Social work

Social workers at TQEH are part of the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and work across most services.

Social workers are:

• qualified health professionals, who must be eligible for membership in the Australian Association of Social Workers
• available to work with inpatients at TQEH every day.

Social work allied health assistants are also part of the broader social work team.

Social workers work as part of the multidisciplinary treating team for the best outcomes for patients through:

• responding to suspected abuse, whether it is domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, elder or vulnerable person abuse
• crisis/trauma intervention
• counselling and therapeutic interventions, including trauma counselling, grief and loss counselling and psycho-education for patients and families
• comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment/s
• linking to community services
• carer/family support and stress
• patient-centred/human rights advocacy
• assisting with socio-legal and ethical matters
• providing support towards coordinating complex discharge planning where clinically indicated.

Social work allied health assistants work alongside social workers to provide practical information and support, including:

• filling out paperwork for government services, including Centrelink
• organisation of housing
• practical assistance
• financial assistance
• community referrals.

If you would like to see a social worker as an inpatient at TQEH, talk to your treatment team about the issues you would like to discuss or any assistance you require during your hospital stay, or after you are discharged.

The treatment team, who are dedicated to your care, can organise for someone from the social work team to visit you in hospital, before you are discharged.