Social Work In Mental Health: Make It Real

In designing new targets, NHS England and others gonna be walking a tightrope of aspiration versus financial reality. Not hinder quality in mental health they will need to, I’d say in case they are to design targets that help. If done well this can ignite people’s passion to make services better -something worth more than a target on a piece of paper can ever be. Collaboration going to be key in designing new targets -involving people with mental health problems and staff working with them to design pragmatic solutions for a resource strapped system.a bunch of people ask what I do.

Let me narrow it down -I’m a supervisor at a local non profit and I mainly deal with mental health, social work is an insanely broad field though.

Well, I’m a social worker. Read on for more details as to what I do on a day to day basis! It involves a careful analysis of the structure and function of existing resources to determine which methods work and what methods do not. It implies exploration of existing social institutions as these tend to create the caseload of mentally ill or mentally troubled people and it will delve into the nature of ‘psycho and’ sociopathologies in their a couple of forms.

It implies pilot and demonstration activities which will extend mental health services into communities where they are not now found.

They can add a measure of knowledge to what actually was now known in content and method of mental health practice, It means that more people must become prepared in research.

Research in mental health is directed ward producing new knowledge which will permit the primary group of professional people in mental health to do improved work and which will lay some groundwork for an improved role in mental health for the secondary group of professional personnel. That said, this implies the design and testing of new patterns of service involving new constellations of personnel. Part of this paper that deals with prospects rather than problems must concern itself with what’s happening in mental health research and its possible impact on mental health practice. With that said, this means that social work must move from the role of helper in research projects to that of designer of research projects. On p of that, the right approach has not yet been found. Anyway, right after so many years of research efforts, it’s possible to feel some frustration as long as, more definitive findings have the significant issue even on a long range basis.

So basic goal of public health practice is the evolution of workable control programs.

At present we can’t know if the greatest advances in this area may yet come from physical findings, that will suggest an organic basis for mental illness, or from findings on psycho social functioning, that will suggest effective means of fostering and maintaining mental health.

It’s a well-known fact that the high status that was accorded mental health research is a ready indicator of the wish on the part of the National Institute of Mental Health and the Congress to provide high priority to the discovery of new knowledge directed ward a solution of mental health problems. Treatment because There is some hope that mental health methods can successfully be made part of existing institutions in order that these may serve as intervening forces to prevent mental illness, or to provide for its early indication, exclusive of hospitalization, can be used. We tend to think of an orderly organization of personnel and processes which will permit individuals, groups, and communities to solve their own problems, in the main, and to seek specialized any year to the Appropriations Committee hearings, will recall the immense concern with maintaining a broad perspective in the approach to the mental health problem. It’s might be less clinical, you can practice with a bachelor’s degree in social work.

While meaning I can practice without a supervisor and supervise those who are looking to obtain their independent license, I also hold an independent supervisory license. I have a Master’s in Social Science Administration, that is the equivalent of a Master’s in Social Work. We have done little to apply the methods devoted to prevention of relapse to the prevention of illness first and foremost. Certainly, educational content in the mental health professions in the main involves case material drawn from psychoand sociopathology. I’m sure you heard about this. Fundamental problems which face teachers and practitioners in mental health day are difficult to grasp because of the intervening barrier of philosophical considerations.

De we find the educational programs for the mental health professions geared primarily to teaching content associated with pathology processes and their treatment, just as we find the core of mental health practice associated with the mentally ill or troubled.

Content on prevention is primarily descriptive.

And so it’s true that the conception of treatment in its most progressive interpretation implies intensive aftercare service intended to maintain the recovery of the mental patient. So it’s difficult to come to grips with the basic philosophical considerations which must precede any significant changes in practice and in education tending ward a vastly different methodology in mental health practice ten years hence. With that said, this quality of prevention can’t be overestimated. So that’s not to deny the very useful efforts being conducted under the aegis of state and local mental health associations and ain’t intended to minimize in any way the very useful preventive functions currently conducted by state mental health programs.

Our first thoughts will turn to the work of the six hundred mental health clinics currently providing a large quantity of services to the roughly one million mentally ill and a much smaller quantity of services to the roughly eight million mentally troubled who need outpatient care and can be served while living in their own homes, if we were to consider the sum of mental health services in the nation today.

a miniscule quantity of service has been provided by the core group of mental health personnel for the particular normal population who are neither mentally ill nor mentally troubled.

It could’ve been said that the field of practice of mental health day concerns itself primarily with the core group of mentally ill and the vast array of current services staffed with the constellation of mental health disciplines extends only in small part into the location of preventive mental health functions. Fact remains that the bulk of mental health practice as we know it day remains about the mentally ill or mentally troubled group.

Accordingly the philosophical considerations which must be faced all in all planning for education in community mental health suggest two approach avenues.

With a minimum of for now we are not certain how much can be handled by this type of an important social institution as the school system, for sake of example.

One is the extension of existing numbers in the core mental health professions. Of course So it’s in the nature and definition of the buffer zone that we have the greatest need for research and evaluation. Now let me ask you something. To what extent should psychiatric personnel be introduced into the school system and to what extent can teachers and school personnel be prepared to take action on mental health problems on a purely independent basis? Second is through the medium of improving mental health functioning of existing community resources and structures so that problems will solve themselves at an early stage in their development and a buffer zone may be established between the individual and the mental hospital.

At another order of thinking, one might consider the importance of social and health resources in assisting the remedial handling of individual and family crises at the point of their occurrence.

