Family Practice Social Work

Many physical problems presented to family physicians by their paticnts often involve psychosocial variables with stress being a major one. Though family rncdicine advocates a biopsychosocial focus, one that is compatible with social work, the psychosocial aspects of health are often ignored. Thc involvement of social workers in the private practices of family physicians to deal with such problems is discussed in this paper as a new area of specialization. Issues such as the medicine-social work gap and the financing of social work services in private family medical practice are also addressed. It is concluded that this should be considered a new area of specialization. However, social workers must take thc initiative in its development.     

Social Work Practice with the Elderly:

This article discuesses a community-based elder care program which helps the frail elderly to live in their own homes. Over time, the program continues to be modified throughout internal and external fluctuations in funding, trends in health care and politics. In this setting, students are placed in charge of specific projects, expected to work in partnership with agency staff and guided through the politics affecting their projects.     

Social Work Practice in Health Care:

Social work practice in health care must change to better meet the needs of individuals and their families as the system of care changes from acute care focus to a community based focus and as individuals seek more active participation in their own care decisions. Practitioners and educators must renew their partnership to create a practice based on the needs of individuals to move most effectively through a more complex system of care and back home again. A paradigmatic shift can redefine social work in health care fur the future. Renewed leadership with vision is required.     

Social Work Practice and Community Health

This paper describes the functions and roles performed by the author as a social worker in the Department of Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York. The material is presented within the context of current controversies in the health care field and the department's assumption of responsibility to help improve the health care delivery system. Examples are provided to illustrate ways in which social work practice can enhance the ability of an agency of institution to use its own resources to educate and encourage a community and attendant health delivery systems therein to identify needs and to work in partnership in order to solve some of the problems. Discussion of the philosophical and knowledge base from which specific principles and techniques emerge highlights the applicability of tis material to urban, nonurban, and rural areas.     

Enhancing Social Work Practice in Health Care:

Using key concepts of ego psychology for understanding behaviors under stress, the authors describe possible defensive reactions of acute care hospital social workers to the growing demands of the regulatory environment. These defensive reactions present a risk of becoming fixed work styles that impede professional learning and development. Supervisors and administrators are in key positions to offer timely help. Supervisors can provide the teaching and support that promote self-awareness and positive adaptation. Creative administrative strategies can provide work environments that offer technical and group supports, as well as a variety of educative programs for all levels of staff.     

Rebalanced and Refocused Social Work Practice?

The 1970s heralded the beginnings of a major shift in focus within child care social work in the United Kingdom, and the preventive, family support approach that had characterised practice since the 1940s was gradually, but decisively, replaced by a central concern with child abuse. This paper outlines the rise and dominance of child protection work in the United Kingdom before moving on to consider the legislative attempt, via the Children Act 1989 in England and Wales and the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, to address this situation. The “refocusing debate” of the 1990s is then discussed and consideration given to local research that has called the central premise underpinning this debate into question. The paper concludes by suggesting that social workers in Northern Ireland are still struggling to shift away from a preoccupation with the identification and management of risk and poses some questions regarding the future of social work with children and families.     

Hospital Social Work Practice in Zimbabwe

This article examines hospital work practice in Zimbabwe based on a literature review. It argues that the country is emerging from a ten year economic and political crisis which has affected the lives of the majority of the population. The health and education sectors have been the hardest hit since teachers, doctors, nurses as well as social workers have left the country in large numbers. The article highlights the various roles played by social workers in hospitals in Zimbabwe and the challenges they face in their day to day work. Solutions to these challenges are also suggested.     

Attitudes Toward Euthanasia: Implications for Social Work Practice

This article reports the findings of a randomized general household survey that examined the attitudes of 618 Chinese respondents toward different types of euthanasia. The general public is found to agree with active euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia, but is neutral about passive euthanasia. Support for euthanasia is predicted by decreasing importance of religious belief, higher family income, experiences in taking care of terminally ill family members, being non-Protestants, and increasing age. Patients were percieved as the chief decision makers in euthanasian decisions. Finally, suggestions on social work practice and professional training are made.     

Aging with Hemophilia: Implications for Social Work Practice

Individuals with hemophilia and other congenital bleeding disorders are surviving beyond any life expectancy previously predicted and now face conditions associated with “normal” aging. Hemophilia along with co-morbid conditions of HIV and Hepatitis C complicate treatment for heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, and other age-related diseases. Lack of understanding of the condition, its treatment, and its costs hampers care, particularly when patients are treated outside of specialty clinics. This article provides an overview of bleeding disorders with a special focus on aging considerations. The role of social work in specialized hemophilia treatment centers is described and suggestions made to other social workers who may encounter this population in their practice. Finally, the need for policy and advocacy strategies is also addressed.     

Retooling Social Work Practice for High Volume,Short Stay

SUMMARY

The re-engineered acute care environment that emphasizes managed care, reduced costs per case and shorter lengths of stay also demands innovative approaches to the delivery of social work service. As departments disappear and other professions compete for roles in counselling, discharge planning and community liaison, there is a real threat to the viability of the acute hospital as a setting for social work.

This paper focuses on the adaptive skills needed for the restructured acute care context, including (1) the creation of key roles for social work on the multidisciplinary team, (2) pre-admission high-risk screening and discharge planning, (3) high volume recording, (4) solution-focused brief interventions, and (5) the development of community partnerships. These conceptual strategies are implemented differently in examples drawn from three distinct high-volume patient groups: reconstructive orthopaedics, high-risk fetal assessment and thoracic oncology.     

医院社会工作本土化的探索与实践

随着经济的发展,社会对医院社会工作逐渐重视。我院2011年成立了杏林医务社工部,从项目推进、个案工作、小组工作、社区工作几方面开展医务社会工作,探索符合患者需求的医务社工工作模式,为患者提供满意服务。     

Social Work Ethics in the Practice Arena

This paper is a report of an exploraty qualitative study that examined the role that social work ethics plays in informing social work behavior, as compared to other influences of an extra-ethical nature. The paper begins with a review of the literature exploring how ethical principles are utilized in professional practice. A discussion of the methodology focuses upon the choice of a qualitative design. Excerpts from participants' responses to a fictional case history are presented and discussed. The reader is offered an understanding of the area of study through access to the "natural flow" of thoughts presented in the excerpts. This research demonstrates how ethical principles, as codified in the N.A.S.W. Code of Ethics, can be effective in informing practice decisions.     

Identifying Potential Family Practice Social Work Opportunities

The results of a survey of private primary care family physicians relative to their interest in having social workers associated with their practices are reported. There are several family physician and practice setting variables associated with a positive response to the question of whether family physicians have or would like to have a social worker associated with their practice. These findings should be beneficial to social workers interested in becoming established in family practice. Implications of these factors are discussed.     

Utilizing Data to Improve Practice in Hospital Social Work:

Health care social work has made important progress in developing methods for assuring and improving the quality of services provided, using tools such as computerized information systems. This paper presents a case study demonstrating utilization of preliminary data generated by such a system, focusing on problem identification and professional interventions. Successive stages in the process of data application are described: definition of quality assurance issues; validation of data; hypothesis formation; in-depth analysis through case examples; and formation of change strategies. Results of the application and its implications for practice are discussed.