March was National Social Work Month and this year’s theme was The Time is Right for Social Work. As New York City continues to grapple with the wide-reaching effects of the pandemic, social workers have played an integral role in helping New Yorkers to access services. As one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the services provided by social workers are needed now more than ever.
Civil legal services and social work go hand in hand as part of a holistic and trauma-informed advocacy service model. Social workers collaborate with VOLS attorneys and volunteers to ensure that our clients’ needs are met in a holistic manner. By partnering with social workers to address our clients’ non-legal needs, we ensure better outcomes for our clients. VOLS is proud to host social work intern Sam Makagon, a master’s in social work student at Boise State University, who has been interning with the Unemployed Workers project since the fall.
As part of my work with VOLS’ Unemployed Workers Project, I have been working with a diverse group of clients to provide access to additional economic, educational, and emotional support resources such as material and food assistance, childcare, job, housing, health insurance, mental health and wellness, legal services, continuing education, and financial and credit resources. I have worked hand in hand with VOLS’ team of professionals to provide these critical services to NYC clients who have struggled through an unemployment crisis set in a global pandemic.
One of the most important ways I have been able to make a difference during my internship is to be there for clients consistently throughout their ups and downs and provide psychological support along the way. I have been able to learn about clients and their journeys and support them throughout a difficult time by providing direct support and referrals internally and externally to other social service organizations as appropriate. My most memorable experiences in my work have been the opportunities to work with clients on a long-term basis and share their trials and tribulations – their successes as well as their failures. Engaging with clients over a span of many months has allowed me to feel that I have really gotten to know them. I have also been fortunate to be able to collaborate with many knowledgeable and talented VOLS professionals in other departments such as the Senior Law and Microenterprise projects. My experience at VOLS has really been enhanced by my ability to work with so many different projects.
Social workers work to alleviate human suffering, fight for social justice, and improve their communities. By working with VOLS clients, Sam has been able to apply social work’s core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence to meeting the non-legal needs of our clients. VOLS is proud to work alongside our social work partners to serve the needs of underserved New Yorkers.