As well as developing effective treatments and prevention strategies for clients, clinical social workers must also have the ability to work with other healthcare professionals.
In this article, you’ll learn how a clinical social worker can engage professionals from different fields to collaborate for better patient outcomes. You’ll also find out the advantages of collaboration in the healthcare setting.
What does a clinical social worker do?
Clinical social workers and medical social workers are not the same. Unlike the latter, a clinical social worker mainly focuses on diagnosing and treating people who have behavioral, emotional, and mental health problems. The responsibilities of a clinical social worker can vary, and they depend on their employer’s requirements and field of expertise.
In general, their responsibilities may require them to work with families, medical professionals, and support groups. For instance, they may interview and provide counseling to a patient’s family. They might also work closely with doctors to develop effective care plans and strategies.
Here are some of the possible places where a clinical social worker can provide their services:
- Child welfare agencies
- Community health centers
- Correctional facilities
- Hospital departments
- Centers for drug and alcohol rehabilitation
- Eating disorder treatment centers
- Hospice and palliative facilities
- The military
- Schools
The requirements to become a licensed clinical social worker can vary by state. However, the usual first step is to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work. The next step is to earn a master’s degree in social work before completing supervised clinical experience. In Alabama, this process necessitates around 3,000 hours of work.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall number of employed social workers is expected to grow by seven percent between 2021 and 2031. This estimate indicates that pursuing this career can be fruitful regarding job opportunities. Florida State University offers an online Master’s Degree in Social Work program. The Alabama MSW online at FSU offers students the opportunity to learn at an accredited institution and develop all the skills necessary to cultivate a successful career as a clinical social worker. This online course also allows students the flexibility to take and complete their course as their schedule allows, ensuring all students complete their clinical placement and licensure.
The importance of collaboration in clinical social work
As we pointed out earlier, clinical social workers cannot solve problems by themselves. By working with other healthcare professionals and social workers, they can create common goals, pool knowledge and resources, and share responsibilities.
Let’s say police officers are handling a case involving child neglect. In this situation, social workers may work closely with law enforcement, doctors, and child welfare social workers to ensure the child’s safety and well-being. They may also provide specialized therapy to the victim and their family.
Another example would be treating accident or stroke patients. A clinical social worker is more qualified to help patients and their families cope with this life-changing event through counseling and by directing them to accessible services, even though a licensed doctor may be the best person to provide the appropriate medical treatment.
To give patients the best care and results, clinical social workers collaborate closely with medical experts and community organizations. Here are a few key points to consider when collaborating with other medical professionals.
Interdisciplinary communication
Interdisciplinary communication, in the context of clinical social work, refers to the sharing of concepts and data with other specialists involved in the patient’s care. This may include psychologists, doctors, nurses, and counselors, to mention a few.
One of the main benefits of collaborative communication is that it helps professionals create and deliver care that takes into account all aspects of a person’s health. It also allows faster treatment, which helps reduce the anxiety and stress of the patient. Below are some ways that clinical social workers can ensure their interdisciplinary communication is efficient and effective.
Use clear and concise language
Communication only happens when both sides understand what each other is saying. So, make sure you communicate completely and clearly. Avoid using phrases or terms that are specific to your industry. One study suggested that work-specific language prevents people from communicating effectively and creating shared meaning.
Demonstrate cultural sensitivity
Cultural differences often have different effects on people’s attitudes and communication styles, which include their gestures, language, and the phrases they use. It is important for clinical social workers to respect the cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values of the people they work with. It’s vital that you learn to appreciate the different perspectives of each team member.
Look for the best communication channels
Communication channels can take different forms. For example, you could have roundtable discussions or one-on-one consultations or, if you can’t meet in person, you can use email, text messages, video conferencing, printed materials, and project management tools.
There are a few considerations when choosing the right tool for communicating with the entire team, such as identifying all healthcare professionals you need to interact with regularly, being flexible and respecting the preferred communication styles and methods of your team members and considering the cost. Fortunately, there are many communication tools (both paid and free) out there, such as Slack, Trello, and Zoom.
