Medical and Psychiatric Social Work

Dr.Lokesha M.U

Introduction
Medical

social
workers
typically
work
on
an
interdisciplinary team with
professionals
of
other
disciplines (such as medicine,
nursing,
physical,
occupational,
speech
and
recreational therapy, etc.)

Introduction
Medical

social work is a subdiscipline of social work, also

known as Hospital social work
and Healthcare Social Work.
Medical
social
workers
typically work in a hospital,
outpatient clinic, community
health agency, skilled nursing
facility, long-term care facility

Meaning

It

is the application
and adoption of the
method
and
philosophy of social
work in the field of
health and medical

 The

important
areas
of
medical social workers are in
hospitals, drug rehabilitation
centres, community health
agencies,
nursing
homes,
mental health facilities and
clinics. Most importantly a
medical social worker works
to assure that the best

Role of Medical Social Worker

COUNSELING
CARE

PLANNING
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
ASSESSMENT
ADVOCACY
LEGAL ASSISTANCE

COUNSELING
Counsel

the

patients

and

their

families .
Explain the nature of an illness to them
The MSWs advise patient and family to
effectively deal with symptoms and
treatment.
The MSW serves as a grief counselor to
help them deal with the trauma of
experiencing a chronic or an acute
illness.

CARE PLANNING
Families

and patients often dont know

where to turn to get medical care.
A MSW assists patients and families in
finding and arranging services such as
in home care, nursing home care and
counseling
The MSWs work with the medical team
and discuss about care planning.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
As the expense for an acute and chronic
illness is very high, families may not be
able to financially provide for the care of
an ill family member
If
the ill person is a parent , financial
support for the care of dependents must
also be dealt with.
MSWs refer and assist the patients in
obtaining financial assistance , food
assistance and health care coverage
through various programmes of Govt, NGO
and under CSR of Companies.

ASSESSMENT

The MSWs assess a patient whether he is

severely mentally ill ,is a drug addict or is a
victim of abuse with the requirement of
doctors.
The experienced opinion of a MSW is highly
regarded by hospital staff.
The MSW evaluates the patient and reports
back to the hospital staff.
Together hospital staff and MSW collaborate to
find the best approach to help mentally ill,
mentally in competent, drug addicted or abused
patients.

ADVOCACY

A MSW acts as a advocate for patient

The MSW acts as an lioson between patients
and the medical community
They are the voice for people who have
communication barriers or cultural differences
that
make
effective
communication
challenging .
Without the MSWs this type of patients often
fall between the cracks-their health and
emotional needs unknown

LEGAL ASSISTANCE
MSWs

must take legal action to protect the

patient.
MSWs should take legal actions in the following
situations,
1.Parents are unable to take care for their sick
child
2.Accident cases
4.Abuse cases
3. Encounter cases .
In these cases a conservator, a power of
attorney or a public guardian may need to be
appointed.

Applicability of Social Work in Medical

Setting

Direct methods of assistance

Social

case work- Assistance is

provided to the individual patient
with the aim of developing his
inherent capacity
Social group work:
Medical
social
worker
tries
at
strengthening the social relations
of the patient and works towards
the development of a healthy
social environment

Indirect assistance
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

Community organization = organization of community

resources with regard to health problem by MSW
Social administration= MSW guides the public opinion for
enactment of new social legislations or any amendment
in prevailing legislations
Social security& insurance= enabling the patient to
utilize the facilities under social security and insurance
by MSW
Social action= MSW participates in the movements of
social action at the national (national health programme
involvement) and international levels( world health days)
Social work research= MSW inspires surveys and
investigations regarding the social ,economic and
psychological problems of the patient

Medical social work in India

Less

importance was given to this

important branch of health promotion
Tata institute of Social Sciences is only
pioneering and struggling in this field
Less awareness and practice of this very
useful extension of health care delivery
in India

most
of
the
national
health
programmes are running at a snail pace
due to non- use of this field of medicine.

Contd.,
Medical

social work is limited to

few areas of health care in India
-- Department of Sexually
transmitted diseases
Department of pediatrics
Department of community
medicine
Department of obstetrics

Conclusion
Medical

social work is a very powerful

and essential branch of medicine for
realizing
a
comprehensive
and
qualitative health care.
As long as it is considered as
an
offshoot of social work, it draws little
attention by the medical personnel and
health planners. This is the problem in
India.
Time has come to consider it as a part
and parcel of medical and health care.

