Social Work Intervention in Primary Health Care

 

Jagriti[1]

Abstract:

Social work in health care has been established for more than 100 years and it was one of the first fields of professional practice to be established and remains one of the largest sectors of the profession in countries around the world. Social workers provide interventions, families and groups in order to assist them according to their needs and issues. Social work interventions are intended to aid clients in alleviating problems impeding their well-being. This article describes a study to expand the effectiveness of Social Work Intervention in Primary Health practice.

Key words:Social Work, Health, Social Work Intervention, Primary Health Care.

Introduction:

Social Work is a Profession that focuses upon improving the health and social well-being of Individuals, Families, Groups, and Communities. Social Workers believe in the rights and dignity of all individuals and to the achievement of social justice. Social Workers work for people to assess, resolve, prevent or lessen the impact of psycho-social, physical and mental health related issues.

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Social Workers work within this broad based approach to health. The World Health Organization adopted the primary health approach as the basis for the effective delivery of health care services.

Aim and objective: This study will be help to develop Social Work role in primary health care.

Methods: This is a review base study, which aims to review previously done studies on

the efficacy of social work intervention in primary health care.

Social Work:  Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups or communities through professional techniques, which involve the study and understanding of Human behavior, needs and potentialities. Social work is a helping activity directed to problems which affect economic and social well-being and a liaison activity concerned with maximizing resources for well-being and facilitating their use. The area of social work is concerned with the welfare of others and with social change that promotes social justice. Taking a client-oriented and solution-focused approach, social workers improve individuals’ and families’ social functioning, and between the individual and societal structure.

This is Achieved Through:

• Counseling and Psycho-therapy.
• Community Development and Community Capacity Building.
• Developing, Promoting, and Delivering Programs in Collaboration with other Professionals.
• Participating in relevant legislative and social processes to improve social and health services.
• Helping people to obtain basic human needs.
• Conducting applied social research
• Educating others on the impact of social and environmental factors.

HEALTH:

• According to World Health Organization, Health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
• Modern Concept of Health, “Optimum level of Functioning among individuals, families, and Communities”.

Eco-System which Affect this level of Functioning :

There are Six level of Functioning which affect ecosystem:

1.Political: The Government has the Power to promulgate, promote, implement and think of the different ways to alleviate problems regarding health.

2.Behavioral: A persons level of functioning is affected directly by Culture, habits, attitudes, mores, ethnic background and society or his environment.

3.Heredity: There are certain diseases that is heredity in nature, therefore, individual with this circumstances doesn’t have any control of the situation.

4. Health Care Delivery System

Public Health Sector:

5.Environmental Influences

People living in urban areas are prone to hazards of health, e.g. Communicable and non-communicable diseases are rampant in urban areas.

6.Socio-Economic Influence

• In public health centers, families from lower income brackets are the one’s mostly served.
• Families within the mid-income level can provide basic health services for their members unlike those who are at poor sector health services are deprived.

Social Work Intervention: Social work interventions are selected on the basis of the needs, issues and strengths of the client. These are determined  as a result of a psychosocial assessment will be used to develop a treatment plan with the client, in which interventions, action steps and desired outcomes are specified. A time-frame will be established for such outcome.

Types: The National association of Social Workers (NASW) has identified a number of specialty practice areas where social workers work that influence the types of interventions selected for use with clients. Fields of practice include aging, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, children, adolescents and young adults, child welfare, health, mental health, private practice, school social work, social and economic justice and peace.

Interventions can include:

• Psychotherapy (Individuals, Couples, Families, group);
• Counseling to aid with loss and adjustment;
• Case management;
• Crisis intervention;
• Brief therapy;
• Relaxation training;
• Anger management and
• Stress management

Health Care:

• Health Care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the presentation of mental health through the services offered by the medical, nursing, and allied health professionals.
• Health care is embraces all the goals and services designed to promote health including “preventive, curative, and palliative interventions, whether directed to individual or to populations”.

Primary Health Care:

Concept :

                Primary health care is characterized by partnership and empowerment of the people that shall permeate as the core strategy  in the effective provision of essential health services that is community based, accessible, acceptable and sustainable at a cost which the community and the government can afford.

Definition:

                   As defined by the World Health Organization, it is as an essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them through their full participation and at a cost that community and country afford to maintain every stage of their development in the spirit of self-determination.

Goal:

         The ultimate goal of primary health care is better for health for all. The WHO has identified five key elements to achieving that goal:

• Reducing exclusion and disparities in health;
• Organizing health services around peoples’ needs and expectations;
• Integrating health into all sectors;
• Pursuing collaborative models of policy dialogue; and
• Increasing stakeholder’s participation.

Elements and Components of Primary Health Care:

• Environmental Sanitation (adequate supply of water and good waste disposal)
• Control of Communicable diseases
• Immunization
• Health Education
• Maternal and Child health
• Family Planning
• Adequate food and proper nutrition
• Provision of medical and emergency treatment
• Treatment of local Endemic diseases
• Provision of essential drugs.

The Role of Social Work in Primary Health Care:

Social workers work in various different types of setting, including hospitals, mental health facilities, child welfare centers, guidance clinics, schools, substance abuse programs, and prison correctional facilities. There are many roles of social work in

primary health care. These roles are not unique or different from the roles of social workers currently assume including the following:

• Assessor                                 
• Enabler
• Facilitator
• Mediator
• Consultant Leader
• Counselor/Therapist
• Planner
• Supervisor
• Advocate
• Advisor
• Organizer
• Researcher
• Manager
• Educator/Teacher
• Policy Analyst
• Evaluator
• Program Developer
• Community Developer

Conclusion:

Social Work is a diverse profession working in many of the health and social sectors included in a primary health care approach. Across all sectors, social work has always maintained a strong “person in environment” approach to working with individuals, families, groups and communities. By working within the framework of the determinants of health, social workers make the necessary links/ liaison between the physical, social, emotional and economic impacts of health. The Social Work Profession has a history of interdisciplinary collaboration and an intervention, prevention and health promotion.

Reference Sources:

• Park, K. (17^thed). (2002). Preventive and Social Medicine. New Delhi: Banarasi Das Bhanot Publications.
• Bhattacharya, Sanjay(ed). (2006).Social Work: An Integrated Approach. New Delhi: Deep & Deep Publications Pvt. Ltd.
• Wadia, A.R. (ed).(1961).History and Philosophy of Social Work in India. Bombay: Allied Publications Private Limited.
• Tej, Sangita & Pandey, Tejaskar, (2004).Social Work: Concepts. Lucknow: Jubilee ‘H’ Foundation.
• Ahuja, Ram (ed).(2006). Research Methods. Jaipur: Rawat Publications.

Internet Sources:

• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• en.m.wikipedia.org
• www.casw_acts.ca/en/
• www.google.co.in