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Arkansas Children's provides right-sized care for your child. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Arkansas Children's in seven specialties for 2025-2026.

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We're focused on improving child health through exceptional patient care, groundbreaking research, continuing education, and outreach and prevention.

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Learn How We Transform Discovery to Care
Scientific discoveries lead us to new and better ways to care for children.

Learn How We Transform Discovery to Care
Scientific discoveries lead us to new and better ways to care for children.

Learn How We Transform Discovery to Care
Scientific discoveries lead us to new and better ways to care for children.

Learn How We Transform Discovery to Care
Scientific discoveries lead us to new and better ways to care for children.

Learn How We Transform Discovery to Care
Scientific discoveries lead us to new and better ways to care for children.

Learn How We Transform Discovery to Care
Scientific discoveries lead us to new and better ways to care for children.

When you give to Arkansas Children’s, you help deliver on our promise of a better today and a healthier tomorrow for the children of Arkansas and beyond.

Your volunteer efforts are very important to Arkansas Children's. Consider additional ways to help our patients and families.

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Hello.
Arkansas Children's Hospital
General Information 501-364-1100
Arkansas Children's Northwest
General Information 479-725-6800

Social Work
The Social Work Department provides a number of services to hospitalized and/or clinic patients and families. All Social Workers at ACH are state-licensed at the Master's level and are specially trained clinicians in the medical Social Work field. These trained professionals recognize the impact of illness on patients and families and are prepared to provide supportive counseling to assist families in coping with the unpredictability of illness. We are totally committed to improving the lives of children. We work with families to ensure that each child gets the best possible care.
We encourage you to ask questions and request the support you need; let us know of your family's beliefs, traditions, and ways of coping; and tell us about your child and make suggestions to us about their care.
Our Social Workers are able to link families with community resources for a number of supportive services.
Please contact the Social Work department for any of the following needs: counseling; crisis intervention or long term support; assistance to medical staff to help families understand and cooperate with medical treatment; evaluation, referral and treatment of patients who are victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect; referrals to appropriate resources and preparing families for taking their child home. Interpreters are also available when needed, at no charge to parents.
Social Work Department: 501-364-1406The ACH Social Work department is available to meet the needs of patients and their families at any time. Social Workers are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The department also provides Social Work staff for emergencies or crisis situations in the evenings and weekends.
Any hospital personnel, patient, or family member can initiate a Social Work referral or request assistance. The primary avenue for contacting the department is through the main number: 501-364-1406. For evening and weekend referrals, hospital personnel can contact a Social Worker through the hospital operator or consult the call schedule. Physicians may also write orders requesting a Social Work consult. Patients and families can also request a Social Worker by calling our office or asking their nurse, physician or unit staff to make that contact.
Family members or other concerned friends or caregivers may also contact the Social Work department to request services for the patient. Please remember that confidentiality is very important to our patients, and information about patients can only be shared with immediate family members unless otherwise noted.
Arkansas Children’s offers access to Behavioral Health Resource Coordinators to connect patients to the appropriate specialists. Behavioral Health Resource Coordinators (BHRCs) are Licensed Certified Social Workers focused on improving access to pediatric behavioral health-related resources. BHRCs are available between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.
For more information:
Phone: 501-364-4411
Email: resourcecoordinator@archildrens.org
Disclaimer: BHRC interventions do not replace the primary care physician’s recommendations. If you have any specific questions about medical matters, please consult your physician or other health care provider. BHRC contact is not a crisis line. Patients at risk for harming themselves or others should contact 911 or an acute psychiatric facility for guidance.
First, Take Care of Yourself
As a significant person in our patient's life, you will likely feel helpless or out of control while other members of the ACH Care Team are busy with your loved one. Hopefully, this information will help you find ways to deal with having someone dear to you in a hospital. It is difficult when you are not the one actually taking care of your child, but there is something important you can do: first, you can take care of yourself.
You are just as important to the healing process as the doctors, nurses, medicines, and other health care professionals. We know that love and encouragement has a strong effect on healing. Because of this, your well being is important to your loved one and to us. Following these tips may help you while your loved one is at ACH:
- Eat regularly and try to sleep the number of hours your body needs. This decreases stress and increases your ability to listen and understand information given to you. Try to eat healthy foods and get up and walk around whenever possible. Exercise is very important to maintaining emotional health. Your loved one is closely monitored by a trained team member; you do not have to be available every moment. Remember, you need all the strength you have in order to help your loved one.
- Laundry facilities, showers, and quiet places are located throughout the hospital for your use. The Family Support Assistant in each critical care waiting area can help you find those closest to you.
- Prepare for setbacks - there will be good days and bad days. Focus on the "baby steps" of improvement and look at steps-backwards as hurdles that can be overcome. Try to keep a positive attitude. Like patients, family and friends have both good and bad days.
- Gather support from family and friends. Generally, when people say, "Just let me know what I can do," they mean it. So, prepare a list of needs at home and in the hospital, and let each person take one or two. For example, things you might need help with are childcare for a child at home, someone to stay with your loved one when you need to leave or rest, help with food or gas expense, phone cards, taking in your mail, watering the yard, or taking care of pets. Each family's needs are individual, but all people need help from time to time. Our staff works shifts because this work is tiring; it is for you, too. Give yourself permission to ask for help.
- Identify a "family spokesperson" who can, with your permission, contact all friends and relatives who need to know how the patient is doing. We know that information is one of the most important needs of families of hospitalized patients. We recommend that neither parent, nor primary caretaker, is given this responsibility. This way, you will have more time (and energy) to focus on your loved one and get some rest. You may also ask the family spokesperson to keep a list of people asking about you so that you will know they have made contact.
- Organize your information. In some areas of the hospital you will be given a booklet or notebook with information specific to that area. If not, purchase a notebook or binder and use it to accumulate business cards, write down ACH Care Team members' names, phone numbers, and questions you want to ask the next time you see the doctor. You may also want to list the names and telephone numbers of persons you want to contact that day. Try to summarize information given to you in writing to see if you fully understand. It's okay to ask the same questions over and over. We realize it is hard to remember information when you are stressed, and lots of the information given is technical and has words you do not usually use. It is also healthy to use the notebook as a daily journal to record your thoughts, hopes, and fears. Journaling is known to have a healing effect. It can also help you to stay encouraged by documenting small improvements over time.
- Hospital resources available to help you include Social Workers who can assist you while your loved one is in the hospital by providing emotional support, counseling, or referrals for resources. Chaplains are also available for spiritual support. Do not hesitate to contact them to request various resources.
This information is provided to you by the Social Work Department of Arkansas Children's.
Maria's Glam Session and Photoshoot Behind The Scenes Video
Last year Maria couldn't attend her high school's homecoming due to her battle with breast cancer. Fortunately, her health has improved enough to attend this year's Homecoming festivities. See how the Social Work and Volunteer Engagement teams help Maria make the most out of her day with a glam session during her infusion. Little Rock photographer, Jason Masters, donates a studio session to document the day.
Downloadable Resources
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Resource
Social Work FAQs
Bookmark Social Work FAQsGet answers to frequently asked questions about the Social Work department. -
Resource
Contact List for Families and Patients
Bookmark Contact List for Families and PatientsHelpful contact information for AC families and patients.