Social Work

The role of Social Workers at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island has expanded well beyond the limits of the past.

Discharge planning, particularly for patients with high social risks, requires rapid and precise evaluation to provide for safe and appropriate post-hospital planning. Each of our patients has individual needs, even unique issues, so our social workers tailor each discharge plan to promote the best outcome for the patient.

We give special attention to the “high risk” patients, who, though cleared for discharge medically, may not be ready to leave the hospital because they:

• Can no longer safely manage in the community by themselves
• Cannot return to their prior living situation without supportive intervention, such as home care services
• Require transitional care, such as acute or sub-acute rehabilitation
• Require safety net planning for long-term care, as when a patient suffers from dementia or does not have the mental capacity to participate in his or her own discharge planning
• Remain physically at risk and require “alternate safety planning” because they are victims of rape, domestic violence, child abuse, or elder abuse

The social workers evaluate each patient’s plan while engaging the patient’s family, friends, and sometimes even neighbors, as well as social and community agencies, in the planning process.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island’s social workers routinely participate in multidisciplinary rounds and deal with problems that require an immediate social work assessment and intervention, whether the patient receives treatment in our Emergency Department or outpatient clinics or our inpatient units.

Social Work – Adult/Children at Risk/Crisis Intervention

Location: 4W17

Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.;

Weekends/Holidays: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.;

Emergency Room:  Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.
Weekends: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Telephone: 718-616-4209; (Emergency Room) 718-616-4355/4356