Social Work in Health CareSocial Work in Health CarePart 1Part 1

DiscussionDiscussion

What is the main function of What is the main function of healthcare social work?healthcare social work?

Functions of Healthcare Functions of Healthcare Social WorkSocial Work

Social work in health care helps people Social work in health care helps people who are dealing with a medical problem who are dealing with a medical problem to function within their situation.to function within their situation.

Health care social workers work with Health care social workers work with clients who need health care and with clients who need health care and with their families.their families.

PurposesPurposes

The purposes of their services are:The purposes of their services are:to provide services necessary to to provide services necessary to

make life easier for clients for the make life easier for clients for the duration of their illness.duration of their illness.

to help clients deal with the to help clients deal with the consequences directly related to that consequences directly related to that illness.illness.

DiscussionDiscussion

What does “Illness” mean?What does “Illness” mean?

The Meaning of Illness The Meaning of Illness Illness encompasses medical, social, Illness encompasses medical, social,

economic and even spiritual components.economic and even spiritual components.Broadly speaking, illness – impaired role Broadly speaking, illness – impaired role

function – may result from factors not function – may result from factors not wholly organic, but social, psychological, wholly organic, but social, psychological, cultural, and economic.cultural, and economic.

Illness can result in:Illness can result in:Forced dependencyForced dependencyDisorganization of familyDisorganization of familyLoss of self-respectLoss of self-respectFeelings of helplessnessFeelings of helplessness

Meaning of Illness Meaning of Illness

People have to live with chronic People have to live with chronic disease, adjust to pain, change habits- disease, adjust to pain, change habits- diet, quit smoking, exercise, and diet, quit smoking, exercise, and change employment.change employment.

The increase in chronic disease The increase in chronic disease among Americans has literally among Americans has literally changed the meaning of illness for a changed the meaning of illness for a great many people.great many people.

Meaning of Illness Meaning of Illness

With chronic conditions – With chronic conditions – arthritis, heart disease, AIDS, arthritis, heart disease, AIDS, some cancers – the patient must be some cancers – the patient must be a partner in the care of the disease, a partner in the care of the disease, in its prevention and in its prevention and deterioration.deterioration.

DiscussionDiscussion

Why are social services needed in Why are social services needed in hospitals?hospitals?

Social services are needed in a hospital Social services are needed in a hospital because:because:All of the patient’s needs are important.All of the patient’s needs are important.Patients require financial help.Patients require financial help.Social service workers create important Social service workers create important

links to the community.links to the community.

In the U.SIn the U.S

There are social work services in 75% There are social work services in 75% of the hospitalsof the hospitals

Medicine and social work joined Medicine and social work joined hands for the first time at hands for the first time at Massachusetts General Hospital in Massachusetts General Hospital in 1905.1905.

DiscussionDiscussion

Who do health care social Who do health care social workers serve?workers serve?

Clients of healthcare social Clients of healthcare social workersworkers

Health care social workers serve clients Health care social workers serve clients who are:who are: going through a short-term medical going through a short-term medical

crisiscrisis suffering from chronic illnessessuffering from chronic illnesses facing a life-threatening diseasefacing a life-threatening disease in need of long-term care or in need of long-term care or

rehabilitation.rehabilitation.

DiscussionDiscussion

What are the roles of a social What are the roles of a social worker in health care?worker in health care?

The main roles of a healthcare The main roles of a healthcare social workersocial worker

Assisting clients and their families Assisting clients and their families in coping with their health care in coping with their health care situation situation

Helping them assess these Helping them assess these problems, identify their immediate problems, identify their immediate and long term needs, and find and long term needs, and find resources to supply the needs.resources to supply the needs.

The main roles of a The main roles of a healthcare social workerhealthcare social worker

The social workers can be most valuable at The social workers can be most valuable at the time the patient has been admitted or the time the patient has been admitted or discharged from a hospital or during discharged from a hospital or during follow-up care once leaving the hospital.follow-up care once leaving the hospital.

One purpose of social work is to support One purpose of social work is to support and strengthen family life.and strengthen family life.

The main roles of a The main roles of a healthcare social workerhealthcare social worker

The social worker makes use of existing The social worker makes use of existing services through referrals or assists in services through referrals or assists in mobilizing the untapped potential of the mobilizing the untapped potential of the community to prevent illness or to community to prevent illness or to restore the sick and disabled to health restore the sick and disabled to health and usefulness.and usefulness.

DiscussionDiscussion

What are some responsibilities What are some responsibilities of healthcare social workers?of healthcare social workers?

ResponsibilitiesResponsibilitiesThe services provided by the social worker The services provided by the social worker

depend on the needs of the client depend on the needs of the client

They may:They may: advocate to secure the client's rightsadvocate to secure the client's rights directly counsel the client and the client's directly counsel the client and the client's

familyfamily refer the client to other social agencies, refer the client to other social agencies,

community resources, or facilities that can community resources, or facilities that can meet the client's immediate and long-term meet the client's immediate and long-term needs. needs.

ResponsibilitiesResponsibilitiesIf the social worker is working in a hospital, If the social worker is working in a hospital,

their duties may also include:their duties may also include: setting up home health care services after setting up home health care services after

the client's dischargethe client's discharge arranging for meals to be delivered to the arranging for meals to be delivered to the

client's homeclient's home setting appointments for follow-up care. setting appointments for follow-up care. making arrangements for transportation to making arrangements for transportation to

doctor's appointments and community social doctor's appointments and community social service agencies, and for long-term care service agencies, and for long-term care within another facility within another facility

DiscussionDiscussion

Besides hospitals, where else Besides hospitals, where else can healthcare social workers can healthcare social workers work?work?

Work settingsWork settings

HospitalHospital

HospiceHospice

Assisted living centerAssisted living center

Nursing homeNursing home

Physical rehabilitation centerPhysical rehabilitation center

Work settingsWork settings

ClinicClinic

Home health care agency Home health care agency

Drug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation

Mental health center Mental health center

Health care facility or clients’ Health care facility or clients’ home when making home visitshome when making home visits

Levels of PreventionsLevels of Preventions

Social work is involved at various levels of Social work is involved at various levels of prevention:prevention:Primary – health education, encouraging Primary – health education, encouraging

immunizations, good mental health practice immunizations, good mental health practice in families, prenatal and postnatal care.in families, prenatal and postnatal care.

Secondary – early screening programs for Secondary – early screening programs for detection of disease, checkups, encouraging detection of disease, checkups, encouraging treatment.treatment.

Tertiary or rehabilitation – preventing Tertiary or rehabilitation – preventing further deterioration of a disease or problem.further deterioration of a disease or problem.

DiscussionDiscussion

What education and training What education and training is required to become a social is required to become a social worker in health care?worker in health care?

Education and trainingEducation and trainingHaving bachelor's or master’s degree in Having bachelor's or master’s degree in

social work specializing in health caresocial work specializing in health care

Completing courses in social work practice, Completing courses in social work practice, social work policies, human behavior and social work policies, human behavior and social environment, research methods, social environment, research methods, social work values and ethics, study of social work values and ethics, study of populations at risk, and the promotion of populations at risk, and the promotion of social justicesocial justice

Completing 400 hours of supervised field Completing 400 hours of supervised field work or internshipwork or internship