This article is describing about the Psychiatric Social Work, What is the scope and the course from where you can do this degree programme in Psychiatric Social Work. In many Social Work Institutions there is Medical & Psychiatric Specialization in their MSW Programme. The Psychiatric Social Work is a highly specialized , residential and clinical degree programme which is available in few Mental Health Hospital. They are providing M.Phil and PhD Degree in Psychiatric Social Work

1. PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORK: AN EMERGING
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSION
Upmesh K Talwar
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Psychiatric social work is a spe-
cialised branch of social work which
concerns with theoretical as well as
clinical work and the knowledge of psy-
chiatry which primarily deals with prob-
lems of the mind and associated disor-
ders. The essential purpose of psychi-
atric social work is to serve the people
with problems of the mind and/or with
behavior problems or we can say pre-
cisely the problems of mind and brain.
It has grown as a result of the need felt
for people who are mentally or emo-
tionally disturbed. These people could
be helped more effectively by under-
standing their social and/or environ-
mental factors responsible for the prob-
lems of mind and brain in their manage-
ment. Professionally trained psychiatric
social worker is the qualified member of
psychiatric team treating comprehen-
sively the patients with psychiatric dis-
orders or behavioral problems. These
professionals utilize social work princi-
ple, techniques for the purpose of diag-
nosis, patient care and treatment and
finally plan the rehabilitation of the
patients in the family and in the commu-
nity. Besides they also provide other
services to mentally challenged people
like therapeutic treatment, social reha-
bilitation, crisis intervention or outreach
services in the community. A Psychiatric
Social Worker (PSW) works in close
association with psychiatrist, child guid-
ance clinics, social services department
as a member of the team in the psychi-
atric hospital and they also extend their
work in families and communities for
mentally challenged people. The role
and responsibilities of the psychiatric
social worker is fast increasing and he
is no longer confined to the hospital or
psychiatric clinic, but they are accepting
the new challenges as the mental
health hygienist in various public activi-
ties and helping the preventive mental
schemes of the government for the peo-
ple.
Mental health profession includes all
practitioners who offers their services
for improving an individual's mental
health or to treat mental illness includ-
ing psychiatrists, clinical/psychiatric
social workers, clinical psychologists, ,
psychiatric nurses, mental health coun-
sellors, professional counsellors, phar-
macists, as well as many other profes-
sionals. These professionals often deal
with the same illnesses, disorders, con-
ditions, however, their scope of prac-
tice differs. The most significant differ-
ence between mental health profes-
sionals are the laws and required edu-
cation and training.
Psychiatric Social Worker:
What they do?
A psychiatric social worker helps the
mental health professional, psychiatrist
and families of patients in a similar way
as counsellors and psychologists do.
Their main job is to assess patients and
develop patients’ specific plans of care.
They also provide therapy or coun-
selling services to patients, as well as
help family members to deal with
patients with mental illness in the family.
Psychiatric social workers typically
interview residents, their families,
agency staff and others and through
collateral investigations, the range of
services needed by residents and their
families; plans and develops a social
plan of care for each resident and
his/her family which may include direct
counselling, treatment provided by
other agency support services and/or
referral to other agencies; conducts
individual and group therapy sessions;
instructs and directs other agency sup-
port staff in therapeutic techniques;
arranges for services from referral
agencies; reviews resident and family
social situations as necessary and
modifies social plan of care as indicat-
ed; explains the scope of services to the
resident and family as is appropriate;
provides direct crisis intervention serv-
ices when required; maintains case
records and prepares reports; partici-
pates in development of multidiscipli-
nary plans of care and their reviews;
facilitates development of interdiscipli-
nary active treatment plans, writes
monthly summaries of progress toward
active treatment goals and arranges
interdisciplinary reviews of active treat-
ment plan quarterly and annually
Typical job duties include explaining
treatment plans to patients and their
families, maintaining patient records,
preparing reports, monitoring progress
toward treatment goals and conducting
annual reviews of active treatment
plans.
There is wider scope for psychiatric social
worker (PSW) who can also work as Case
Managers, Researchers, Rehabilitators,
work in acute psychiatric hospitals, in
mental health and in community mental
health and in multidisciplinary team.
A psychiatric social worker helps peo-
ple who struggle with mental health
issues cope with their problems and
obtain important social services. A pro-
fessional provides counselling to
patients and family members and helps
them obtain both financial resources
and medical services. He or she might
also investigate housing and job place-
ment options for recovering patients.
Mental health social workers are
employed in many different settings,
including inpatient psychiatric hospi-
tals, outpatient mental health centres,
prisons and government social service
offices.
In most cases, a mentally ill patient at a
prison or psychiatric hospital is
appointed a psychiatric social worker to
help him or her deal with lingering
issues. Some people voluntarily seek
help from social workers to learn how
they can obtain financial, medical or
personal assistance. Many licensed
social workers provide interpersonal
counselling services, helping patients,
family members and caregivers learn
more about mental disorders and the
best ways to cope with them. A social
worker identifies the specific problems
faced by a patient and records detailed
information in a formal portfolio.
