This document outlines the role of medical social workers in an outpatient setting. It begins by defining medical social work and outpatient care. Medical social workers in outpatient settings, known as ambulatory social workers, help connect patients to services, provide mental health treatment, and aid in care coordination, patient navigation, discharge planning, and legal/financial assistance. Their scope of practice includes assessment, counseling, crisis intervention, advocacy, case management, psychoeducation, research, and policy work. Key functions involve early prevention, recognition of burnout, referrals, communication, and collaboration with the patient's care team.

1. MEDICAL SOCIAL
WORK IN AN
OUTPATIENT SETTING
TASMIN KURIEN, II MSW

2. TOPIC OUTLINE
• MEDICAL SOCIALWORKER
• OUTPATIENT SETTING
• CLASSIFICATION
• SETTINGS
• SCOPE OF PRACTICE
• MAIN FUNCTIONS
• REFLECTION
2

3. ALL MEDICAL SOCIAL WORKERS ARE HEALTH CARE SOCIAL WORKERS
Focus is on Prevention
3

4. Outpatient care
• Any medical attention that
does not require admittance to
a hospital
• Aka ambulatory care
• Medical Social Workers in
outpatient setting: Ambulatory
Social Workers
• Preferable for cost,
convenience, specialisation of
services

5. CLASSIFICATION
DIRECT SERVICE SOCIAL WORKERS
Help connect people to services and
financial or job assistance
CLINICAL SOCIALWORKERS
Mental health professionals who
diagnose and treat mental illnesses
5

6. HEALTH CARE SETTINGS
1. OUTPATIENT MEDICAL SPECIALTY CLINICS
3. LARGE PHYSICIAN GROUP PRACTICES &
SPECIALIST CARE
6
HEALTH CARE SETTINGS
2. FREE-STANDING PRIMARY CARE CLINICS

7. SCOPE OF PRACTICE
ASSESSMENT COUNSELLING CRISIS INTERVENTION ADVOCACY
7
CASE MANAGEMENT PSYCHOEDUCATION RESEARCH & POLICY-
MAKING
SPECIALIST CLINICAL
EXPERTISE
1 2 3 4

8. EARLY IDENTIFICATION & PREVENTION
RECOGNIZE SIGNS OF BURNOUT
8
MAIN FUNCTIONS OF AMBULATORY SOCIAL WORKER
CASE MANAGEMENT/CARE COORDINATION

9. PATIENT NAVIGATION
COLLABORATION
9
FUNCTIONS
REFERRAL EXPERTS

10. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PATIENT & TEAM
MEMBERS, FAMILY
DISCHARGE PLANNING
10
FUNCTIONS
LEGAL & FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

11. 1. Scope of Social Work Practice - Hospitals, Australian Association of
Social Workers.
2. A Complete Guide to Medical Social Work, Retrieved from
https://www.onlinemswprograms.com/careers/medical-social-work/
3. Social Workers in Health Clinics & Outpatient Health Care Settings -
occupational profile, NASW Center for Workforce Studies & Social Work
Practice. Retrieved from:
https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=1T1nRV2viQI%3
D&portalid=0
4. Healthcare Needs Social Workers for Outpatient Care. HIT Consultant.
Retrieved from: https://hitconsultant.net/2016/07/31/healthcare-social-
workers-for-outpatient-care/#.YD0sOWgzY2w
5. Roles of a Medical Social Worker in the Outpatient Unit. Greenwood,
B. (2017). Retrieved from: https://careertrend.com/roles-medical-social-
worker-outpatient-unit-43015.html
11
SOURCES

12. THANKYOU!