The Importance Of Social Work In Mental Health

Introduction
Social workers in mental health are required to have adequate knowledge about mental illness, treatment approaches, and various medical and social models to explain mental illness. Social work practice in mental health involves a wide range of clients, and working with family has always been a major area of social work practice in mental health (Bland, Renouf & Tullgren, 2015). This practice guideline contains supplementary information about psychoeducation and family therapies, which can be offered to clients and their families within family social work practice in Child Adolescent and Family Service (CAFS) at MidCentral Health.

Child, Adolescent and Family Service
CAFS is an interdisciplinary mental health service for children

According to Collins, Jordan and Coleman (2013), the family is the smallest and primary unit of society. Close relationships within the unit are developed through shared activities over a prolonged period of time. Furthermore, the family can be defined as “those persons who are biologically and/or psychologically related whom historical, emotional, or economic bonds connect and who perceive themselves as a part of a household” (Gladding, 2002, p.6). Within the family, each member influences each other in an interactive and circular way (Gladding, 2002). The followings are different types of families, which have been recognised in the

It is important for practitioner to be aware that families that exist nowadays are increasingly becoming more divers and complex over time.

Family Social Work
Family social work in general involves multi-stressed families. These families have been experiencing multiple problems and have the possibility of being at risk. Social workers provide in-home family support, knowledge and skills, different types of programmes and more. They also apply problem solving, strength-based and crisis intervention approaches to family social work with vulnerable families (Collins et al., 2013). Furthermore, the following objectives of family social work have been identified by Collins et al. (2013):
• Reinforce family strengths to prepare families for long-term changes (or intervention).
• Create concrete changes in family functioning to sustain effective and satisfying daily routines independent of formal helps.
• Provide additional support following family therapy so families will maintain effective family functioning.
• Address the crisis needs of the family in a timely fashion so they can effectively address more long-standing issues. (p.3)

Family Social Work in Mental