- 24-hour Availability. Social work support is available to the Pediatric Emergency Department 24-hours daily. A social worker is on-site in the emergency department from 8:30 am until 11 pm every day and available on-call from 11 pm until 8:30 am
- Child Protection. The primary focus of social work in the Emergency Department is assessment and support of patient safety. Johns Hopkins Hospital is the regional Child Maltreatment Center, providing assessments for any child identified by police or Child Protective Services as possibly neglected, physically or sexually abused. Social Work staff maintains communication with all parties involved and coordinates services and response
- Child Death. In cases where a child dies in transport to or once in the Emergency Department, Social Workers, with the hospital’s Bereavement Coordinator and pastoral care staff, provide support services and grief counseling to family and others affected by the child’s death
- Assessment and Supportive Services. At times, children are brought to the emergency department after a traumatic event, such as a car accident or house fire. Social work staff is available to provide supportive counseling and referral for community-based care. This is also true in cases of difficulty adjusting to being at the hospital, concerns regarding substance use, or other personal issues
- Material Assistance. If a patient or family is in need of a particular service in order to be appropriately discharged from the Emergency Department, social work is able to provide some assistance. For example, a change of clothes and personal care items are supplied to children that are entering foster care. When families travel long distances for special emergency treatment, social work can help refer to local hospital housing programs.
Social Work Staff
Contact: 410-614-5513
Sue Barker-Hildebrant, LCSW-C
Degree/ Education: MSW
Clinical Interest: Maternal & Child Health
Michael Becketts, LCSW-C
Degree/ Education: MSW
Lynn DiFatta, LCSW-C
Degree/ Education: MSW
Desiree Hall
Degree/ Education: MSW
Kathy Kopf, LCSW-C
Degree/ Education: MSW, University of Maryland
Yvette Pack
Degree/ Education: MSW
Contact: 410-614-5513
LaTanya Townsend, LGSW
Degree/ Education: MSW
Deborah Taylor
Degree/ Education: MSW
Dawn Walker
Degree/ Education: MSW