling services, along with our feeding specialists. We are currently developing Cleft Connection, a mentor/mentee program focusing on the middle school and high school years.

While cleft is primarily a medical/dental issue, it is undeniable that kids and adults with facial differences may also have unique psychosocial concerns such as body image, bullying, and self-esteem.” –Suzanne Woodard, social worker

Support services focused on these areas, as well as empowering patients to accept and own their story, are important components to psychosocial wellness. These services are available at each team visit. The social work team regularly sees all young and new patients, then continues to provide support services as needed throughout treatment.  Patients and families can request at any time to be seen by the social worker!