The main goal of most psychiatric social
workers is to help patients live and work
in society independently. A professional
arranges special living situations to inpa-
tient in hospitals, halfway houses, or
assisted living facilities. He or she may
also contact potential employers to find
out about job possibilities and explain a
client's situation. In addition, a psychi-
atric social worker helps patients and
their families obtain services and finan-
cial assistance from non-profit commu-
nity organizations or government offices.
A good psychiatric social worker will
give appropriate counselling to patients
and also to family members and lead
those to financial as well as medical
resources. They will do things such as
look for housing and job related oppor-
tunities for patients who are in the
process of recovering. Psychiatric
social workers are hired for different
types of settings such as “outpatient”
and “inpatient” mental health care cen-
tres, prison and government run social
services centres.
Most of the time when a patient in a
mental hospital or a prison is appointed
a social worker, it is to help them to deal
with lingering mental health issues.
Most social workers will give interper-
sonal counselling to help patients fami-
ly members and other caregivers, to
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PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORK:....
(Continued from page1)
learn more about mental health and the
best ways to deal with it. A good psy-
chiatric social worker is trained to iden-
tify problems facing the patient and will
write down all the details concerning
the patient in a portfolio. The goal of all
this is to help the patient live and work
in society with as much confidence as
possible.
As mentioned before, a psychiatric
social worker can help with future
employment and housing needs of the
patient. The way how this is done is by
cultivating contact with potential
employers and landlords and explain to
them the needs of the person. Social
workers can also help the patients get
financial assistance from various gov-
ernment organizations, non- profit
organizations and NGO’s. In order to
become a psychiatric social worker
there are some minimum qualifications
needed to get certified. The minimum
requirements are a master’s degree
with a few years of supervising experi-
ence. In some countries and states,
one has to pass a written exam to get
the license to practise.
Clinical and Non Clinical Role
of Psychiatric Social Worker:
The PSW work in close association with
Clinical and Non Clinical professionals
and they do both kind of the work- clin-
ical and non clinical. The Clinical
Social Work may include one or more
of the following:
Q Reception- Accepting the patient
Q Diagnosis / Analysis of Patient
Q Treatment
Q Rehabilitation of Patient
Q Pre- convalescent
Q Pre-Parole Services
Q Follow- Up : after care
Q Case History
Q Case Work with Patient
Q Case Work with Relative
Q Orientation of the Staff
Q Advocating for care
Q Protecting the vulnerable
Q Providing forensic practice functions
Q Increasing social well-being
Q Providing case management for com-
plex and high-risk cases
Q Providing clinical supervision or direc-
tion of clinical programs
Q Providing psychosocial treatment
Whereas the Non Clinical Work may
include the following:
Q Promotion of Mental Health
Q Conducting Workshop
Q Making Case Record
Q Case Identification
Q Providing Referral Services
Q Providing Recreational Therapies
Q Program Administration
Q Training for Health Volunteer
Q Mental Health Awareness Camp
Q Program planning and development
Q Providing education and resources
Q Administration of community services
or programs
Q Assessment of client needs for macro
community programs or services
Q Coordination and/or evaluation of
service delivery
Q Advocacy on behalf of persons or
groups with unmet service needs
Q Analysis and development of social
welfare policy
Q Organizational analysis
Q Provision of training about community
needs and problems
Q Human Right of Psychiatric Patients
Who can become a Psychiatric
Social Worker?
In our country, any person who has the
regular post graduate degree in social
work or in Sociology with minimum 55%
marks, though preferences is given to
MSW with Medical and Psychiatric spe-
cialization are eligible for the M.Phil or
Ph.D in Psychiatric Social Work. The
minimum requirement for psychiatric
social workers is either M.Phil or Ph.D
in Psychiatric Social Work as a full time
residential clinical programme from
recognised Institute. However, the psy-
chiatric social work aspirants often
choose to major in social work in their
post graduate studies, but post gradu-
ate candidate in sociology are given
second priority in some institute.
However, some employers like psychi-
atric hospital may exclusively require a
Master of Social Work (MSW) with spe-
cialisation in medical and psychiatric
social work.
In other countries, fresh psychiatric
social work professional besides the
M.Phil./PhD in PSW must pass a written
examination to practice the psychiatric
social work and they are awarded the
license to practice the psychiatric social
work independently. Licensing tests are
designed to ensure professional prac-
tice by the psychiatric social worker and
fully understands the fundamentals
requirements of his job, legal matters-
which varies from country to country
and the importance of confidential prac-
tices and professional ethics.
There are some of the premier institutes
in our country offering highly specialized
research degree (M.Phil or PhD) pro-
gramme in Psychiatric Social Work;
Q National Institute of Mental Health
and Neurological Sciences
(NIMHANS), Hosur Road Bangalore,
Karnataka.