Undoubtedly it’s readily evident that any American community contains within its social structure heaps of ‘crhandling’ agencies like the general hospital, the court, the police department, the school, and the church, all of which at various times encounter individuals and families under emotional stress.

In a very few instances these resources are prepared to deal with crises on the basis of mental health knowledge. Now look, the present goals of the national mental health content in medical, legal, and theological professional education represent one move ward the better preparation of professional persons for dealing with mental health problems among their usual clientele. It has pointed out and highlighted the deficiencies in preparation which make it difficult for social work to provide a maximum contribution in community mental health.

Only as such intercommunication can be soundly established will it be possible to foresee effective education for community mental health practice.

a sound philosophical base can not be developed without much improved communication between educators and practitioners in social work.

With that said, this means far more work on an organizing principle or concept which can place more definitive meaning in the prevention construct. To make any practical progress in modifying social work education, it going to be necessary to direct more attention to reducing the obstacles to collaboration between education and practice. Need for developing a sound philosophical base for social work operations in mental health is critical. Doesn’t it sound familiar? This paper has outlined in summary form the problems and prospects for professional education for community mental health practice. It was said by one author that the preventive phase of mental hygiene is most frequently only relatively preventive and if so it’s so, it’s obvious that much effort is required if you want to establish the validity and reliability of preventive programs. Also, it might be necessary to launch more collaborative long range research and to involve educators in pilot and demonstration programs. It does no good purpose if educators meet alone to discuss and review their problems. Ok, and now one of the most important parts. Immediate future must produce lots of developments which will I know that the prospects are that. Actually it might be said that the field is in flux and changes in methodology and philosophy might be required at a couple of stages in the professional life of the present generation of social workers. I looked into social work, I knew I still wanted to I actually realized that wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. I originally wanted to be a pediatrician, as a matter of fact. And…the rest is history! Now regarding the aforementioned fact… Following is said about the current status of social work education. With all that said… It must be granted that for the present we can only conjecture on how these problems are to be met. Generally, the second question is. If the same questions are applied to the field of social work education we medical insurance in everyday social work practice? Actually the first is. Most frequent comment heard from mental health administrators relates to the deficiencies of social work graduates in the areas of community organization, work with groups, consultation, public relations functions, ability to use and conduct research, and unfamiliarity with an ordinary sides of ‘inter and’ intraprofessional collaboration in providing normal social and health services. Present educational programs in social work are composed of personnel, didactic content, and field resources. That’s right! At present, it could have been said that there’s very little content in either the master’s or post master’s program about theory and methodology of prevention.

Basic professional education at the master’s level provides for preparation in theory and practice which is imparted over a two year period in various combinations of class and field experiences.

The graduate emerges as a practitioner who had been seen as needing supervision over at least a year before he can attain accepted basic competence in practice.

Research and administration are taught as enabling processes and feature as important parts of the curriculum. Leading development of such theory has emerged from the public health field but this had been incorporated in social work education in only rare instances. Then again, education in application of preventive functions must be inculcated in the post training experience. Of course, And so it’s the rare hospital that carries on a planned program of preventive activities. Education for psychiatric social work consists for the most part of content in casework practice in mental hospital or clinic settings. More frequently such activities are found in mental health clinics as part of the ongoing program but there are rarely seen as an appropriate part of the student’s field experience. Besides, the ideal curriculum provides for a carefully planned balance of education in human growth and behavior, social work practice, and social services. This is the case. Look, there’s frequently will permit an understanding of the illness and an appreciation of the intensely important supportive role And so it’s possible for families to play.

Current thinking in Great Britain suggests the open hospital as the pattern for service with direct involvement of the community in hospital program and procedure.

In a number of our communities this task can be carried forward only under the most difficult circumstances.

It’s in contrast to the philosophy type in other countries which move instead ward maintaining the sick person in his family and in his community with the burden of direct care falling upon the immediate family. So, the social and health resources of the community are devoted to the ultimate task of restoring the individual to normal functioning, when mental illness strikes. Then again, present mental health practice is dominated by a philosophy evolved from a combination of social and psychological theories of human behavior. Actually, our philosophy governing the care of the mentally ill suggests an immediate separation from the family and from society until an appropriate stage of recovery is attained. Throughout the lifetime cycle of the individual form the basis for existing mental health services.

Therefore a foremost reason for it is the lack of social and health planning which intervenes as an obstacle to early diagnosis and thoroughgoing treatment following immediately upon the onset of illness.

He must be prepared to view the complex sides of the social worker as community organizer, administrator, consultant, and researcher.

In at least two social schools work there was a conscious effort to develop class and field content associated with community mental health programs. He has mastered basic competence in social work practice and is now prepared to undertake a learning experience involving more complex field instruction responsibilities and involving an extent of thinking requiring an approach to theory building and application. At the ‘post master”s level, the situation is somewhat better. Here there was a substantial development of program content more directly about community health functions.

Third yearstudent brings to the advanced program a master’s degree in social work and on the average, from six to nine social years work practice in one or more agency settings. Undoubtedly it’s possible now to examine them at their early stages of development to see if they contain what we really need to develop skilled practitioners in community mental health, while only a very few students have completed these programs. It’s conceivable, for the sake of example, that long range prevention goals Actually the effective use of social data to establish reliable lines of prediction of human behavior offers on favorable developmental prospect. Accordingly a major shift in philosophy from the primary objective of treatment to that of prevention must precede any significant changes in social work practice.