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VISION
To foster optimal health and well-being, equal human rights and a just society.
MISSION
To provide an effective medical social work services which facilitates optimal social and emotional wellbeing among patient and those affected by their illness amidst the crises arising from illness and financial cost of treatment
Goal
The main aim is Championing for all medical social workers in Kenya drawn from practice setting, education and research institution.

About Us.

Kenya Medical Social Workers Association (KEMSWA) is a registered body serving the Professional interests of Medical Social Workers across the Republic of Kenya since 1989. KEMSWA is registered under the Society’s Act (Registration Number 37002; in the year 1989). The training of Medical Social Workers and deployment of the same across health facilities in Kenya has been and still continues to be done by the Ministry of Health since 1980 with KMTC training Diploma in Medical Social work and JKUAT Bsc. In Medical Social Work.
KEMSWA is a non-profit, non- political, national-level organization dedicated to the promotion of standard and status of Medical social work profession.

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Goal

The main aim is Championing for all medical social workers in Kenya drawn from practice setting, education and research institution.

To act as a national level organization and to represent medical social work professionals and profession at national and international level.

To promote the profession of medical social work across the country with the aim of improving the quality of service in the health sector.

To develop code of conduct for professional medical social workers in the field of education, research, action and practice aimed at enhancing the status of medical social work profession and performance of the professionals.

To improve the quality of medical social work education training and practice in the country and promote such activities as are conductive to medical social work profession and medical social work professionals.

To organize, undertake and facilitate academic and professional interaction through studies, courses, training courses, conferences, seminars, workshops and lectures and research in matters relating to medical social work profession and professionals.

Medical Social work services

Psychosocial Assessment:

Screen for high-risk; determine need/eligibility for services; identify strengths/coping capacities; assess informal network of support.

Counselling/Psychotherapy

Assess role of emotional and social/cultural factors on health status and behaviour and provide appropriate intervention; enhance coping capacities related to feelings of loss, grief and role changes; assess and intervene in issues related to mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and anger management.

Patient/Family Education

Educate patients and families to facilitate understanding of hospital processes; increase understanding of illness/disability on relationships; and facilitate life transitions when health conditions require a modified lifestyle.

Resource Counselling and Discharge Planning

Identify and address barriers to discharge; locate resources; identify options and available supports; facilitate referrals and applications to government/community agencies; advocate for access to resources; coordinate referrals and/or placement plans; assist patient and family to emotionally prepare for transitions; prevent readmissions for non-medical reasons.

Consultation

Provide expertise/serve as a resource to interdisciplinary teams.

Referrals(inward and outward)

Instances of Patient referral to/by a Medical Social Worker

Type of Membership

Ordinary Membership

Open to all graduates of any accredited school social work or people with recognized training in related disciplines, and who must be working in health-related institutions, subject to approval by the Executive Committee.

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Associate Membership:

Open to those working and have worked in the field of medical social work, for a period not less than three years, but are lacking professional training, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

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Student Membership

Open to all students undergoing medical social work training at any accredited school and must have a bias for working in a health institution on completion of course, this membership automatically changes to ordinary membership.

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Honorary Membership

Honorary membership may be bestowed on a person who has shown particular interest in the Association, or has rendered distinguished service to the Association, by a ⅔ majority vote at a general meeting or by the Executive Committee subject to approval by the members at an annual general meeting.

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