“Your needs are our concern”
The Mission
Enable persons to develop their full potential
Counseling services
- Assist persons in enriching and enhancing their quality of life
- To prevent and minimize dysfunction
- Encourage self-sufficiency
- Guide clients and advocate for clients
- Assist clients with solving issues that they are experiencing and hopefully encourage positive change
- Establish and maintain connections with external care organizations
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Services are administered in accordance within the framework of our Country’s constitution that prohibits discrimination based on, but not limited to, the following: age, race, color, sex, disability, religious creed, national origin, marital status, parental or birth status or sexual orientation.
What is Social Work?
Social Work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning. According to the International federation of Social workers (IFSW), “The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being.”
How is the service of the Social Worker performed?
- Step 1- An intake with the client
- Step 2- Assessing needs including risk assessment and develop a social report
- Step 3- Develop a care plan that is signed upon agreement by the social worker and the client. Write referring letters for third parties involvement (client signs a consent form)
- Step 4- Implement the care-plan and monitor it by making progress reports
Who are potential clients?
- Individuals falling in the ‘vulnerable’ group categories (elderlies, young adults, unemployed persons, teenage moms, un-documented citizens, physically and mentally challenged)
- Families (multi-problem families)
- Groups (women, young adults for sustainable development)
- NGO’s (structure the activities)
- Persons on the Financial Aid list – bridging the gap between their material and immaterial aid
- Persons in need of medical cards
- Persons referred to us from our third-party caregivers
Stakeholders
The Social Workers of the Department of Social Services have a working relationship with the following Ministries and organizations:
- Ministry of Justice
- Mental Health Foundation
- Court of Guardianship
- Department of Community Development
- Key to Freedom
- Collective Preventative Services (CPS)
- Community Police
- Department of Labor Affairs
- Red Cross
- Safe Haven
- All churches
- Helping Hands Foundation
- St. Maarten Housing Foundations
- Student Support Services
- White and Yellow Cross
- Ministry of Education
- All NGOs
- Department of Community, Humanitarian and Family Affairs