Celebrating Social Workers at Cornwall Hospital
2025-03-15
March is National Social Work
Month in Ontario. According to the Ontario Association of Social Workers,
social workers are the largest group of mental health professionals in the
province, helping people on their journey to better health, mental health and
wellbeing.
The 2025 campaign theme,
“Wherever you are, so are we,” speaks to the availability and versatility of
the social work profession, highlighting its critical role in addressing a
growing and universal problem: access to care.
At Cornwall Community Hospital
(CCH), we proudly have a diverse group of social workers available throughout
the hospital who are supporting patients, clients and loved ones through all of
life’s challenges and complications.
Social workers can be found
throughout our Emergency Department, Inpatient Mental Health Unit, Outpatient
Mental Health Services, Community Addiction and Mental Health Services, and
Assault and Sexual Abuse Program. They also provide support to medical inpatients
and families.
Emergency Department social
workers work exclusively within the ER to respond to the urgent mental health
and social needs of patients who present to the department. As more patients
present to the Emergency Department for non-urgent cases, these social workers
are helping to ensure we can meet the differing needs of patients while
alleviating capacity pressures.
Inpatient Mental Health Unit
social workers support inpatients being treated for acute mental illness. They
work alongside the care team to develop personalized treatment plans, provide
psychoeducation and counseling, and provide patients and families with
community resources and supports to better prepare for discharge from the
hospital.
Outpatient social workers provide
services to patients who require mental health care but do not need
hospitalization. These services include counseling, help with treatment
planning, coordinating care with other providers, and supporting individuals in
managing their mental health through programming and follow-up.
Community Addiction and Mental
Health Services social workers are spread throughout its adult and youth
counseling, therapy and crisis programs, helping clients in the community
navigate recovery through counseling, case management, advocacy, and connection
to community resources.
Social workers on our Assault and
Sexual Abuse Program provide services relating to both recent and past sexual
assault and domestic violence. Depending on the client's needs, these services
may include evaluation and counselling, or referrals to shelters or healthcare
or mental health professionals, if appropriate.
Our social workers are also
available within our inpatient medicine unit to help patients and families with
discharge planning, home care, long-term care placement, and psychosocial
support.
This March, please join me
celebrating and recognizing the valuable role that social workers play in
supporting local patients and clients on their journey to recovery.
To get connected with the
right mental health services in Eastern Ontario, adults aged 16 and over can
visit www.accessmha.ca, while families and youth under 16 can visit
www.1call1click.ca. If you are experiencing a medical emergency or are
concerned that you might harm yourself or someone else, call 9-1-1 or go to
your nearest hospital emergency department. Crisis support is also available
24/7: adults (16+) can call the Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-866-996-0991 or
613-722-6914 (www.crisisline.ca), and youth under 16 can contact the Child,
Youth and Family Crisis Line for Eastern Ontario at 1-877-377-7775
(www.ysb.ca).