NORWICH – March is National Social Work Month. The White House officially recognized National Professional Social Work Month in 1984. More than 600,000 people in the United States hold social work degrees. The Veteran’s Administration is the largest employer of social workers in the country, employing nearly 5,000 to assist veterans and their families with individual and family counseling, client education, substance abuse treatment, crisis intervention and end of life planning. There are hundreds of social workers in national, state, and locally elected office, including two U.S. Senators and eight U.S. Representatives. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for social workers is expected to grow twice as fast as any other occupation, especially in gerontology, substance abuse, school social work, and home healthcare.
Hospice of Chenango County, a home care hospice agency, has two social workers on staff. Sarah Bliss is a member of the Hospice admission team, which first meets with potential patients and family. Bliss designs a psychosocial care plan based on the unique emotional needs of the family and caregivers. Her job is multi-faceted. On any given day she may help a patient understand his/her Medicare Hospice benefits or help a Medicaid eligible patient apply for assistance. She also works with children whose understanding of an impending loss is likely to be very different than the adults in the home. Another day she may help a patient personalize his/her funeral plans.
Bliss was a psychology major at the State University of New York at Oneonta, and continued her education at SUNY Albany where she graduated with a master’s degree in Social Work. Bliss says she chose this degree because of the versatility and broad training it would provide her. She was drawn to Hospice work because she had a strong interest in serving an aging population. She acknowledges that it uses a variety of her skills including counseling on anticipatory grief, mental illness, and substance abuse.
Brenda Birsdall is Hospice’s Bereavement Coordinator. Once a death has occurred, Birdsall checks in with the family to assess how they’re managing their loss. She makes home visits and follows up with phone calls and mailings. Hospice families are eligible for at least thirteen months of bereavement services. This is an important time frame because it spans a number of sensitive dates that might trigger emotional difficulty such as birthdays, anniversaries, and favorite holidays. Birdsall also facilitates several grief workshops throughout the year for Hospice families and the general public. She has a support group in Sherburne meeting weekly over breakfast; and during November and December she leads a group for people whose grief is exacerbated by family-focused holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. She is currently planning a memorial breakfast the week before Mother’s Day for those who want to pay tribute to their mothers who have passed away.
Birsdall has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Keuka College. She’s a seasoned profession who was employed at the Veteran’s Home in Oxford for more than a decade. She has also led local Alzheimer’s support groups. Birdsall says she finds her bereavement work satisfying because it allows her to help people grow emotionally through their loss.
Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County is a non-profit home health care agency that cares for individuals with life-limiting illness. Patients typically have a prognosis of six months or less, but that is merely a guideline, because the progression of each patient’s illness is different. Hospices have always taken care of persons with a variety of diseases, however they’ve often been misunderstood as an agency that cares only for cancer patients. Currently, more than half of Hospice patients nationwide are admitted with advanced organ disease and neurological conditions. Last year Hospice of Chenango County cared for 158 patients and their families. If you would like information on any bereavement support groups, or might consider becoming a Hospice volunteer, call their office at 334-3556.