Psychiatric Social Work

Interventions

1. Question??????????
What is Psychiatric Social Work?
Who is Psychiatric Social Worker?
What are the Required of Knowledge &
Skills for Psychiatric Social Work?
Employment opportunity for
Psychiatric Social Work?

Psychiatric Social Work

Psychiatry + Social Work

1.

Definition

M. Ashdown & S. Clement Brown

(1953): PSW as a social work
undertaken by direct and responsible
relationship with Psychiatry.

Lois

French (1940): Continued

contribution
of
social
work
knowledge
in
the
field
of
psychiatry is known as PSW

Who is the Psychiatric Social Worker ?

MSW

Graduate with specialization

of Psychiatric Social Work
A Mental Health Professional
A Qualified & Trained Person
An Important Member of the
Psychiatric Team
Appointed in Psychiatric Hospital,
Ward, Clinical settings

Required Knowledge &Skills

Knowledge

Social Work Knowledge

Skills
Knowledge of Mental &
Behaviour
Disorder,
&
Interviewing
Different Disability
Skill
Psycho-Pathology
Counseling
History Taking Process
Skills
Mental Status Examination
Dynamics
of
Human
Behavior
Assessment
Tests/
Inventories / Batteries

ROLE OF
Psychiatric Social
Worker

Clinical
&
Non
Clinical
Role

Clinical Role
Intake
History Taking Process
Mental Status Examination (MSE)
Diagnosis / Assessment of Patient
Treatment / Intervention Plan
Rehabilitation of Patient
Conducting Therapies
Family Therapy, Group Therapy,
Follow- Up : after care

Non Clinical Work

Promotion of Mental
Health
Mental Health / ID
Awareness Camp
Case Detection &
Identification
Community Outreach
Program

Liaisoning &
Employment

Research Work

Intervention- Area
Family
Community
Schools
Industries
Correctional
Settings
De-addiction
Centers
Hospital
Prisoners Jail

Interventions
Clinical

Intervention - Workup,
Psychosocial Assessment, Case Work,

Counselling

Family,

Individual,

Group,
Therapeutic Treatment Facilitation about Treatment,
Referral Services, Welfare Services.
Protection of Patients Rights

Article Employment News paper

Scope of Psychiatric Social Work

Psychiatric Research based Institution

General Hospital Settings
Community Mental Health Programme
National Rural Health Mission (NRHM-NHM)
Fellowship Facilities for the Research & for Higher
Studies
Drug De-Addiction Center
School Social Work
Trauma Centre- with PTSD cases Disasters,
Rape, Suicide, etc.

SOCIAL WORK IN A PSYCHIATRIC SETTING

Conducting assessment
Providing diagnosis and treatment plans
Provide psychotherapy and preparing reports, case
summaries and other forms required to maintain a case
within a clinic
Direct and indirect mental health services in/out
patient clinics, home settings and community agencies
Helps in re-integration of former patients in society
Provides assistance to patients and relatives in locating
and taking advantage of available treatment, casework
and community service.
Interprets the social aspects of mental illness to the
relatives of the patient.

Difference between Medical and

Psychiatric Social Work

Medical
Social
Work
involved in rehabilitating
critically ill patients or
those
who
face
permanent disability.
They are trained to help
people to come in terms
with their disabilities
Trained in counselling
Prividing
practical
assistance
to
such
patients
and
their
families.

Psychiatric Social Workers

work in child guidance
clinics or psychiatric unit of
hospitals.
They work with children and
adolescents, adults and aged
having behavioral problems,
phobias,
withdrawal
symptoms etc.
In hospitals they work with
various kinds of patients like
those suffering with chronic
depression or drug addiction
and help the Psychiatrist in
finding out the root cause of
the problem and thereafter
continue
to
work
as
facilitators in the treatment
process.

Reference:

Psychiatric Social Work An Emerging Mental

Health Profession an article published in
Employment News Paper 22-28 December
2012.
S. Swift (1936), Training in Psychiatric Social Work,
London, Oxford University Press.
Verma R. (2009), Psychiatric Social Work in India,
New Delhi, Sage Publications.
Shekhar et al., (2008), A Hand Book of Psychiatric
Social Work, Bangalore, NIMHANS Publications.

Thank You