Medical Social Worker Responsibility and Roles

by Emman 22:13 0 comments social worker

A medical social worker typically works inside a hospital. It is considered to be a sort of sub-category of social work. There are other settings which medical social workers are found in though, such as hospices and nursing homes. Typically these types of counselors have graduate degrees and specialize in medical care for patients. They have many different roles and responsibilities, including evaluating the psychosocial status of certain patients and their families. They are there to provide physical and emotional support all around. Medical social workers also help to connect patients with their families and assist in the process of finding the proper treatment and care.

In the history of this profession, the Massachusetts General Hospital was the very first hospital in America to have on-site social workers back in the early 1900's. One of the major roles involves discharge planning. These therapists have to make sure that all patients are scheduled for the proper medical services, so that they get out as quickly as possible. They handle any and all delays when it comes to the discharge of a patient. They work hard to ensure that each person gets specific treatment based on their own individual needs.

Another one of the responsibilities is to make sure that a patient is taken care of even after they leave the hospital. If home care is required after discharge, it is their responsibility to set those services up for the patient by the time they leave. Some people will be needing hospice care. The therapist will also be working with grief reactions of both the patient and family members. Setting up outpatient counseling is also important in a number of situations. If the counselor does not make all the proper arrangements for home health care, the patient could end up staying in the hospital longer than they were meant to because they have nobody to care for them upon returning home. Also, they may not follow up on treatment for drug addiction or depression.

Being able to work closely with patients and have interpersonal skills is also required of those who decide to go into this line of work. Medical social workers must also be well-organized and able to handle a lot of work at once. It can be a massive amount of responsibility and not everyone is cut out for this type of work. Dealing with family members that have a loved one in intensive care can be very difficult.

Learn More About the Roles of Social Workers
Read about Medical Social Worker Jobs and find out more about Social Work Schools.

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