A social worker who ran summer camps for underprivileged children across the country, Golden's father was a charter member of the National Association of Social Workers, whose New York state chapter honored her.
Golden, who has worked as clinical director at Volunteer Counseling Service of Rockland since 1980, said family and faith led her down this career path.
"As social workers, we believe the environment has a powerful impact on everyone's individual being," Golden said before the event. "In the Jewish faith, there is a mandate to repair the world."
Théa Griffin, interim executive director of the state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said the award recognized the best of social work values and accomplishments as demonstrated by Golden's career.
Aside from her work at VCS, Golden is active with a number of community and social causes.
The 61-year-old New City resident is a board member of the New York Civil Liberties Union and a member of the local advisory board of WBAI, a politically left-leaning radio station. She is also a former Hudson Valley coordinator of Amnesty International.
In June 2002, Golden, as co-chair of the Rockland Immigration Coalition, was instrumental in launching a day laborers drop-in center at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Spring Valley. She worked on the project with the church's pastor, the Rev. Angela Boatright.
"She's an incredible blending of strong humanitarian urge and practicality, which we all need," Boatright said. "She just jumps right in the sandbox with the rest of us."
In 1969, Golden and her husband moved to Rockland. Two years later, Golden started volunteering with VCS while she raised her two young children. When the youngest started school in 1976, Golden joined the staff of VCS and became clinical director in 1980.
Today, Golden oversees a staff of five social workers and 75 volunteer counselors who work with hundreds of clients.
"I feel really fortunate to be able to do something that is continually evolving, never gets boring and feels important to me," she said.
Deborah Cary Murnion, Golden's boss and VCS' executive director, praised Golden for her talent to solve people's problems.
"She has this sort of uncanny ability to make sense out of very, very difficult situations, to help others make sense out of their difficulties and to find meaning in their life," Cary Murnion said.
Golden said her greatest professional challenge was dealing with the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Her staff trained other professionals - librarians and school teachers, among others - about how to help people cope.
"It was so global," Golden said. "We were all shattered. Our whole community was shattered. Wherever you went, everyone was shocked and grieving. There was nobody who was untouched."
Marge Davitt, the coordinator of the Rockland Victims Assistance Center in New City, said that while her group worked with families, counselors from VCS and other community agencies provided services to the rest of the community, helping to stabilize it.
Golden said the award belonged to her father as much as it did to her. It might look good next to his National Association of Social Workers membership diploma, which has hung on Golden's office wall since his death in 1979.
