Social Workers On Interdisciplinary Teams

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Recommended: National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics 2008

Social workers in the healthcare field can be very beneficial to an interdisciplinary team. Throughout the semester we have looked at how social workers bring their professional and distinct skill set and beliefs to these teams. There are many stereotypes and biases surrounding social workers and other professionals on interdisciplinary teams. Social workers also have different views than other healthcare professionals and use their skills in communication to help the clients they serve, along with various other skills that are unique to social workers differing from other professional in the healthcare field. A social worker’s skill set can be extremely useful when working with specific populations at risk. The relationship between health and the role of the social worker can be different from other social worker roles in different fields. However, it is clear that social workers and interdisciplinary teams can be beneficial for everyone.
There are stereotypes about social workers in the healthcare field that can hinder a social worker’s performance. Many people automatically assume that social workers are only to make referrals and locate specific services (Borst, 2010). While there are social workers who do make referrals as part of their work, there are all different kinds of social workers, ranging from research to policy change. Many assume that a social worker in the healthcare field is there to find a way for an outpatient to get home when this is simply not the case. Social workers in the healthcare field typically work on an interdisciplinary team, along with doctors and nurses. Social workers in these teams are typically the ones who look at the patient’s culture, look for client strengths, and look beyond the medical ...

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...e effectively and are extremely beneficial for the patient, especially if an effective social worker is a part of the team and is able to focus on the other important aspects of the patient’s health.

References
Borst, J. (2010). Social work and healthcare: Policy, practice, and professionalism. (pp. 188-
209). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Mendenhall, A. N., & Frauenholtz, S. (2013). Mental Health Literacy: Social Work's Role in
Improving Public Mental Health. Social Work, 58(4), 365-368.
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of Ethics of the
National Association of Social Workers. Washington, DC: Author.
Rowland, A., & McDonald, L. (2009). Evaluation of Social Work Communication Skills to
Allow People with Aphasia to be Part of the Decision Making Process in Healthcare.
Social Work Education, 28(2), 128-144. doi:10.1080/02615470802029965

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