Hospice of Santa Barbara is pleased to announce that Michael Cruse, LCSW, program manager of Children and Family Services at Hospice of Santa Barbara, was named Social Worker of the Year by the Santa Barbara Unit of the National Association of Social Workers.
He will receive his award at the 2015 Santa Barbara Unit of the NASW Awards Dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at El Torito Restaurant in Santa Barbara.
NASW is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world. It aims to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, create and maintain professional standards, and advance social policies.
Each year, the Santa Barbara Unit of the NASW presents the Social Worker of the Year Award to a Santa Barbara social worker who demonstrates outstanding leadership and makes a difference in areas such as advocacy for clients, social work practice, program development, administration and research.
“Michael embodies the commitment and mission of Hospice of Santa Barbara, and we celebrate his accomplishment” said David Selberg, CEO of Hospice of Santa Barbara. “He has made a profound difference in the lives of many children and families who are experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness or grieving the death of a loved one.”
Cruse has more than 25 years of experience as a clinician in Santa Barbara and has worked in hospitals, home healthcare, medical and bereavement hospice, as a therapist and as a consultant/educator.
As program manager of Children and Family Services, he promotes and implements individual, group and family counseling for children and their families who are facing life-threatening illness or coping with the illness or death of a loved one.
He has a master’s degree in social work from California State University-Fresno and has been a licensed as a social worker in California since 1986.
— Amy Bernstein is a publicist representing Hospice of Santa Barbara.