Social Work Week (March 7-13)
by Marcello Bernardo
Social workers play a critical role in hospital settings by helping patients and families address the impact of illness and treatment. Tremendous stress often stems from hospitalizations that are sudden and, at times, related to catastrophic illness or injury. Stressors such as decreased personal control, information overload, change in functional ability and reduced financial resources, can lead to a range of emotional responses such as, anxiety, anger, and depression.
Social workers, as part of the health care team, provide assessment and appropriate interventions to aid the patient in achieving optimum recovery/rehabilitation and quality of life. Social workers often have specific expertise in areas such as general medicine, emergency work, pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, neurology, psychiatry, and palliative and end-of-life care.
March 7-13, 2022 is Social Work Week. The Social Work profession contributes to the overall health and well-being of individuals, families and communities. Social workers are unique among helping professionals because they look at people’s challenges within the context of their social environment. They also understand and consider the connections between personal challenges and larger social issues. Social workers help to identify the source of stress or problems, strengthen coping skills and find effective solutions.
The theme for this year’s Social Work Week is ‘we all need support’. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, people and communities across Ontario are navigating the mental health impacts of anxiety, stress, and burnout like never before. Ontario has more than 20,000 Registered Social Workers who have been on the frontlines of recovery. As the largest provider of mental health care in the province, social workers are vital to ensuring mental health access for all Ontarians. In health care, long-term care, schools, community mental health, private practice and more, social workers are there to intervene early, reduce barriers, and deliver the quality mental health care that individuals, families, and communities need, now more than ever.
Thank you to all of the social workers who makes a positive impact on the real lives of thousands of patients who receive care at our Hospital and beyond.
