By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Self-Care Habits to Help You Live an A+ Life
    September 21, 2023
    Keep Employees Safe & Healthy By Reducing Warehouse Injuries
    September 20, 2023
    What is Pneumonia? Causes, Treatment, and Care
    September 19, 2023
    Navigating Through the Essentials: Medical Billing Training for Beginners
    September 12, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    2012: The Year in HealthCare Charts
    January 8, 2013
    Wasting Money At the End of Life?
    December 17, 2011
    Person-Centered HealthCare: ER Doc’s Letter Shows Human Side of HealthCare
    March 1, 2013
    Latest News
    Job Seekers with Disabilities Should at Health Insurance Benefits
    September 12, 2023
    Reasons That Drug Prices Are Rising to Unsustainable Levels
    September 12, 2023
    How Revenue Lifecycle Management Helps Healthcare Providers to Optimize Business Operations
    September 6, 2023
    The Hidden Benefits of Practice Exams for Medical Professionals
    September 6, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: What Are Social Workers Doing to Promote Mental Health?
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Mental Health > What Are Social Workers Doing to Promote Mental Health?
Mental Health

What Are Social Workers Doing to Promote Mental Health?

ashleymarsh
Last updated: 2021/11/15 at 6:10 PM
ashleymarsh
Share
8 Min Read
mental health counseling
Shutterstock Licensed Photo - By Halfpoint | stock photo ID: 1316330951
SHARE

Social work deals with a broad spectrum of social problems, from developing treatment plans for those suffering from various social issues to counseling students. No one in the field provides the emotional support that social workers provide to those with troubled lives. It’s a common notion that a more significant portion of social workers is typically associated with case management. On the contrary, according to research published in Health Affairs, almost 65% of all mental health services are provided by clinical social services in the U.S. With more than 200,000 clinical social workers in the field, these professionals are the largest group of mental health service providers in the country. These highly trained professionals work towards improving people’s lives who suffer from various mental health problems through educational programs, research, direct practice, crisis intervention.

It is safe to say that mental health and social work are intricately linked. Since its inception, the field of social work has been on the frontlines advocating for countless social causes such as mental health awareness, disability pay, child abuse, social security, and more. A qualified social worker is able to diagnose, assess, and recommend a treatment plan for various emotional issues, mental illnesses, and behavioral disorders. These can include dealing with anxiety, substance abuse, depression, significant life events, child abuse and neglect, and more. Social work is full of lucrative career opportunities, specially in mental health, given that the practitioners go for the right qualifications. For instance, deciding to pursue a degree of master in social work is a smart move if you prefer providing hard support to people with mental health issues in the best way. Highly trained and educated social workers are at better odds to improve the quality of life of people through direct practice.

  1. Social Work and Mental Health

Living a normal life becomes complicated when an individual suffers from mental illness and deteriorating mental health. Such conditions present unprecedented challenges for such individuals when they interact with their families and the community. These are the times when a professional like a mental health social worker proves to be a supportive anchor and plays a critical role in aiding the mental wellbeing of society as a whole. Social workers dealing with mental health directly work with individuals, families, and specific groups to help those living with mental illnesses and also make efforts to promote mental wellbeing.

More Read

mental health promoted by social workers

How Social Workers Promote Mental Health

How Is Anxiety Reducing Medication Used for Losing Weight?
The Importance for Nurses To Understand The Connection Between Physical And Mental Health
Is Mental Health Becoming More Widely Understood?
Undifferentiated Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
  • Role And Responsibility Of Mental Health Social Workers

The environment they work in may depend on the group of people they are treating and the nature of the treatment. Social workers typically perform the following roles and responsibilities when dealing with mental illnesses.

