Transcript Document

A View of the Role of the Counsellor and the Social Worker on
the City South West Multi-Disciplinary Team.
City South West Sector Profile
Functions of the Service
Services Offered By Social Work
•
•
Clients are helped through counselling to explore
their difficulties within a caring, professional and
confidential environment. The sessions enable
them to access the coping and managing skills
needed to determine what course of action would
best help them resolve their personal issues.
•
•
•
•
The population of City South West is 23,591.
Activity figures show that 28% of all admissions
and 25% of outpatients in the South Lee
Catchment area are generated by this sector.
There are 19 Electoral Districts. 13 of those
have maximum scores out of a possible 16 in the
SAHRU Deprivation Index (Irish Index of
Deprivation). This scale takes into account the
following 5 indicators, unemployment, low
social class, no car, type of housing tenure and
overcrowding. (Kelly & Teljeur, 2004)
The area is also part of the RAPID Programme
(Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and
Development).
• Clients are helped to find their own solutions and
to gain insight into repeating patterns of
behaviour that may be preventing them from
leading fulfilling and satisfying lives.
Audit Review of 216 Clients
2004 – Present Day
Key Findings on Mental Health and Well Being
•
It is known that deprivation affects mental
health. The Health Research Board statistics
(2004) show a correlation between lower socioeconomic groups and higher admission rates to
hospital.
• The Slan Report (2009) found that people with
higher incomes, higher education and in paid
employment report higher levels of positive
mental health.
• It also found that reported levels of depression
are higher among urban residents, medical cardholders,
lower
income
groups,
divorced/separated people and unemployed
people.
• A similar pattern emerges for generalised anxiety
. disorder. This is more prevalent among women
in lower social class groups, urban residents,
medical card holders, divorced/separated people
and those with lower levels of education and
income.
.
Types of Problems
Depression – 47%
Anxiety
– 20%
Bereavement – 12%
Family & Interpersonal
Relationship Problems - 7%
Others
– (includes Adjustment Problems,
PTSD, Abuse) 14%
Review Findings
Age Profile
< age 20~2%
20 – 29 ~ 22%
30 – 39 ~ 26%
40 – 49 ~ 23%
50 – 59 ~ 15%
60 - 69 ~11%
70 - 79 ~ 1%
•
•
These findings highlight the importance of
making available, accessible, community based
services. These are especially important for
those in more socially disadvantaged and low
income positions.
These services would ideally offer a range of
medical, psychological and social therapies
relevant to the needs of service users.
• This service offers 14 sessions of counselling per
week to clients who live in the City South West
Area.
• It operates within the Specialist Mental Health
Service and is reserved for more complex mental
health problems.
• Referrals come from the Mental Health Team
following an assessment by them at the Out
Patients Clinic.
Mental Health Social Work
Counselling Service/City South West
•
This service began as a pilot scheme in 2004
with the aim of providing a high quality,
professional counselling service to meet the
emotional and mental health needs of the clients
attending it.
Who should be prioritised for referral to social
work?
• Individuals with enduring mental health
problems.
• Individuals who are isolated, with limited or no
social supports.
• Vulnerable parents with young children,
especially single parents.
• Individuals who are known victims of abuse or
where there is a suspicion of abuse.
• The homeless
• Families who are struggling to cope and who
require support and education.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP Group)
Service Boundaries
The Importance of Mental Health Services for
this area
Social Work Assessments:
Mobilising Resources, Networking and
Professional Advocacy: For example addressing
Complex Social Welfare and Housing Issues.
•
Supporting vulnerable parents: supportive
counselling for vulnerable parents and accessing
extra resources for families.
•
Family Interventions and group work: Support
to
families including education on Schizophrenia,
Bi-polar Affective Disorder, Depression and
Anxiety. Working with individuals and families
on the identification of early warning signs and
relapse prevention. WRAP
• Supporting Vulnerable Adults: Working with
victims of domestic abuse of a physical,
emotional or financial nature. It entails supportive
counselling, linking people with appropriate
statutory and voluntary services and the use of
legislative framework and judicial system where
necessary.
Social Work aims to address the social factors that
are connected to mental illness, working in
partnership with the individual and their family. In
their assessment of peoples needs, social workers
place emphasis on the strengths and natural coping
abilities of service users and their families. They act
to empower service users to access the services and
resources they require, to recover and maintain good
mental health, and achieve a good quality of life in
terms of their relationship, income, occupation and
accommodation.
• Social Work facilitated a recovery group in
Tearmann Phadraig for 12 weekly sessions from
October 2008 to January 2009.
• The group was based on the principles of mental
health recovery and wellness recovery action plan
(WRAP) programme developed by Mary Ellen
Copeland. The group looked at promoting
wellness and recovery through sharing practical
ideas of how to cope with the symptoms and
vulnerabilities of their illness.
• The group commenced with seven service users
from the City South West Catchment Area.
• The group members were all female and had a
common experience of mental health difficulties
and social isolation.
• The group members benefited from completing
their own wellness recovery action plan by
coming up with ideas through through group
discussion and activities.
Prepared by Mary Murray (Counsellor) and
Catherine O’ Shea (Social Worker) members of
the City South West Multi-Disciplinary Team as
part of South Lee Mental Health Services.