Social Workers: What Is the Most Rewarding (and Challenging) Part of Your Job?
Dennis Cochran, Social Worker, Manager, CMHS Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Program
“The most rewarding parts of my job are the relationships we have with clients, and also working together as a team. Because of the nature of what we do, we have to work together as a team every day. Working as a team is also the most challenging part of the job, because we all have our own individual styles. It’s like all relationships—you have to keep working at it.”
Stephanie Friedman, Social Worker, Clinical Utilization Manager, Population Health
“The most rewarding part of my job is feeling like I’ve enriched patients’ lives with information that they didn’t know was available, and that helps them enhance their lives in some small way. The most challenging part of my job is feeling eager to help someone who isn’t quite ready for change right now.”
Dani L. Calderon, Hospice Social Worker
“The most rewarding part of my job is being with families, connecting with them and giving them special moments at the end of life. The most challenging part is when you have to work with big families and to get everyone on the same page. It can be hard to get them to take the focus off themselves and back on the patient.”
Michael Cheung, Social Worker, CMHS Mobile Crisis Team
“I graduated last year. Working at VNSNY has been a great learning opportunity for me, because I’ve gotten the support of the whole department. They’ve helped me grow as a professional and as a person. The most challenging part of being a social worker is the fact that no two clients are the same—so sometimes you have to be jack of all trades.”
Jeri Goodman, Social Work Manager, VNSNY Home Care
“As a manager, my favorite part of my job is providing support to our social workers who are out in the field every day doing the really hard work. The biggest challenge is that in the CHHA we may only get one or two visits with a patient so we really have to focus and work fast, with the goal of linking them to the right resources and services to address their ongoing needs.”
Gui Loo, Hospice Social Worker
“The most rewarding part of my job is the opportunity to be with patients and families, and hold space for their suffering, pain and talk about their life and relationships. It is gratifying when they find relief in being heard and held. The most challenging part is when I can’t relieve their suffering and all I can do is be with them. Sometimes there are no solutions, and I just have to hold their hands and comfort them.”
Sabrina Machuca, Social Worker, Supervisor, CMHS Mobile Crisis Team
“What is rewarding to me is the support we get from each other as well as from the organization. VNSNY recognizes that Community Mental Health is the new generation of health care. Another rewarding part of the job is being able to connect with clients in a more gentle, person-centered approach that some people might not be used to in another setting. The most challenging part is that there are not always enough resources available in certain communities or catchment areas to link our clients to all the services they need.”
Debbie Veras, Social Worker, Clinical Utilization Manager, Population Health
“The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that the folks I’m serving are having their most immediate needs met. Sometimes they’re experiencing big stressors, and this can be relieved by breaking these stressors down into manageable pieces and helping them with solutions. The most challenging part of my job are the limitations of services available and the stigma associated with needing services. For some folks, it is a long, difficult process to help them work through and accept services.”
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