(816) 234-3670
Fax (816) 855-1797
Ground Floor Room 240
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Social Work is available as needed 24 hours per day.
Alice Kitchen, LCSW, Director
Social workers at Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics are an integral part of the health care team. Social workers are primarily master’s level, Licensed Clinical Social Workers that assist patients and families throughout the Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics.
The mission of the Social Work and Community Services Department is to provide comprehensive and compassionate family-centered services to children and their families in order to enhance their quality of life while in the hospital, at home, at school, and within their community. The Social Work and Community Services Department firmly embraces the hospital mission statement that states: “Patients and their families are treated with compassion in a family-centered environment onsite and in the community that recognizes their physical, emotional, financial, social, educational, and spiritual needs.”
Social Workers serve in many different capacities and provide many different services both in the hospital and the community. Social Work services are available free of charge to children and families at Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics. The Social Work and Community Services Department provides many services including:
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Referrals to community resources.
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Pre-admission planning.
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Assistance with transportation (both scheduled and emergent).
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Assistance with food, clothing and lodging for eligible families. Referrals to Ronald McDonald House.
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Assessment of child abuse and neglect.
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Crisis intervention.
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Discharge planning.
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Financial assistance.
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Interpreters/Sign Language.
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Counseling support.
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Parenting education.
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Patient education.
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Advocacy.
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Facilitation of communication between family members, medical staff, and community agencies.
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Support groups.
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Summer camps.
Community Services
Social workers coordinate a number of home and community based services for families, grandparent caregivers and others. Information on each program is available under the "Program Links" menu item.