This month we celebrate National Social Work Month, a time to honor and celebrate the incredible impact 
of the social work profession on our lives. The work of MPTF’s 20+ strong Social Services team during the pandemic, the recent strikes, and now the wildfires has been breathtaking in its quality and scope. We just checked in with Lorna Kahn, a Social Work Contractor here at MPTF. Lorna worked as an Elder Connection and campus social worker for years in long-term care among numerous other areas, and after retiring to move out of state with her husband, she enthusiastically came back to support the social services department when the need escalated dramatically. As Jennifer Jorge, LCSW, Director, Community Social Services, puts it, “She deeply understands the work and is well respected by colleagues and her clients… She is extremely modest, but she exemplifies the best of social work and department.”
Lorna’s path began in high school when a social worker visited to talk about their career. “I thought, ‘That’s me!’” She moved to the U.S. and worked in various nursing homes and eventually decided to get a Masters degree; after graduation she started working at MPTF. When she started working again in 2023, she says, community social work was a big change: “You can have up to 20-30 new clients in a week. When it comes to financial assistance, they can’t wait – so no matter what, you have to take care of them! The industry now isn’t the same as it used to be. The strike was tough for me because people’s income would drop dramatically. People were taking delivery jobs or ridesharing to make ends meet.” For anyone who wants to get into the field themselves, she says, “We always need new social workers, and I would encourage young people to not limit themselves to one discipline. Continuing education is necessary, and you have to have the personality, the patience, and the understanding to succeed. Social work evolved in me. The more you do, the more you bring to it. Looking back, I wouldn’t have been able to do so much if I hadn’t been exposed early to every aspect of clients, their families, the group work, and the interdisciplinary nature of it all.” If you need help from our social workers, find out more by clicking here or call 323 634 3888.
