Social Work is Essential for a Complete Medical Team

I once read about a successful project that dramatically reduced a city's homeless population. The program leader stated that only when they solved the problem of inconsistent shelter were they able to address the other issues contributing to the person becoming homeless in the first place. Many elderly patients struggle with the effects of losing a spouse or their independence through a debilitating illness. The same concept in the homeless example can be applied through social work to help patients suffering from chronic diseases remove obstacles to receiving proper treatment. Issues with mobility, transportation, adequate food, or living in a home that is no longer navigable must be resolved before a patient can hope to improve their health with a recommended care plan from a provider.

There are two tiers of Social Work within the House Calls & Main Street Physicians team that help patients and their families. The first tier is traditional social work, assisting patients and their families with advanced care planning, connecting needs to resources, assessments, counseling, and any service that helps improve the human condition. The second tier works closely with the psychotherapy specialty to support patients experiencing depression, anxiety, complicated grief, or other mental disorders recognized by mental health professionals.

Psychotherapy can relieve suffering by allowing a patient to function as normally as possible within their condition. Cognitive-behavioral therapy assists patients with chronic diseases and manages symptoms to improve quality of life through positive psychosocial outcomes. House Calls social workers to perform telehealth visits to provide counseling while working directly with psych specialists. As with all specialties offered through House Calls & Main Street Physicians, the patient care coordination between the primary care provider and specialty services is improved through its team approach and having their specialists in-house.

Social workers play a pivotal part in the practice of House Calls. We believe in giving people proper healthcare honestly; you must address the mind, body, and soul.