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Social Service Worker Profile: May Ann C. Demetrio

May Ann C. Demetrio

Social Worker, Child Protection Unit, Philippine General HoSPital, Philippines

social workerWhy Social Work?

 Having a passion for uplifting those in need runs in May Ann’s family. Inspired and encouraged by her aunt, May Ann decided to follow in her footsteps and pursue a career in social work. She now works in child protection in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and two surrounding provinces, providing services and support to vulnerable children and their families.

The impact of her work

May Ann conducts safety and risk assessments for children who have experienced sexual assault and trauma. This important work determines whether the child is safe to stay in the home, assesses family dynamics with regard to how members interact with each other, and evaluates the community in which the child lives through interviewing neighbors.

In most instances, the child’s family becomes closer following incidents of violence, providing love and support to the child. Family support is very important to the healing process, making sure the child knows he/she is loved and supported.

Child Protection Units (CPU) involve a multidisciplinary team that includes doctors who do medico-legal evaluation, forensic interview, management of sexually transmitted infections, developmental assessment, and expert testimony in court cases; mental health service providers who provide mental health evaluation, therapy for children with problematic sexual behavior and individual and group therapy; legal professionals who provide legal counseling and family court awareness/kids court; and police officers who conduct investigations, on-site case filing and forensic interviews.

Skills and competencies needed for this work

May Ann earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and she participates in on-going trainings provided through the Child Protection team. The Child Protection Units regularly invite doctors, psychologists, police and social workers to joint trainings on how to manage challenging cases in order to become familiar with one another’s work and responsibilities. She is now completing a Master’s in Social Work in Healthcare Settings.

As a social worker averaging about 200 cases throughout the year, May Ann stresses the importance of receiving quality supervision when managing challenging cases. Both individually and in small groups, child protection social workers such as May Ann have the opportunity to debrief, process their emotions and brainstorm strategies. Part of the debriefing process includes team building activities and team outings. May Ann feels that this sense of teamwork and quality supervision are necessary to providing quality services to children and families.