Sanjukta Ghosh, Social Worker at Arab American Family Support Center

What we think you should know before diving in: Administration for Children Services, referred to as ACS, is a New York City governmental agency tasked with protecting children and families. ACS works with nonprofits and organizations to help children and families receive supportive services to ensure their safety and well-being. Also discussed are SNAP benefits and Public Assistance. Both are tools provided by the government to low income and at risk families to ensure they have access to basic resources and essentials. 

Describe your role as a social worker.

As a social worker at the Arab American Family support center, I provide casework counseling mainly to children and their families who have been referred to us by ACS. My clients are mostly domestic violence survivors. My program is called General preventive. I help clients apply for SNAP benefits and Public Assistance.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you work? 

I am mostly seeing my clients and their children through teleconferencing but there are clients who we consider high risk and have to see face to face. We conduct home visits for these clients so that we can see them as well as their living situations. 

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the families you serve? 

A lot of them have lost their jobs and are having difficulties in getting the basic essentials, such as groceries and medicines. A lot of them who applied for SNAP and Public Assistance have not been getting it due to the backlog. Some of my families have filed for unemployment and haven’t heard back from them at all. 

How do you foresee the landscape and needs shifting for the families you serve over the next 6 months?

I definitely think priorities for most of the families are going to shift, as there are going to be a lot of added issues. We have chalked out plans for families which are going to change. A lot of counseling will shift from just Domestic Violence  counseling to mental health counseling. Supportive casework counseling which is providing them with whatever support they need with how much ever my organization and I can provide. 

It is going to be hard. 

Thank you for taking the time.