For many children in crisis, trauma can change the course of a life in an instant, shattering their trust in the people meant to protect them. That is when our dedicated social workers and front-line staff walk alongside families, uplift them, and advocate for the systemic changes that make lasting hope possible.
March is National Social Work Month, a time to recognize social workers on the front lines.
Wellroot’s social workers advocate for children across every Wellroot program, from foster care and family services to housing support and behavioral health. Your support makes this work possible. Every gift strengthens the hands of the professionals walking with Georgia’s children and families through their most important moments.
Foster Care
When a child enters foster care, they need more than a safe place to sleep. They need a trusted adult who will ensure they have a stable and loving home and critical wraparound supports. Led by Ashley Blocker, MA, LCSW, associate vice president of child welfare programs, Wellroot’s foster care team helps children and teens navigate trauma, transition, and the path toward permanency.
“During uncertain times, it’s about celebrating the small successes of our clients,” says Blocker when sharing what keeps her motivated. “When children find stability, it means we identified a need, found solutions, and gave families the resources they needed to care for children from fostering through reunification.”
With more than 10,000 children and teens in foster care in Georgia, social workers play a critical role in ensuring they have the chance to grow up in a safe, loving home.
Transitional Living & Family Housing
Young people aging out of foster care and families facing instability are at higher risk of experiencing homelessness and need the steady support of community.
Wellroot’s residential programs provide the stability and community that make independence possible. Under the leadership of Leisa White, director of residential programs, these services include Transitional Living and Independent Living, which support young adults as they age out of foster care; Safety Net, which serves young adults in Hall County who are facing homelessness; and family housing, which offers a stable foundation for families at any stage.
“It’s not just one role that makes the difference,” explains White, whose decades-long career in human and social services counseling informs her work and motivates her team of dedicated, trauma-informed professionals. “It’s our social workers, life coaches, and support specialists working together to remove the barriers that limit people’s ability to succeed.”
Collaboration helps our residents move beyond survival and begin building a future they can believe in.
Functional Family Therapy
Social workers also help families heal together. Through Functional Family Therapy, Wellroot partners with families overcoming conflict, behavioral challenges, or trauma, helping them develop healthier communication skills.
Functional family therapist supervisor Brittany Moskal, LMSW, says the impact often reaches far beyond the immediate household.
“Families often function the way they do because that’s how it’s been for generations. When we help them learn new ways to communicate, that change affects future generations. Being part of that shift is one of the most meaningful parts of our work.”
By strengthening families, social workers reduce the need for system involvement and help children remain safely connected to the people who love them.
Behavioral Health Center
Wellroot’s new behavioral health centers bring therapists, counselors, and social workers together to ensure families can access care when they need it. As needs grow more complex, social workers are essential in connecting mental health care with real-life support.
Wellroot’s clinical director, Cassandra Royal, LPC, shares how social workers bring a perspective that keeps care focused on the entire family.
“Social workers don’t just treat the individual,” she said. “They look at the environment and supports around them. When we strengthen the family, we can strengthen the child.”
Maternal and Infant Support
When children enter foster care, they often have already lost months of developmental progress. Mary Vincent, vice president of programs, began her career at Wellroot as a social worker in foster care, and saw firsthand how often early support could have changed the outcome for a child.
Through Wellroot’s maternal and infant support programs, social workers guide parents during pregnancy and early childhood to build safe, nurturing homes from the start.
“We focus on connection, attachment and stability before common stressors turn into trauma,” Vincent says. “By investing in families early, we help keep families safely together and create positive outcomes, not just prevent negative ones.”
Early intervention helps keep families together and helps children remain safely connected to the people who love them.
Serve Those who Serve Others
Behind every child who finds safety, every parent who gains confidence, and every young adult who moves toward independence, there is a social worker helping make that progress possible.
At Wellroot, social workers and social service professionals show up every day with the belief that families can grow stronger. Your support provides social workers with the resources that make every program possible and fuels their commitment to creating lasting change for the children and families throughout Georgia.
