March Is National Professional Social Work Month
(Long Island, NY) In recognition of National Professional Social Work Month, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory honored four of the county’s outstanding social workers at the March 1 General Meeting of the Legislature.
The four social workers, who were selected by their departments for recognition, were: Ellen Higgins of Farmingville from the Department of Health’s Division of Patient Care; Patricia Meaney of Wading River from the Department of Social Services; Amelia Sapio of Northport from Probation; and Jenine Yannucciello of East Setauket from the Department of Health’s Division of Community Hygiene.
In recognition of National Professional Social Work Month, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory honored four of the county’s outstanding social workers at the March 1 General Meeting of the Legislature. From left: Presiding Officer Gregory; Amelia Sapio of Northport from Probation; Ellen Higgins of Farmingville from the Department of Health; Jenine Yannucciello of East Setauket from the Department of Health; and Patricia Meaney of Wading River from the Department of Social Services. Photo Credit: Suffolk County.
“Suffolk’s social workers give tirelessly of themselves to provide assistance to some of our county’s most vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly and abuse victims, as well as the disabled, addicted and impoverished,” said Presiding Officer Gregory. “Ellen, Pat, Amy and Jenine represent the best of their field, and it was a privilege to honor them for their outstanding service at our General Meeting. I commend their efforts as well as that of all our county’s social workers. On behalf of the Legislature: Thank you for all you do.”
Higgins is the program coordinator for the Maternal Infant Community Health Collaborative program, which provides care to high-need women and children in targeted communities. Since beginning her career with the Department of Health Services in November 1994, she has served, among other positions, as an AIDS Counselor, a Medical Social Worker, as the Director of Social Work at the John J. Foley Skilled Nursing Facility, and as the East End Coordinator for the Medical Social Work Program. She supervised the on-site transitions of the East Hampton and Southampton Health Centers in March 2014 and the Riverhead Health Center transition in November 2015, and is described by her superiors as “supportive, cooperative, knowledgeable, competent and willing to always go beyond her normal duties to assist both patients and co-workers.”
Meaney, an Adult Protective Services caseworker, was selected by DSS Commissioner John O’Neill for her successful efforts to remove a 19-year-old developmentally-disabled young man from the care of his abusive foster father last December. Family Court intervention was not possible due to the young man’s age, so Meaney coordinated an emergency meeting between community agencies, school officials and a residential facility to secure safe placement for the man without help from the courts. Within hours, a placement was obtained, which the school district agreed to pay for. Due to Meaney’s intervention, the young man’s foster brothers, who were minors, were also removed from the abusive home.
Sapio, a senior psychiatric social worker, began employment with the county in 1997 as a drug counselor with the Department of Mental Hygiene. In 2002, she began work with Probation, where she has worked with both juveniles and adults. In 2013, she transferred to the Probation Mental Health Unit, where she works with adult probationers with serious mental health issues. Her superiors describe her as “displaying empathy, warmth and respect for Probation clientele while working toward helping these offenders to remain focused and responsible.”
Yannucciello, a Senior Psychiatric Social Worker, has worked with the Department of Health Services since April 2007. She currently oversees the County’s Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Program, which provides care for people who, in view of their treatment history and present circumstances, are unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision. The program provides highly individualized, effective treatment to reduce the rate of hospitalizations, incarcerations and violence for the most challenging segment of the severely mentally ill population of Suffolk County. Yannucciello is described by her superiors as a “dedicated worker,” “an excellent clinician” and an “effective supervisor.”
