Social Services 2.0

Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach hired a licensed clinical social worker for youth and families and offers comprehensive social services through partnerships. Presenters will share ways to find community partners who provide social services and examples of trauma-informed staff training designed to create safe, supportive library environments.

Speakers:

Jennifer McQuown
Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
Jennifer has over 17 years of experience working with children and teenagers in West Palm Beach. She is a passionate advocate of reading and believes in getting books into the hands of every child and teenager. As the youth services manager of the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, Florida, McQuown has worked tirelessly to develop programs and partnerships for children and teens through her library and the community. She is the 2020 recipient of American Library Association’s Scholastic Library Publishing Award. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and a Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from the University of South Florida.

Kathy Hage
Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
Kathy Hage is the Youth Services Supervisor for the Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach where she looks after outreach and partnerships and works to leverage library and community resources to support youth, families and educators. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Oakland University and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University.

Rainer Goldberg, LCSW
Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach
Rainer has worked at the intersection of public and behavioral health for over ten years. She has experience as a case manager and therapist at multiple public and private agencies, as a senior social worker at one of the largest homeless shelters in New England, and as a tireless clinician for a psychiatric mobile crisis team at the onset of COVID-19. Tired, she returned home to Florida. It was not long until her passion led her to Mandel Public Library to become their first social worker, with a will to learn how to serve vulnerable youth and families in this unique role.