Teaching the textbook
What can a Public Heatlh Social Worker
Do?
- Find people who need help.
- Assess the needs of your clients, their situations and support networks
- Come up with plans to improve their overall well-being
- Help clients to make adjustments to life challenges, including divorce, illness and unemployment
- Work with communities on public health efforts to prevent public health problems.
- Assist clients in working with government agencies to receive benefits.
- Respond to situations of crisis, including child abuse or natural disasters.
- Follow up with clients to see if their personal situations have improved
(Allen & Spitzer, 2015)
Story time. Was applying for a job on base and had to have a tubulous test (TB test). When I went back a few days later, I had a positive reading. First thing the doctor did was send me to public health on base. They interviewed me on my whereabouts trying to pinpoint where I could have contracted it. They created a treatment plan and then sent me to X-rays to check my chest. Ended up being a false positive but I was able to see public health in action.
My brother-in-law Sam is a public health social worker and works in a hospital setting in Tucson, Arizona. When chatting about his career I asked what some are of the greatest things that come from the profession. He replied, ” You have the opportunity to make a positive impact and set up and individual with a plan to move forward, while working within the community and resources. Supporting these vulnerable populations in a time where they could use empathy and understanding.” Never considered doing public health but I find it admirable and a big need.
Collected picture from google. Information is from our textbook, interview with my brother-in-law and personal stories. Thank you for your time.
Neveah Reese
Public Health Social Workers are so important, as they are guiding people through stressful times. Stress for the patient/client, stress for the families and others involved, as well as financial stress in some situations too. With unknowns, change in lifestyle, and heavy information it is extremely helpful to have someone there to help you understand and help advocate! These social workers hold a lot of confidential information and discuss challenging topics, so their commitment and passion are certainly not unnoticed.
Sean McCrossin
I think this is one of the major occupations capable of unanimously uniting the world. It has potential at the very least. The thing about every one of these blogs this semester is that the information and stories in them should be shared. If foe example, people sought out help more often, then health social workers could spread the message even more through their clients. Something to consider is possibly spreading the message even further yourself, and especially since I personally learned a lot myself.
Ian Miller
Public Health social work seems very stressful. Between each client having specific needs, circumstances, and expectations, and the everchanging procedural and policy driven environment that exists in the public health sector, this field presents as very complex and dynamic, but potentially incredibly rewarding (like all of social work, we get out what we are willing/able to put in). I think public health is definitely a space that if your heart isn’t in it, the consequences will only make a person’s difficult situation even worse.
Christine Ryan
I agree you need to be passionate about your work to be successful in this field. It is taxing and takes a special type of person who can handle all the stress that comes with it.
Robi Naranjo
While reading your blog and the chapter it was enlightening. My best friend is a public health nurse and just learning about the description of public health social workers public health nursing and social work are so related. She takes the public health and community health ethos everywhere with her and is always encouraging living it and helping people even outside the public health center, shes a nurse but also a social worker basically.
Christine Ryan
100% she is also a social worker and sounds like she lives it. Wonderful to hear all the stories of people connecting and helping others out, both public health nurses and public health social workers have alot of the same goals.