-Press Release, Granville County Government

National Professional Social Worker Month is celebrated each year in March. It’s an opportunity to spotlight the profession and the contributions social workers make every day.

According to Joe Tartamella, Supervisor for Adult Services, Foster Care and Adoptions for the Granville County Department of Social Services, local social workers provide services to meet the needs of community members who want and need assistance, including those who may not yet know how to ask for or accept help from anyone.

More than 80 social workers are trained and on hand to work directly with Granville County residents or to provide referrals to those who may be facing issues of substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual and physical abuse, parent/caretaker neglect, dependency, exploitation, mental health issues and economic hardships. Of all the workers in DSS, there are 10 in Child Support Services, 20 in Direct Services, 51 in Economic Benefits/Income Maintenance and the rest in administrative and support positions.

“Our social workers are the front line, boots-on-the-ground-type people,” Tartamella explains, “and requests for assistance are made every day. For most all that seek our services, we are generally their last hope in their journey to survive.”

With a goal to “enhance the quality of life in the community through programs and services to help the vulnerable, the aged, the young, the sick and the economically disadvantaged,” the Granville County Department of Social Services exists to serve local individuals and families.

From government aid to assistance for low-income households, disabled individuals, seniors and dependent children, social workers provide services that include medical, financial, nutritional and emergency assistance, as well as help with daycare costs, the coordination of transportation services and the investigation of fraudulent practices.

Assistance begins at the reception desk of the Granville County Department of Social Services, which is where the initial contact often begins.

“Every other department depends on them to link the people asking for assistance to the right people to serve them,” Tartamella explains. From there, daily work includes accessing the situation, developing plans to assist and working with families to meet their goals/objectives.

Many of the Social Services staff are office-based, serving Granville County citizens in need of public assistance programs such as Medicaid, Work First, Food and Nutrition Services (Food Stamps and SNAP) as well as energy programs, child care referrals, child support services, emergency assistance or other programs and services that are available to eligible Granville County residents.

Other social workers may work either in the office or in the field to provide assistance through Child Welfare Services or through the Adult Services unit.

The Child Welfare Services Unit accepts and responds to reports of child abuse, neglect and dependency, evaluating levels of risk to children through assessments and investigations. Appropriate action is then taken to ensure the safety and well-being of the child through In-Home Treatment (case management and skill development services) or by providing out-of-home foster care services, with a goal to establish a permanent living arrangement for the children. Options considered include re-unification with parents, custody or guardianship arrangements, or adoption.

The Adult Services unit locates, coordinates and monitors services to provide preventative, supportive and/or protective services to adults and families needing assistance in learning to function efficiently and independently. These services include Adult Protective Services, Daycare and Day Health Services, Adult Placement Services, Guardianship Services, Representative Payee Services, Case Management and In-Home Aide Services. The goal is to provide the tools needed to ensure efficiency and independent living in their own environment and in the community.

The Granville County Department of Social Services also works in conjunction with social workers from Granville Medical Center, all three Granville County Senior Centers, the Harold Sherman Adult Day program, adult and family care homes, Granville County schools, home health agencies and the many clinical social workers in the mental health system.

“We wear many hats,” Tartamella explains, “and often work long hours to make sure we serve our clients.”

For those who may need assistance with blind and visually impaired challenges, the DHHS Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired has a social worker who is available on-site at Granville County DSS two days per week.

Anyone wishing to pursue a career as a social worker is reminded that this profession is for people who are called to serve. What is most needed, Tartamella says, is a desire to help others succeed.

“To be in a service profession,” he says, “you have to have a love and respect for human dignity, as well as compassion and the ability to use it. You also have to be ready and able to set and enforce hard lines of accountability. You have to be a dedicated soul.”

The Granville County Department of Social Services is located at 410 West Spring Street in Oxford and is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information about the Granville County Department of Social Services and the role of social workers in our community, visit www.granvillecounty.org.