Co-Building Hope and Harmony Every Day 

“The great thing about being a social worker is that our skills are very transferable. We can move around and specialise in different things.” 

There are over 330 social workers at Eastern Health, bringing skill, heart, and humanity to every corner of our organisation. From senior leadership, to programs spanning pre-birth, to post end of life, our social workers walk alongside people at every stage of life. 

For World Social Work Day, hear from four social workers across Eastern Health about their experiences. 

“We do a lot of things in the background so it’s good to have that acknowledgement from the organisation and our colleagues.  

“But also, for ourselves to celebrate and acknowledge all the good work we’ve done.” 

Tania, a social worker at the Eastern Health Community Rehab Program works with clients who have been discharged from the hospital and helps them adjust to their illness, as they ease back to the community.  

She facilitates the multi-disciplinary team and ensures that her clients are making progress in rehabilitation. 

“Seeing positive changes in a client’s or their carer’s situation, has been the most rewarding thing” she said. 

Bella, Specialist Family Violence Advisor for Alcohol and other drugs (AOD) at Eastern Health, has been a social worker for over 10 years.  

“An important quality of a Social Worker is that you have a high capacity to care, to have a lot of empathy and compassion.” 

“It might not be for everyone, but if you have a passion for social justice and advocacy, come into social work.” 

Though not directly involved with clients, Bella plays an essential role in capacity building through secondary consultation and education, and implementing policy procedures within the AOD and mental health workforce at Eastern Health. 

“The process towards a positive client outcome involves strong collaborative practice.  

“Working together with other services and practitioners, and finding ways to leverage systems for better client outcomes, is rewarding.” 

Anthony is a Social Work Clinical Lead for the Infant, Child, Youth and Adolescent Mental Health services (ICYMHS) at Eastern Health. 

“Within mental health social work, the opportunity to hear and hold a person’s story, is a significant professional privilege. Each time someone chooses to share their experiences with us – often shaped by complexity, vulnerability, and immense strength – we are being trusted with something deeply personal” 

ICYMHS often works with consumers and their families who have experienced complex trauma. 

“Witnessing the courage and determination of families who attend this service and are willing to be open and vulnerable in sharing their story, reminds me that there is always hope for change.” 

As a Clinical Lead, Anthony is a trusted point of contact for staff, supporting them in their clinical roles and actively guiding the development of social work practice across the service, while also helping staff explore opportunities for growth and career development. 

“The good thing about working in a large organisation like Eastern Health, is there are always a variety of opportunities available. Social work practice is incredibly diverse, with roles supporting children, young people, and adults in both inpatient and community mental health settings.” 

Julie is acting senior social worker for the social work team at Eastern Health Box Hill, and a grade three social worker in the Allied Health Care Transition Project.

A part of her role is helping facilitate patient discharges, particularly the more complex cases.  

“Sometimes the barrier of discharge is not just the individual’s illness, it’s all the other factors that might come into consideration.  

“It could be family violence, elder abuse, hoarding, lack of services, carer stress, or migrants who come from non-English backgrounds.” 

From her years of experience, Julie shares some wisdom about what caring for patients as a social worker should be like. 

“At the end of the day, a social worker is trying to give a person the skills and the ability to be more independent.” 

Social workers help rebuild trust, strengthen resilience, and create spaces of belonging in the communities we serve.  

Thank you to all the amazing social workers for their amazing work every single day.