SOCIAL WORK IN
MENTAL HEALTH
SETTINGS
MENDOCINO COLLEGE
HUS 170 – INTRO TO SOCIAL WORK
PREPARED BY ALESE JENKINS, LCSW – MARCH 2013
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT
SOCIAL WORK IN A MENTAL
HEALTH SETTING?


Social Work is a secondary function in the Mental
Health setting (as is social work in a medical
setting, educational setting or criminal justice
setting)
The primary goal of the Mental Health setting is
to help stabilize the individual’s mental and
emotional health.
SOCIAL WORK GOALS/VALUES IN THE
MENTAL HEALTH SETTING
Respect the dignity of the client
 Respect a client’s right to self determination,
when appropriate
 Advocate on behalf of client/teach client selfadvocacy skills
 Maintain confidentiality
 Help empower clients
 Encourage independence when possible
 Work in harmony with team/institution
 Be culturally sensitive

see page 198 in text NASW recommendations for working
with mental health clients
WHAT SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE IS NEEDED TO
WORK IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM?
Understand mental health disorders and become
familiar with the DSM-IV-TR
 Understand mental health hospital and clinical
settings, treatment options and therapeutic
techniques
 Be familiar with in-patient and out-patient
programs
 Understand the role of each member of the
mental health team
 Understand discharge planning and become
familiar with community resources

WHO IS ON THE TYPICAL
MENTAL HEALTH TEAM?
Psychiatrist
A
doctor of medicine (MD) who can
diagnose mental disorders and
prescribe medication
WHO IS ON THE TYPICAL
MENTAL HEALTH TEAM?
Psychologist
A
licensed PHD who can
administer psychometric tests,
diagnose mental disorders and
offer psychotherapy
WHO IS ON THE TYPICAL
MENTAL HEALTH TEAM?
Psychiatric
 Administers,
Nurse
manages and
monitors medications and educates
patients and family about
medications, side effects and other
health related concerns
WHO IS ON THE TYPICAL
MENTAL HEALTH TEAM?
Social
 Most
Worker
often an MSW or LCSW.
Gathers info for assessment,
provides individual and group
therapeutic services, develops a
treatment plan, case management,
advocacy, discharge planning and
referral to community resources
WHAT IS A MENTAL DISORDER?
 Impaired
or dysfunctional cognitive
or behavioral patterns that occur in
individuals that cause suffering,
pain or some level of disability
From:
Suppes and Wells “The Social Work Experience: An Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare”
WHAT AFFECTS THE
MENTAL HEALTH OF AN
INDIVIDUAL?
WHAT AFFECTS THE MENTAL HEALTH
OF AN INDIVIDUAL?
 Biological









Factors
Heredity
Physical Trauma, Brain Injury
Substance Abuse
Infections
Congenital Defects
Malnutrition in early childhood
Chronic disease
Brain chemistry
Menopause/hormonal changes
WHAT AFFECTS THE MENTAL HEALTH
OF AN INDIVIDUAL?
 Psychological




Factors
Childhood Trauma, such as emotional,
physical, sexual abuse
Childhood Neglect
An important loss in life
Trauma, at other stages of life
WHAT AFFECTS THE MENTAL HEALTH
OF AN INDIVIDUAL?
 Environmental





Factors
Crisis (exposure to natural disasters, etc)
Lack of health care
Poverty
Chronic unemployment
Stressful life experiences
Loss
 Major life changes

SOME COMMON MENTAL HEALTH
DISORDERS:
 Dysthymia
 Major
Depressive Disorder
 Generalized Anxiety Disorder
 Bipolar Disorders
 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
 Schizophrenia
 Conduct Disorder
 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
 Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder
THE DSM IV-TR
A
manual that is a system of
classifications of mental disorders
 Diagnosis
is determined by
behavioral patterns that cause
suffering and disability