Making a Difference at Children’s of Alabama

Catherine Hughes has committed herself to making a difference in the lives of children. As a social worker at Children’s, she is handling some of the hospital’s toughest cases. Though the outcomes can range in positivity, there’s one instance that sticks out in Catherine’s mind that shows how the work she does here can truly make a difference:

“One child that I think I had a major impact on was an abuse case of a little boy that had been burned while he was in the care of his mother. He was 3 years old and he had been in and out of foster care since birth. During his time in foster care, he had been returned, been injured, you name it. It was one of the saddest stories and it almost felt like he had been failed by the people who should have protected him along the way. While he was here at the hospital he got very sick on top of his injuries. Throughout this time there was no family that ever came to the hospital, not once.

One day I had someone ask me if they could come sit with him. I told them there wasn’t a logistical problem with it, but they would need permission of the legal guardians. This person reached out to the legal guardians and they approved it. So this person came daily, religiously. They would sit with this little boy, and eventually adopted him. In my mind, I can still see this child’s face when he came in for the first time. He was curled in a ball on the table with the sheet over his head and would not let anyone touch him. Today, he is smiling and thriving in his new home. It is one of those stories I never thought would have ended the way it did. It showed me this is why I do what I do. It is powerful to know these things can happen at Children’s.”

This is just one story of what many social workers see throughout their careers at Children’s of Alabama. Social work is a complex field, but, as Catherine reveals, it can be one of the most rewarding.

At Children’s of Alabama we recognize the need, especially within social work, for interdepartmental communication—something Catherine attests to:

“I always thought social workers and children’s hospitals must have the best jobs. And I do. We are able to work closely with families and all the medical disciplines. We learn about the family and the child to help the medical team make the best decisions. It is wonderful being able to work with such great people all over the hospital. Together, we are all working towards the common goal of helping families navigate their child’s journey at the hospital.

At Children’s we have 29 social workers and each one is assigned to various services throughout the hospital. We all do something a little different, but at the same time we have a lot of similarities—helping the children and their families throughout their time at Children’s.”

Beyond interdepartmental communication there is also the component of our social workers working within the community:

“We work with community partners who help these families with any of their needs that might come up, including lodging, food, transportation, etc. Because we work with children and families of abuse in some cases, we also have to work with child protective services and law enforcement. This job is never boring and you are never working alone.”

Being a social worker at Children’s of Alabama can be one of the most rewarding careers and we know that our people like Catherine are making a real impact in the lives of our patients.

See how you can make a difference with our Children’s of Alabama social work team and apply today!