So, what do Social Workers do exactly?

Social Work is different to other helping professions in that it looks at the person as a whole and how different aspects of their environment and circumstances might impact on their functioning. This means that Social Workers look at a person and their circumstances more broadly, and look beyond a simple diagnosis – people and their lives, after all, are anything but simple!

 

...but aren’t Social Workers those people who remove children?

This is a common misconception! While Social Workers play an important role in the field of child protection, they also work in a wide variety of other fields including mental health care, primary health care (hospitals), disability support, unemployment, schools, homelessness, aged care, justice, housing and domestic and family violence. They also work in a variety of other settings including research, policy development, system reform, advocacy and education.

 

What is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker?

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are registered members with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), and have been assessed as having extensive postgraduate training and experience in the field of mental health. Under Medicare, Social Workers and general psychologists provide the same mental health support to clients.

An Accredited Mental Health Social Worker can help when you are having difficulties in your life which impact on your day-to-day functioning. These difficulties can include:

• Low mood or depression
• Stress or anxiety
• A relationship breakdown
• Conflict with family, friends or at work
• Traumatic experiences including assault, domestic violence, accidents, natural disasters or other stressful events
• Parenting concerns
• Grief or bereavement
• Using alcohol or other drugs excessively
• Trouble adjusting to a change in life circumstances
• Suicidal thoughts and/or self-harming behaviour
• A diagnosed or suspected mental health disorder

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are able to diagnose, assess and treat a wide range of mental health concerns within their professional scope of practice.

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers may also provide a suite of professional services to a variety of other industries, such as professional supervision, training, research and consultancy.

 

Do Accredited Mental Health Social Workers provide services under Medicare?

Like other eligible allied health professionals, such as psychologists, Accredited Mental Health Social Workers are assessed as having the required postgraduate training to provide a range of interventions under Medicare, including the following focussed psychological strategies:

• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• Behavioural interventions
• Cognitive interventions
• Relaxation strategies
• Skills training
• Problem solving
• Anger management
• Social skills
• Stress management
• Parenting skills
• Interpersonal therapy
• Psychoeducation (including Motivational Interviewing)
• Narrative Therapy