Our Story
Built on friendship, connection, and a shared commitment to social work.
WeSocialWork began with two social workers, Laurel Iverson Hitchcock and Melanie Sage, who shared a fascination with technology and its potential to both help and harm the work we do.
What started as a professional collaboration grew into a close friendship, shaped by honest conversations, shared struggles, and the kind of creative problem-solving that happens when you find someone who truly understands.
Over time, we found ourselves drawn to online communities where social workers could show up as themselves, ask real questions, share experiences, and figure things out together. Those spaces became some of the most sustaining parts of our professional lives, and we came to value them deeply.
We started WeSocialWork because we wanted more social workers to experience what we had found: connection, support, opportunities to learn from one another, and the freedom to grow without burning out.
We believed social workers deserved spaces that made the work feel more sustainable and alive.
At the end of the day, the best work happens when we're not doing it alone.
The People Behind WeSocialWork
Laurel Iverson Hitchcock, LCSW, PhD
Co-Founder, WeSocialWork
I've been a social worker since 1998, and my career has been anything but linear. I've worked in community mental health and healthcare, taught in classrooms and online, directed programs, launched new ventures, and spent years exploring how technology can support, rather than undermine, social work practice.
Along the way, I've taken risks, made mistakes, and learned that the most meaningful paths are rarely the straightest ones.
Today, I'm a professor, licensed clinical social worker, and accredited coach. I spend my time teaching, researching, writing, and collaborating with social workers and educators navigating burnout, career transitions, ethical dilemmas, and the constant pressure to do more with limited resources.
I'm drawn to questions without easy answers:
- How do we stay grounded when the work feels overwhelming?
- How do we use technology ethically and effectively?
- How do we build careers that feel meaningful without sacrificing our well-being?
My work through research, coaching, writing, and community building creates space for people to discover their own answers.
I believe creativity is a form of problem-solving, clarity is an act of care, compassion matters for ourselves and each other, and connection is the foundation of sustainable change. I'm committed to transparency, sharing what I've learned (including what hasn't worked), and helping people align their work with their values.
Melanie and I started WeSocialWork to give back by sharing tools, strategies, and honest conversations with people doing hard, necessary work. This is where I get to practice what I value: growing without burning out, leading with integrity, and building something that matters.
When I'm not working, you'll usually find me hiking, reading too many books at once, or exploring my next creative project.
I also write at www.laureliversonhitchcock.org and would love to connect there.
Remembering Melanie Sage, LCSW, PhD
Co-Founder, WeSocialWork
Melanie brought curiosity, creativity, and a deep commitment to making social work more humane and sustainable to everything she did.
Her professional journey reflected a willingness to question established systems and explore new possibilities. She worked in child welfare, psychiatric hospitals, the Veterans Administration's Housing First program, and the technology industry, including as a user experience researcher on Meta's Equity team, focused on fairness in technology.
Melanie also spent 12 years as a tenure-track professor and researcher, helping social work students connect evidence, ethics, and empathy in practice. She published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, presented at more than 100 conference sessions, and delivered keynote presentations.
Her interests extended across motivational interviewing, organizational culture, implementation science, technology, and opportunities for social workers to pursue entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative career paths.
Melanie often returned to questions that reflected her values:
- How do we build workplaces that don't drain people?
- How do we implement meaningful change that lasts?
- How do we honor complexity without making the work harder than it needs to be?
She believed in experimentation, honest reflection, and sharing lessons learned, including what hadn't worked.
For Melanie, WeSocialWork was an opportunity to put those values into practice. Together, we envisioned a community where social workers could connect, share ideas, challenge assumptions, and explore new possibilities for their professional lives.
Melanie passed away on May 15, 2026. Her friendship, creativity, and contributions to social work remain central to the story of WeSocialWork.
Remembering Dr. Melanie Sage →
Continuing Our Story
WeSocialWork continues to grow from the ideas and values that brought us together.
Through publications, practical resources, and professional learning opportunities, we remain committed to helping social workers connect, share knowledge, and explore meaningful ways to grow throughout their careers.
Melanie's influence remains part of that work. Her curiosity, willingness to challenge conventional thinking, and belief in the importance of connection continue to guide WeSocialWork as it evolves.
Share. Learn. Grow.
These words reflect both where we began and what we hope to continue building.