Social work and liaison psychiatry.

The Liaison Team of the Department of Psychiatry at Cook County Hospital uses a generic, multidisciplinary, crisis intervention approach to mental health consultation to facilitate humane and comprehensive yet cost-effective care for the medically indigent. Social work functions on the team include diagnosis, short-term individual and group treatment, referral, follow-up, staff development, in-service training, program planning, and interdisciplinary clinical instruction.