Establishing clear communication guidelines
It’s also important to make sure everyone in the team agrees on the specific time, day, and frequency for contacting each other. Always be respectful of other people’s time by avoiding contacting them outside of the agreed-upon schedule of communication. Each team member should also know who to contact when there is an urgent or critical issue with a patient.
Be considerate and proactive
As a social worker, you cannot be shy or wait for things to happen before taking action. Be proactive in seeking performance feedback from your colleagues and other professionals and ask for suggestions on areas you can improve and other ways to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration.
It is also important that you respect other people’s boundaries, opinions, and time. Do not flood their inbox, blow up their social media feed, or keep calling them every few minutes.
Coordinated care planning
Healthcare professionals create treatment programs that are specific to each patient’s medical needs and conditions. They must collaborate with everyone involved in the patient’s care if they hope to create a comprehensive, patient-centered treatment plan. This includes the input of case managers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers.
Here are a few ways clinical social workers can contribute to developing effective patient care plans.
Patient assessment
After admission, one of the initial responsibilities of clinical social workers is to perform a thorough assessment of a patient’s mental and emotional needs. They may talk to their family members, doctors, and nurses to get an accurate and detailed history of the patient’s case.
Personalized care plan
The information they gather during the initial assessment will help them develop a patient care plan. This process may involve regular communication and coordination with family members and other medical professionals. It is also important for clinical social workers to understand the medical diagnosis and treatments to ensure patients receive care that complements their healthcare provider’s treatment plan.
Setting attainable goals
Patient care plans are bound to fail without goals, which should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Goals give interdisciplinary healthcare teams direction, focus, and motivation. By collaborating with professionals from other fields, clinical social workers ensure these goals are always met, produce results that are most important to the patients, and create space for the team members’ feedback.
Interdisciplinary meetings
Regular meetings, roundtable discussions, and case conferences are good opportunities for licensed clinical social workers to share their expertise and insights. This ensures team members are aware of the patient’s current condition, needs, and progress, so they can make the necessary adjustments to their approaches and care plans. This also allows everyone to identify areas of patient care where their strengths can make a great impact.
Advocating for clients and patients
Clinical social workers regularly advocate for those under their care. They might collaborate with the interdisciplinary care team, for instance, to support services for the social, emotional, and mental needs of patients and their families. When providing end-of-life care, they could collaborate with medical professionals to explain hospice care to patients and their families.
Maintain regular updates
Giving regular updates about the improvements or changes in the patient’s psychological needs is part of a healthy team, which could lead to better collaboration. This information helps other members of the team make the necessary improvements to their approaches to meet the patient’s current needs. If necessary, they can work together to create an updated care plan.
Consultation and expertise sharing
The path to becoming a clinical social worker requires holding different degrees in social work, thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience, and passing the applicable state licensure exam. So, when you are receiving help from a clinical social worker, you are tapping into their extensive knowledge and experience.
In a collaborative setting, clinical social workers can share their expertise in behavioral and mental disorders by offering consultation services to a variety of healthcare providers. Here are a few situations where their expert advice and guidance are valuable.
Support colleagues at work
Social workers could mentor a colleague to help them develop their professional competence and confidence. For example, they can help evaluate patient cases, discuss different types of clinical assessments, and offer their insights on care plans. Their colleagues may also follow and closely observe their clinical approaches, strategies, and decision-making processes.
There are many ways experienced clinical social workers can support a colleague’s professional development. By offering regular consultations and engaging in collaborative projects, they can help improve their knowledge and skills while increasing their confidence.
Provide thorough assessments
Clinical social workers are qualified to evaluate, identify, and manage a variety of mental health issues, including severe depression and anxiety disorders. They may perform thorough assessments of a person’s emotional, mental, and physical health.
They can share this information and their findings with psychologists and psychiatrists to ensure the care plan meets the needs of the client. During consultations, they can offer their recommendations on appropriate crisis intervention approaches, treatment methods, and support.
