-: So my name is KaZonte Allen.
I am a Masters level social worker.
Right now, I am employed as a perinatal social worker
through Mercy Health Partners.
So some of the job duties of a perinatal social worker
are to work with individuals, primarily pregnant women
and their families, with linking them to essential
community resources that are made available for them
throughout the community.
It also entails working with pregnant women
to educate and disseminate vital health information
as it relates to maternal mortality,
infant mortality, et cetera.
An additional part of being a perinatal social worker
is to function as an interdisciplinary team member
to identify social determinants within the community
and work to bring solutions to help
solve those determinants.
The social worker is working to build a rapport with you
and establish trust to learn about your background
and figure out how they may assist you
in reducing barriers in your life.
So they may ask you questions
like if you need help with this resource.
Have you experienced any domestic violence
within the last year?
Are you experiencing any depression?
Are you aware of the infant mortality rate?
Have you had a premature baby?
So different questions like that,
and depending upon the patient's answer to those questions,
then that will lead the social worker to the next question
and then hopefully a solution.
So a busy day would look like
a patient coming in to see myself.
I would do their social assessment, their psychosocial,
and then link them to our OB nurse
to do their medical assessment.
It could be a patient who has transportation barriers,
housing barriers, food, WIC, baby items,
and pretty much working to link that mom
to those services, as well as mental health.