SOCIAL WORKER’S BIO PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE. Brandon Gaynor of Rancho Cucamonga
SOCIAL WORKER ROLES AND HEALTHCARE SETTINGS
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Outline the tasks of health social workers related to the delivery and design of healthcare.
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Discuss professional issues and challenges related to teamwork and recommendations for e ective collaboration.
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De ne the role of the social worker on the health-care team.
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Describe a biopsychosocial approach to health care and the professionals who deliver it.
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Chapter Objectives:
SOCIAL WORKER’S BIO PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE. Biopsychosocial Model:
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Considers the nonmedical determinants of disease in collaboration with biological components.
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E.g. the biopsychosocial model of health takes into account patient’s ability to purchase recommended medicine for diabetes when creating a treatment plan for patients rather than focusing only on laboratory results and physical status.
Expands on the traditional medical model of health care by focusing primarily on the biological causes of disease.
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Addresses the biological, social, environment, psychological and behavioral aspects of illness.
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SOCIAL WORKER’S BIO PSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE. Biopsychosocial Model:
For the purposes of this chapter, the term biopsychosocial is used to indicate an approach to health service delivery that addresses the psychological and social aspects of health and treatment that includes behavioral and environmental factors.
LIMITS OF THE MEDICAL APPROACH: PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO HEALTH
Health Social Workers directly address the social , behavioral and emotional concerns of the individuals and their social support network as well as develop and administer policies and programs and conduct research that are attuned to the psychosocial needs of individuals.
LIMITS OF THE MEDICAL APPROACH: PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO HEALTH
Social Illness and Problems:
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Illnesses and problems are psychosocial rather than biological in nature.
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Substance abuse
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Cutting
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Bulimia and suicide attempt.
Violence including sexual assault and family violence.
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Child or elder abuse
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Examples:
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LIMITS OF THE MEDICAL APPROACH: PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO HEALTH
The current health-care environment in the United States emphasizes cost containment through: •
Shorter hospital stays.
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Briefer medical interventions.
The provision of fewer comprehensive services with fewer personnel.
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LIMITS OF THE MEDICAL APPROACH: PSYCHOSOCIAL ISSUES RELATED TO HEALTH
Bateman and Whitaker( 2002) assert that social workers are needed in medical settings to address increased home care needs and in primary care settings addressing medical issues on a preventive level to decrease morbidity and the need for hospitalization
Direct health services are provided in various settings such as: •Public
and private hospitals
•Outpatient
clinics
•Neighborhood •Ambulatory •Physician’s
health centers
surgery centers
O ces
•Mobile
care units
•Skilled
nursing facilities
•Military
settings
•Correctional
facilities
•Schools
maintenance organizations
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•Health
HEALTH SETTINGS AND THE SOCIAL WORKER’S PLACE WITHIN THEM
Social workers are essential to the delivery and design of optimal health care. •They
work on health teams comprised of direct patient-care professionals and as administrators overseeing program planning and implementation.
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Promoting e ective and human service systems.
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Developing and improving social policy.
Linking individuals with resources, services, and opportunities;
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helping clients problem solve and cope with life stressors.
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goals of the profession of social work.
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include:
•Tasks
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THE SOCIAL WORKER’S ROLE ON HEALTH TEAMS
HANDS-ON PRACTICE: SOCIAL WORKERS AS PART OF HEALTH-CARE.
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Supervision or administration
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Activities of health social work include:
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Assessment
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Design, implementation of intervention.
Advocacy
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Coordination
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Collaborations
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Interventions
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Health social work tasks:
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HEALTH SOCIAL WORK ASSESSMENT
Social workers help health-care teams assess psychological and social issues such as domestic violence, and socioeconomic barriers to the attainment of quality health care, among other issues.
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Social Workers evaluate the strengths and needs of individuals and members of their social support network as part of a social work assessment to identify assets and potential barriers to care.
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HEALTH SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION
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Explaining the disease
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Treatment
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Facilitating communication
Social workers are the health professional who process the “knowledge necessary to assess social services needs and to secure and coordinate community-based services (Berkman, 1996, p.545).
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Social Workers provide assistance and develop and implement interventions to address identi ed needs. This process includes:
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HEALTH SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION
Health social work dual focus: Enhancing the social functioning of individuals.
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Enhancing social institutions responses to human needs.
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Health social workers can help patients gain needed resources by providing case management services that refer and link patients and their families to services and other resources.
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HEALTH SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION ADMINISTRATION
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Social workers in health care as mediators between the health-care system and consumers and involve advocating at the systems level for improvements in the delivery of care.
Social workers ensure that the social context of health is addressed in patient care and program planning.
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SOCIAL WORK AS A PART OF THE DESIGN OF HEALTHCARE
The dual focus of social work are:
➢Enhancing
the social functioning of individuals.
of social institution to human needs.
➢Responds
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SOCIAL WORK AS A PART OF THE DESIGN OF HEALTHCARE ➢
Health social workers design and implement community health programs and initiatives.
➢Social
workers also may provide education to individuals, groups and communities on di erent health issues.
➢Health
social workers are involved in preventive services and provide linkages to services via outreach programs.
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a maco-level, social workers are involved in research that directly and indirectly in uences public policy, community, public health and clinical practice.
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➢On
SURVEY OF SOCIAL WORK PROFESSIONALS Social workers roles include: management and Patient advocacy
➢Assessment
of Need
➢Needs-based
health intervention
➢Administration
and design of health care
➢Multilevel
➢Public
care
➢Case
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