Relevance of Medical Social Work in the Healthcare System
Chapter One
Objectives of the study
General Objectives
The General Objectives of this study is to investigate the Importance of social workers in Mental Health Hospital in the case YABALEFT.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the study have focused on the following;
- To assess the use of NASW standards for social work practice in the health care setting in the case of Yaba mental health hospital.
- To explore the main importance of social workers in mental health hospitals in case of YABALEFT,
- To assess the challenges social workers face during working in this mental health hospitals.
- To investigate the participation and cooperation level of family in the hospitals.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
The Importance of Social Work in Mental Health Care System
Social worker can play a great role in understanding the patient social and environmental aspects, this is clear to any physician in hospital. At the early stages of 20th century social worker expected to provide social and psychological treatment for patients. On the other side, the physicians and other medical practitioners think of social workers as a link between the hospital and patients‟ community and social environment (Beder, J. 2006).
Social workers practiced in hospital setting within the framework of person- in-environment aiming to support patients get better and bring change in the community. Besides, the tasks of social workers was to help patients with chronic disease management, mental health issues, alcohol abuse and drug, terminal conditions, physical disabilities, and accessing extended care services (Baksa, 2005). The provision of concrete resources, counseling services and patient advocacy reflect principal categories of activities historically carried out by hospital social workers (Judd and Sheffield, 2010).
Social workers are highly trained professionals working to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of others through direct practice, crisis intervention, research, community organizing, policy change, advocacy, and educational programs. Social workers are dedicated to the pursuit of social justice and strive to help those affected by poverty, disabilities, illnesses, divorce, unemployment, and other personal problems and social disadvantages ( Baksa, A. 2005).
Being a social worker requires extensive knowledge of human behavior and development, as well as social, cultural, and economic institutions and the ways in which they interact. Most social workers will hold at least a bachelor‟s degree in social work or related field, though many (especially clinicians) will hold a master‟s degree and valid license to practice. A good social worker will often possess a high degree of compassion and empathy, a passion for helping others, strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills, and good listening and organizational skills (Davidson, K.1990)
The Importance for Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings in Nigeria
In 2012, Nigerian health facility standard was developed by the Technical Committee for Medical Care Practices and published by the Nigerian Standards Agency (ESA, 2012). The importance were developed to ascertain the provision of safe and quality public health services by providing proper infrastructures and employment of skilled and proficient health professionals to provide efficient services in order to exterminate health care problems. The document identified the tasks of different professionals in Primary hospitals and noted that these professionals shall provide services in accordance with this standard and shall comply with the requirements (Nigerian standards agency, 2012). In this document, the following service importance for social work practice in hospitals are identified; these are first, the primary hospital shall have social work service at least during working hours: second there shall be an organizational chart or alternative documentation clearly delineating the lines of responsibility, authority and communication for the social services and third the social work services shall have written policies and procedures that are reviewed at least once every five years(ESA, 2012).
Regarding to the policies and procedures concerning the social work services; it shall address the following areas: These are a) Counseling, b) Discharge management and planning, c) Social work assessment, d) Consultation and referral to support groups, centers and/or organizations
e) Patient advocacy and, f) Community liaison and education. In addition, the social work services shall have criteria for identifying at the time of admission and promptly assessing highrisk patients in need of psychosocial intervention and/or discharge planning. The social work service shall have a protocol to ensure that social work services are offered to all needy patients. Patient directory for those who received social service shall be available in the hospital and shall be updated. (ESA, 2012)
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This research was designed to assess the Importance of social workers in Yaba Mental Health hospital. The exploratory research design was used. An exploratory study, thus, would be applied when there is little or no knowledge regarding a given situation. It is advisable to conduct an exploratory study before applying descriptive or analytical studies when the problem and factors contributing to are not well defined (Creswell, 2007). As to the knowledge of the researcher there are very few researches conducted on the Importance of social workers who are working in mental health illness hospitals in YABALEFT.
Sources of Data
The data used in this study consists of both primary and secondary data. The primary data were collect through interview (in-depth interview) which was used for those most related to social worker importance. Secondary sources of data are included Journal articles, social work related books, newspapers, research papers, YABALEFT annual reports and other scholarly write up.
