Celebrating Social Worker Awareness Month: Elan Slavin, MSW
Published on March 1, 2024
This March, we’re celebrating our in-house social worker Elan Slavin for Social Worker Awareness Month!
Growing up, Elan knew she wanted to become a social worker because of the positive experiences she had with hospital social workers when her mom was ill. She attended college at SF State, received her Bachelors of Social Work degree from San Francisco State University, and went on to earn her Masters of Social Work from University of Southern California with a concentration in health. It was always her goal to work in a hospital-like setting and serve as a supporter and advocate for patients and their families.
After completing multiple internships in hospitals, she went to work for Golden Gate Regional Center as a case manager. She worked with children 0-3 years in age and fell in love working with young kids. After taking some time to raise her own children, she found Family House, and started volunteering at the house three times a week. After six months, she knew she wanted to play a bigger role here and was hired as Family House’s first full-time social worker.
Since joining Family House seven years ago, Elan says it’s been meaningful and fulfilling.
“Every day, I get to come to work and show up as nothing but myself – and to have families share their stories and put their trust in me is the greatest gift I could ever receive.”
In her day-to-day role, Elan provides a safe space for families in their time of need; she holds private time for families and staff alike, as well as sibling support groups, and “Cookies and Conversations” for anyone who could use a listening ear. She’s there to greet families at breakfast in the lobby and is an important liaison between Family House and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, making sure families are receiving the support they need during their stay.
“Elan is amazing, trustworthy, caring, and just really genuine. She brings a sense of security and ‘safety’ when I talk to her, and my son loved her. She knows all the right thigs to say without being biased, she’s always all ears and she really does whatever she can within her power to help you, no matter what that might be.” – Ashlee King, mom and past resident of Family House
