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Mental Health Social Work Services

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A5 Booklet - print version     Mental Health Social Work Services  (35.83 KB)

Social Workers are part of the multi-disciplinary Community Mental Health Team that specialises in working with people who have a severe mental illness.

The mental health team is made up of mental health social workers, community psychiatric nurses, consultant psychiatrists, occupational therapists, day hospital staff and a psychologist. Social workers in the team aim to assist people who have a severe mental illness by helping them to achieve independence and by ensuring that service users can lead an ordinary and independent life as possible.

The aim of the team is to ensure that service users are involved at every stage in the planning and delivery of services. This is achieved through the ‘Care Co-ordination approach’, which ensures that systematic arrangements are in place for assessing people accepted into the mental health services, formulating a care plan, appointing a care co-ordinator and arranging regular reviews of the care plan.

Write reports and present them to mental health Review Tribunals and Hospital Managers Meetings.

Undertake Mental Health Act (1983) assessments as an independent professional.

Assess and provide care for people under section 117 After Care arrangements and other legislation such as section 7 Guardianship Orders and people on Supervised Discharge Orders section 25 Mental Health Act (1983)

Assess carers who offer regular and substantial care to service user for mental health problems. (Carers Recognition and Services) Act 1995.

Provide a social needs assessment and provide services to individuals and families who have a severe mental
illness.

• Practice as a part of a multi-disciplinary mental health  team to assist people who are in need.
• To act as care coordinator.
• Provide clear information and undertake the role of  advocate as and when necessary.
• Ensure that information is kept confidential and only   divulged on a ‘need to know’ basis unless sharing of   information is agreed by the service user.
• Assist service users with housing and money problems often by liaison and referral to other agencies.
• Liaise closely with other statutory and voluntary agencies to deliver an integrated service as far as possible to service users.

In order to achieve the above, social workers undertake to treat people with respect and dignity in a way that provides equality of opportunity for all.

Evesham CMHT offers a supportive environment, which aims to

• enable individuals to achieve high levels of independence according to their individual needs.
• encouraging personal growth and development.

We aim to offer the opportunity to maintain the individual’s care in the home setting, and where this is inappropriate for the client’s needs, to offer a seamless service between hospital and community.

All staff will endeavour to promote each person’s optimum well-being, using a holistic approach. Building trusting relationships is central to the promotion of good mental health and the cornerstone of our care.

Ref: Dunwell, fe Hanson, B (1998) Appraising a Ward’s ‘Philosophy of Care’ Statement, Mental Health Nursing Vol. 18. No. 5 pp. 18-22.