The SHH Social Work Department may provide up to 5 sessions of individual counselling for clients who are having difficulty coping with various issues in their lives. This may include, but is not limited to:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Relationship complications
- Adjustment to illness or disability
- Stress
If our Social Worker cannot meet the needs of the client, they will ensure that the appropriate links to available community resources are facilitated.
Referrals
Referrals to the SHH Social Work Department can be made by the client themselves, a physician, or another healthcare provider in the community. A written request is sufficient. Please fax your referral to 519-235-3405.
The role of Social Work as part of an interdisciplinary team is to provide the psychosocial perspective to complement the biomedical perspective. SHH’s Social Work Department use case management skills to help patients and their families address and resolve the social, financial, and psychological issues related to their health condition(s). Job functions that our Social Worker may perform within our hospital include:
- Helping patients/families adjust to hospital admission; possible role changes; exploring emotional/social responses to illness and treatment;
- Educating patients on the roles of healthcare team members; assisting patients and families in communicating with one another and with members of the healthcare team;
- interpreting information;
- Educating patients on the levels of health care (i.e. acute, rehab, home care) entitlements and community resources;
- Facilitating decision making on behalf of patients and families;
- Employing crisis Intervention;
- Providing or making referrals for psychotherapy;
- Educating hospital staff on patient psychosocial issues;
- Promoting communication and collaboration among healthcare team members;
- Ensuring communication and understanding about post-hospital care among the patient, family, and healthcare team members;
- Coordinating patient discharge and continuity of care planning