  • Come up with strategies to help clients cope with mental illness challenges
  • Offer psychotherapy services based on assessment
  • Understand the patient’s needs based on their current mental health condition
  • Support client deal with issues like sadness, stress, depression, hopelessness, and anger
  • Track the client’s progress and provide follow up
  • Play a role in improving the client’s physical issues like abnormal diet, pain, self-harm, sleeplessness, etc. caused by mental health challenges
  • Help people deal with practical difficulties like losing a partner, going through a divorce, unemployment, and adjusting to an illness
  • Prefer and direct the client to the right resources and professionals if you don’t find yourself fit for the case
  • Ways Social Workers Deal With Mental Illnesses

Through Crisis Intervention

Sometimes quick and sound intervention is required from professionals to deal with emergencies caused by extreme symptoms of mental illnesses. Social workers can use their standard strategies to deal with common symptoms or experiences caused by mental conditions. However, some individuals’ symptoms may reach a crisis level, such as a psychotic episode, drug overdose, suicide attempt, etc. In such situations, mental health social workers may manage the dangers and help the patient in the following ways:

  • Assessing the situation quickly and coming up with a crisis management strategy
  • Calm the situation and the client and implement the strategy by taking necessary actions
  • Take help from other professionals and utilize all available resources to handle the crisis
  • Document the successful resources, plans, and equipment used to manage the situation

Providing Individual And Group Therapy

According to the setting and the extent of the patient’s condition, social workers can use therapy to reduce the symptoms. They may utilize various clinical social methods to give both individual and group therapy that may be short or long-term. Mental health social workers may use different approaches like motivational interviewing, mindfulness training, harm reduction techniques, dialectical and cognitive-behavioral technique, and more. Therapy helps people confront their situation and better understand their mental health issues. It is also an effective way to listen to other people’s stories and share your own experiences in group therapy.

Educating About Prevention

Social workers play a very crucial in keeping our community together. They don’t only feel responsible for supporting the less fortunate in society but also believe in educating the masses. Even today, mental health is considered taboo in many communities, and hence, people are not aware of its disadvantages. Social workers offer individual help and volunteer, arrange sessions, and work with various organizations to teach people about mental health issues, the problems associated with them, and how to prevent them. In some cases, they may also create programs and help organizations produce policies that address the symptoms and signs of mental illness and how to detect them for early intervention.

Mental health is one of the few topics that are rarely discussed and taken “seriously” in our society. However, the truth is that mental wellbeing is as important as physical and emotional wellbeing. Mental health should be considered a part of an individual’s overall health. Social workers play a defining role in promoting mental health wellbeing for people who need it and educating the general people. Social work is one of the most rewarding fields where professionals are dedicated to improving the quality of life of people suffering from depression, anxiety, abuse, addiction, and other traumatic life events.

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
ashleymarsh November 15, 2021
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
By ashleymarsh
Follow:
Ashley Marsh is a senior content writer at Maan Softwares Inc. She has been writing for various companies for over four years on a variety of topics. Ashley specializes in technical writing with an emphasis in mobile development, web design, and technology trends. Ashley finds covering the tech world to be an exciting and engaging experience as each day brings new and groundbreaking technologies to explore and write about. When she's not writing about tech she enjoys walking her two chihuahua-poodle mixes, Ginger and Pepper.
Previous Article Dietary Supplements: Give Your Health an Extra Boost
Next Article The Different Treatment Options For Cavities And Tooth Decay Depending On Severity

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

abdominal pain
The Impact of Abdominal Pain on Female Health
Women Health September 20, 2023
5 Self-Care Habits to Help You Live an A+ Life
Health September 20, 2023
warehouse worker health and safety
Keep Employees Safe & Healthy By Reducing Warehouse Injuries
Health September 20, 2023
self-care tips for nurses
Self-Care is Critical for NICU Nurses, Here’s Why
Nursing September 19, 2023

You Might also Like

distress tolerance DBT
News

Why Healthcare Professionals Like Sherief Abu-Moustafa Support Strengthening Distress Tolerance Through DBT

September 10, 2023
manage Anxiety
Anxiety

5 Tips to Manage Your Anxiety More Efficiently

August 20, 2023
5 Reasons to Consider Seeing a Therapist
HealthMental HealthTherapies

5 Reasons to Consider Seeing a Therapist

August 4, 2023
good mental health
Mental Health

Why Goal-Setting Can Contribute to Good Mental Health

July 16, 2023
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US
© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?