Population and Sampling technique
The study participants for this research are social workers, health professionals (nurses and physicians who are working in this hospitals) and individuals in administration position who have direct relation to the issue raised and are currently working in these hospitals. All the social workers will be the main population in the study and asked questions different from other participants. Besides, other than social workers the other participants are physicians, nurses and individuals in administration position who was selected by the recommendations of the social workers. They have worked in relationship with them in the centers and believed to give information regarding social work practice in the hospitals.
In this study non-probability sampling methods was used to collect data, of which purposive sampling techniques was used. Purposive sampling techniques helped the researcher to have appropriate and related key informants‟ to subject matter of this study. The proposed total number of participants in the study was 15; 5 social workers, 10 staff and administrators from the center. The primary rational for selecting these participants is their direct importance with the activities of social work and their willingness and free time to be interviewed.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Participants
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
The study was carried out in two hospital settings and in view of the importance attached to the health of a nation; the researcher deemed it necessary to carry out a study on the Importance of medical social workers in health care delivery. Apparent in this study is that medical social work has been considered relevant in the treatment process of patients and very effective in solving patients’ psychological problems.
Other findings showed that medical social work has not been fully integrated into the medical care of patients and this was confirmed by the 49% of the respondents who attested in favour of this. Thus, the results of this study have shown that presence of social work services in our hospitals cannot reduce the incidents of premature deaths. The implication of this is that patients are yet to perceive more of the positive side of having social work services in Nigeria hospitals. Though in Nigeria, social work is a colonial heritage and medical social work as a branch of social work services is a new field, hence only few hospitals have recognized the importance of its services. In view of the above, the under-listed are offered as recommendations.
Recommendations
To ensure a rational and effective use of resources in the health sector, the concept of integrated health services needs to be emphasized. The integration of medical social work is highly recommended as the health care delivery system. Integration, however requires the co-operation of four distinct groups, namely, the western trained practitioners, government agencies, policy making bodies and the consumers or the recipients of health services.
The hospital management in Nigeria should as a matter of fact, identify, recognize, support morally and if possible financially the medical social workers and encourage them to keep records of the patients treated and methods of their treatments.
The medical doctors should not try to subjugate and alienate the social workers thereby making them to play a subordinate and non-recognizable role. They should see themselves as partners in progress with each of them recognizing his limitations.
In this sense, both are expected to play a complimentary role of providing health care to the patients and referring patients to each other. This type of relationship gives room for peace and harmony since the medical social worker also desire power within the context of the relationship.
For YABALEFT—In order to facilitate its work properly, the center should have to give attention to the staff of social worker and encourage them to conduct assessment and research on the patient rehabilitation status, and provided with the necessary office furniture.
The professionals of the center should have to take various training which facilitate collaboration and team work spirit in the center and to clearly understand the importance of social worker in the health center.
For FMoH—Medical social work is the most important discipline to implement in the health services, so system must be created starting from minister of health to the lower health center level, additionally the regional health Bureau most involve to implement and strengthen this discipline within each hospital by developing the proper job description for the assigned social workers.
The school of social work with the graduates should have to play a great role in implementing and promoting social work in health care settings. Besides, focus must be given on the training part and to place the competent social work professionals within each health facilities
Improving patient facilities in the rehab center, the mental ill patients who are living in the center need appropriate services to be cured from their disordered, in this regard social worker played great importance in ways of rehabilitation of mental health illness, and then the center should do more on this regard.
REFERENCES
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- Atalay Alem.(1997). Mentality health in rural Nigeria: Studies on mental distress, suicidal behavior, and use of chat and alcohol. Umea university medical dissertation. From the department of clinical science. Division of psychiatry, Sweden.
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). (2014). Queensland Branch Position Paper on the Role of Social Workers in Health Care. Canberra: AASW
- Australian Association of Social Workers. (2013). Practice standard. Canberra: AASW.
- Baksa, A. (2005). Importance of Social Workers in a Hospital Setting. University of California, Berkley.
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