Q Ranchi Institute of Neuro- Psychiatry
and Allied Sciences (RINPAS),
Government of Jharkhand Kanke,
Ranchi, Jharkhand.
Q Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP),
Government of India, Kanke, Ranchi,
Jharkhand.
Q Post Graduate Institute of
Behavioural & Medical Sciences,
Raipur, Chattisgarh-492001.
Q Pt. B.D. Sharma University of Health
Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana.
Q Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional
Institute of Mental Health, Sonitpur,
Tezpur, Assam.
Besides these, there are many other
Institutes in Delhi, Amritsar, Agra,
Gwalior and Kolkata planning to initiate
the training programme leading to
M.Phil in Psychiatric Social Work.
Skills and knowledge
A professional PSW is well equipped
with the skills imparted during their
training the knowledge of generic social
work methods and principles; various
interviewing techniques, psychiatric
assessment principles and evaluation
methods; knowledge of natural human
growth and behaviour; knowledge of
mental health treatment modalities
used in individual, group and family
therapy; knowledge of health and wel-
fare resources and the ways these
resources may be utilized; knowledge
of programs and planning techniques;
ability to write the medical history and
mental status examination; knowledge
about classification of mental and
behaviour disorder (i.e. Personality
Disorder, Psychoactive Substance use
Disorders, Schizophrenia, Mood
Affective Disorders, Neurotic Stress
Related and Somatoform Disorders,
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder etc.)
according to ICD -10 & DSM–IV and
their diagnostic criteria, Knowledge of
psychopathology (illusions, hallucina-
tion, delusion, Neologisms,
Perseveration and circumstantiality,
etc. ) knowledge of case presentation &
demonstration; knowledge about cultur-
al syndrome; knowledge of crisis inter-
vention techniques; knowledge of
patient’s rights & mental health act,
regulations, and practices pertaining to
federal and state programs and the
rights of residents; knowledge of psy-
cho-social treatment; ability to evaluate
the social service needs of individuals
and prepare a psyhco-social manage-
ment plan; ability to organize work effi-
ciently and effectively; ability to conduct
individual and group work or therapy
programs; ability to design new pro-
grams to meet individual needs; ability
to respect individual differences; ability
to follow agency policy and accept con-
structive supervisory direction and con-
sultative suggestions; ability to work
effectively with agency staff and others
and ability to communicate effectively
orally and in writing.
Scope
Today the psychiatric social work has
many job opportunities in government
as well in private sectors as a psychi-
atric social worker and can get the job
in psychiatric hospital, psychiatric clinic,
general hospital, psychiatric wards, in
psychiatric department or in unit, in
community mental health programme
and as a counsellor in hospital and also
can get good salary.
List of various mental health institute
where one can find the job opportunity
as a Psychiatric Social Worker:
Q Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied
Science (IHBAS),Jhilmil, Dilshad
Garden, Delhi
Q Institute of Mental Health & Hospital,
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Q Mental Hospital, Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh
Q Gwalior Mansik Arogyashala,
Gwalior, MP
Q Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry
and Allied Sciences (RINPAS),
Ranchi, Jharkhand
Q Central Institute of Psychiatry,
Ranchi, Jharkhand
Q G B Pant Hospital, Agartala
Q Mental Hospital, Indore (M.P.)
Q Institute of Mental Health, Amritsar,
Punjab
Q LGB Regional Institute of Mental
Health, Tezpur
Q Mental Health Centre,
Thiruvananthpuram
Q Hospital for Mental Care,
Visakhapatnam
Q Institute of Psychiatry & Human
Behaviour, Goa
Q Psychiatric Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Q Mental Health Hospital, SCB Medical
College, Cuttack (Orissa)
Q Hospital for Mental Health, Jamnagar
(Gujarat)
Q Regional Mental Health Hospital,
Yerwada, Pune, Maharashtra
Q Regional Mental Hospital, Thane
Q Pavlav Mental Hospital, Kolkata
Q Lumbini Park Mental Hospital,
Kolkata
Many experienced psychiatric social
workers are involved in formulation of
public policies, advice government offi-
cials on the creation of new programs,
facilities to meet the needs of mental
health of people in their community and
have become supervisors or adminis-
trators of the mental health programme.
As a professional they may pursue a
doctoral programme in order to become
a teaching faculty in the concerned
institution. There is a need for more
mental health professionals-psychiatric
social workers, clinical psychologists
and professional psychiatric anthropol-
ogist in all settings of hospital dealing
with the problem of mind and brain and
providing their solutions of hope to peo-
ple who often feel isolated from society
at large. Psychiatric social work is the
collateral field helping the people with
mental health problems and other relat-
ed issues and provides the important
social services to psychiatric patients.
(The author is Assistant Professor,
Department of Social Work, Central
University of Himachal Pradesh,
Dharamshala, Dist. Kangra,
Himachal Pradesh.
email: talwarmsw@gmail.com)
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