Care for elderly patients
Caring for elderly patients can be challenging. Clinical social workers can provide immediate intervention by conducting training for healthcare professionals and providing counseling to patients, family members, and their caregivers. Meetings also allow them to discuss with doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, and other specialists about the mental and emotional aspects of elderly needs to ensure proper care and treatment interventions.
Patient advocacy
As advocates, clinical social workers make sure patients have access to effective healthcare services by working together with other medical professionals. Being an advocate also means they speak out on their patients’ behalf and protect their rights to health.
Here are a few specific instances where clinical social workers can be advocates for patients.
Connecting patients to essential resources
A clinical social worker can act as an advocate for patients by making sure they have access to crucial resources and do not get lost in the complex healthcare system. For example, a patient is unable to continue treatment due to financial issues. To ensure the patient receives the proper care, a clinical social worker can help them access government aid programs and other community resources.
Provide emotional support
Clinical social workers can provide valuable emotional support for anyone going through a serious life crisis. They can give people access to an environment where they feel comfortable talking about their traumas and expressing their emotions.
Clinical social workers employ a variety of techniques and tools to encourage emotional health. To comprehend the emotional and mental state of a patient who has just received a fatal illness diagnosis, for instance, they may use diagnostic tools, teach coping methods, or conduct individual therapy sessions.
Advocating for patients from diverse cultural backgrounds
Clinical social workers can support patients from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds by respecting their unique beliefs, practices, and preferences. Some cultures and religious beliefs have food restrictions and specific cooking methods. A clinical social worker may collaborate with doctors and dietitians to ensure their dietary advice conforms to the patient’s dietary customs. Clinical social workers require the support of the entire healthcare team in order to be successful advocates.
Provide workplace education
Clinical social workers can also encourage and educate other healthcare providers about the psychosocial aspects of caring for patients. This enables the entire team to comprehend how a patient’s physical health can be significantly impacted by their emotional, mental, and social needs.
For instance, a clinical social worker can speak with the surgical team about the possible psychological effects of a patient’s scheduled surgery. This could help the team better prepare and develop a possible strategy to deal with the patient’s emotional distress during recovery.
Keeping an open communication
The patient’s safety is at risk whenever members of a health team are not communicating properly or on a regular basis. Keeping an open line of communication reduces the incidence of medical errors, improves team cohesiveness, and allows the completion of a comprehensive care plan that meets the patient’s needs.
Supportive interventions
In a collaborative setting, clinical social workers can provide assistance, guidance, and encouragement to team members when needed. This can be accomplished by actively listening, brainstorming, sharing important knowledge or skills, and providing comments or suggestions. The objective is to improve the healthcare team’s understanding of the patient’s psychosocial needs (emotional, mental, social, and spiritual).
How clinical social workers collaborate for patient resources
Clinical social workers assist silently in the background to ensure patients and their families have the resources they need. Some of these resources they can provide immediately, while others require them to work closely with community organizations, healthcare providers, and support groups.
Here are a few strategies they use to effectively connect patients to valuable resources.
Multidisciplinary team meetings
By actively participating in these meetings, clinical social workers and other healthcare providers can exchange their expertise and knowledge and fill the gaps in service delivery. This collaboration enables them to advocate for crucial resources and address other unmet psychosocial needs of the patient.
External coordination
This may involve referring patients or their family members to community-based agencies and non-profit organizations that are dedicated to addressing the specific financial, mental, and social needs of individuals. Some examples include the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Community Mental Health Centers, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Education and training services
Clinical social workers may provide detailed information and training to healthcare providers regarding available resources and support services for patients. This can lead to better patient outcomes, increased awareness and empowerment of healthcare providers, and enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration, to name a few.
Collaboration is vital
Through their expert knowledge and skills, clinical social workers play a crucial role in supporting interdisciplinary healthcare collaboration. By working with various healthcare providers, organizations, and government agencies, they can help bridge the gap in mental health and psychosocial services. This collaborative effort leads to increased access to health and community services, better patient outcomes, and a more comprehensive and patient-focused approach to healthcare delivery.
