Social Workers are essential: Celebrating Social Work Month

March is Social Work Month. We use this time to celebrate these professionals that work tirelessly to maintain our community’s well-being. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Social Workers Are Essential.” At Consulate Health Care, we are fortunate to have many phenomenal social workers on our team, constantly working to make positive changes around the different care centers.

To start this month’s celebration, we want to highlight one of these fantastic professionals that work hard to improve our community’s well-being, Monique Crockett. Monique has been the director of social work at Ashland Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the past eight years. Before that, she also worked with the social services team at Envoy at the Village and Consulate Health Care of Norfolk.

Monique’s positive attitude is what she is known for. With her upbeat and caring personality, she is always making her residents and coworkers laugh, brightening up their days. She knows that each day is different at the care centers, and sometimes it can be challenging; therefore, she wants to be the one that brings positive energy to those around her. She does that with grace and respect. 

Monique’s commitment to her position, coworkers, and residents is extraordinary. She is always going above and beyond to ensure those around her are taken care of, trying to help whenever needed. “Knowing I’ve made a difference in someone’s life is what I work for. I want to make their day better and brighter,” Monique said.

Throughout the years she served as a social worker, she was able to help many individuals with respect and compassion. Monique has many stories to tell about her residents and coworkers. Dora, a resident at the center, is in many of them. The two of them built a wonderful friendship, and every week, Monique takes some time to sit and talk to Dora. “I appreciate her for always being in the best spirits,” Monique said. “Whenever I go see her, she tells me she is glad I am here. That always makes me smile.” 

Compassion is one of the words used to describe Monique. She will always stop what she is doing and jump to help a resident when they need her. As a social worker, she has residents coming into her office and family members calling constantly. During these challenging times, the care center has strict visitation policies, making some families anxious. Monique works hard to attend to each of our residents’ needs in every instance. 

During her free time, Monique enjoys spending time with her 10-year-old son and husband. She loves playing board games with her family. Monique is also a very talented cook; she enjoys preparing delicious dishes and is looking forward to learning new recipes.

Monique exemplifies what being a social worker is. With her drive and motivation to help others every day, she strives to lead the world in a better direction. Monique believes that small actions help better the world around us. Because of that, we are grateful to have her on our team and thankful for all that she does for our residents.