Medical Social Work

History
In the early twentieth century, social work established itself as a vocation
committed to major social reform, social change and the eradication of poverty.
Over time, it shifted from a religious and charitable practice to a more systematic,
professional one. Along with this, social service shifted from a privately funded
and volunteer activity to a publicly funded, paid occupation.
Britain and Ireland are the first nations who acknowledged the need of Medical
Social Workers to extend the clinical care in administrative and support aspects.
Medical social workers in Britain and Ireland were previously known as Almoners,
or Hospital Almoners, they were competent personnel's of education and
refinement who could consider and screen the position and circumstances of
patients. In Ireland, the origins of medical social workers go back to Ella Webb,
who, in 1918, established a dispensary for sick children in the Adelaide Hospital in
Dublin, and to Winifred Alcock, who trained as an Almoner and worked with
Webb in her dispensary.
In 1945, the Institute of Almoners in Britain was formed, which, in 1964, was
renamed as the Institute of Medical Social Workers. The Institute was one of the
founder organizations of the British Association of Social Workers, which was
formed in 1970. In Britain, medical social workers were transferred from
the National Health Service (NHS) into local authority Social Services
Departments in 1974, and generally became known as hospital social workers.
In United States Richard Clarke Cabot in Massachusetts General Hospital created
the position of Hospital Social Worker or Medical Social Worker in the early
1900s. This was important from an epidemiological point of view, as it made it
easier to control and prevent outbreaks of syphilis and tuberculosis. The prestige of
social work rose up in USA with war related activities such as the Red Cross home
services.
The formal training in social work was started in India in 1936 by Clifford
Manshardt (Missionary) and J.M. Kumarappa (Academician) at Dhorabji Tata
School of Social Work (Now TISS) at Mumbai. The major associations of social
work are NAPSWI (National Association of Professional Social Workers in India)
and ISPSW (Indian Society of Professional Social Work). India is a signatory to
the Alma Ata Declaration and has adopted the principles of WHO. In 1945 Bhore
Committee Report strongly recommended the appointment of medical social

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workers in hospitals. The earliest records show that the first medical social worker
was appointed in 1946 in J.J. Hospital, Bombay. In 20th century the Government
of India has legislated that every hospitals should have a medical social work
department able to cater various needs of the patients and later extended this
requirement of a trained social worker in psychology and related fields within
schools.
Functions of a Medical social worker
Psychosocial assessment assessing strength and resilience of the patient,
family, and social support systems to help the individual function within the
community.
Family education and crisis intervention educating the family on the
physical and psychosocial needs of its members and ways they can access
internal and external resources, as well as guiding through a sudden nervous
breakdown and mediating familial conflicts.
Counseling for individuals, couples and families for situations in
which patients suffer from poor mental health states (e.g. depression,
anxiety), and coping and adjustment difficulties. (e.g. due to loss of limb
through amputation, loss of hearing, caring for family members suffering
from dementia or grief and bereavement issues)
Risk assessment assessing risk of self-harm (e.g. suicide) and to others
(e.g. family violence, elder abuse, child abuse).
Financial assessment and fund management identifying and referring
cases for financial assistance.
Care Coordination & Discharge Planning ensure efficient unit
operation by working professionally together with medical, nursing and
other allied health staff, patients and their families to produce high quality
work and to develop, implement the post discharge care plan.
Information & Referral Services linking patients and caregivers to
community resources and healthcare system.

Reference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_social_work

Social Work Practice in Health Care, MSW (SEM-III)

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