Roles of Medical Social Workers

I. Scope of Medical Social Work practice.

  • The scope of practice of Medical social workers entail: “the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of individual, interpersonal and societal problems to assist individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations to achieve optimum psychosocial and social functioning”.
  • The goal of Medical social work practice is to restore, maintain and enhance social functioning by mobilizing strengths, supporting coping capacities, modifying dysfunctional patterns of relating and acting, linking people to necessary resources, alleviating environmental stressors and providing psychosocial education related to wellness and subjective wellbeing.

II. Core Medical Social Work Skills Include

  • The ability to:
  • Assess the bio-psychosocial and ethno-cultural needs of a patient, family and support system.
  • Assess community and other large system factors impacting on patient health and treatment.
  • Provide psychosocial interventions that facilitate patient and family adaptation and well-being.
  • Facilitate family and team communication.
  • Advocate for required services and navigate complex social systems.
  • Provide crisis intervention and mediate conflict.
  • Locate and negotiate potential resources.
  • Educate patients and families on effective ways to mobilize existing resources.
  • Develop and implement appropriate discharge plans

III. Services Medical Social Workers Provide.

  • Medical Social workers in health care commonly provide individual, couple, group and family counselling, crisis intervention, patient/family education, resource referral and advocacy, inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • Because Medical social workers can provide both psychosocial care and other services to the patient and family, duplication of services is reduced. A mutually developed care plan for each patient/family is based on skillful psychosocial assessment. Collaboration with medical and allied health professionals is implicit in developing and implementing treatment plans.