careers in maternal health

[mamaley]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this. I'm getting a degree in social work, and I am very interested in maternal health issues, reproductive issues, promoting AP, etc. Does anyone know of specific ways that social workers might be needed in dealing with any of these? Midwives, do you ever encounter social workers, counselors, etc, in your practice, or can you think of ways that we might be beneficial?
Sorry for the randomness of this post, but it's been something that i've been wondering about

[anothermama]

Actually, thats what I do, although I do it for free. I have a minor in sociology and that led me to become an advocate in a crisis pregnancy center. That, coupled with the little bit of birth training I have, has allowed me to counsel and be with girls and women through their process. It's a lot of fun.

You might also look into working for the county...many counties have programs specifically for pregnant women and they use social workers in them.

[Greaseball]

The county has a teen parent mentor program. Most people there are volunteers, but they do have a few paid positions. You do home visits for young pregnant women/mothers and help them with parenting skills.

Although, if you're planning on getting a graduate degree, most likely a job like that would not pay enough.

[Defenestrator]

There is a clinical social worker in my town who specializes in pospartum depression.

I have also worked with a number of medical social workers, both in obstetrics/pediatrics and in other medical fields. I have total respect for what they do, though they are stretched pretty thin. I would think that a social worker working with families in, say, the NICU, might be able to make a major impact in their lives.

[lorijds]

We heavily depend upon social workers at the local health department to help our clients get signed up for the support they need (WIC, medical card, address any housing issues, childcare issues, etc).

Also, one of our clients is a social worker in a hospital with a level three NICU. She acts as an advocate, a specialized post partum doula of sorts, for parents who have babies there. Helping them not only with resources (housing if they are from out of town, getting things straight with insurance/medical cards, getting services set up for home for any special needs the baby might have) but also helping them deal with the red tape of the NICU. Getting parents comfortable there, helping them communicate with the staff and advocate for their baby, understanding how things work there, helping them find the resources that help them give informed consent, that sort of thing.