Chapter 1 Orentation to Social work in the health care field

The physicians benefited from the help of  social workers because the social workers allowed the nurses ans physicians time to focus on physical factors ( Cowles 1990) cannon called this a constriction of field of vision,where the social worker focus on homes,work,and other life situations.Dr. Cabot saw social work in hospitals as a potent. Means for more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment (cite in Cowles 1990:3). Cabot also saw the main functions of the hospital Social Worker as a liaison to help the hospital with all of the out side social forces,and agencies. Now I was reading and I was doing just fine until I got to Abraham Flexnor. Flexnor said that social work was not a profession because it did not have a body of knowledge rooted in science and did not focus on direct services to individuals, as much as on environmental modification and consultation and linkage of clients to other direct service provides.

My mother always taught me if it ain't broke don't fix it. I knew when I saw the name Freudian things were about to change, now don't get me wrong I have followed a lot of Freudian psychoanalytic concepts of the mind,dreams,infantile sexuality,and so on. The fact that the men of World War I were suffering from shell shock(PTSD). I said all of that to say this,what difference did it make what kind of problem the patient had the social worker still held the same position,and that position was to modify any social,environmental,or emotional causes or effects impacting the patient's health condition. Flexnor's message started a struggle with the social work profession to make changes to win professional status,notice above I said social work profession......ok I'm going to let you figure that out.

All of this lead to a training school for psychiatric social worker at Smith College in 1918(lubove,1965:78).I am a ferm believer in learning more knowledge,but for the right reasons. The challenge for social workers is to find ways to adapt that will maximize their own efficiency and effectiveness for the sake of all concerned patient and family,organisation,and funding source.(page 40)


Reference:

Social work in the Health field: Abraham Flexnor:(Cabot)(Freudian)the separation of medical from psychiatric social work:(cite Cowles 1990:3)