From Organizational Awareness to Organizational Competency in Health Care Social Work: The Importance of Formulating a “Profession-in-Environment” Fit

Abstract

Today's health care environments require organizational competence as well as clinical skill. Economically driven business paradigms and the principles underlying the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 emphasize integrated, collaborative care delivered using transdisciplinary service models. Attention must be focused on achieving patient care goals while demonstrating an appreciation for the mission, priorities and operational constraints of the provider organization. The educational challenge is to cultivate the ability to negotiate "ideology" or ideal practice with the practical realities of health care provider environments without compromising professional ethics. Competently exercising such ability promotes a sound "profession-in-environment" fit and enhances the recognition of social work as a crucial patient care component.

Two sides of the same coin – Oncology social workers’ experiences of their working life and its pros and cons

“…Or, as OSW 1 (p. 8) reported on, the OSW can also be expected to unburden other professions. This often includes ethical tensions when social work practice is restricted by the 'host' setting (Spitzer, Silverman, and Allen 2015). The voices from the practicing OSWs in this study tell us that clarifying and establishing the OSW's professional autonomy is an on-going process.…”

“…a setting whose primary domain of attention differs from the profession in question, and has recently been noted regarding social workers in health care (Glaser and Suter 2016). Spitzer, Silverman, and Allen (2015) explain the organizational motive for including hospital social workers in the healthcare system as goal oriented -to assist the system in reaching its goals by removing obstacles. Sernbo (2019), drawing on Lipsky, discusses a possible understanding of the HSW as a 'pressure-specialist', someone who handles disturbances from, for example, a mismatch between routine procedures and patients.…”

Varhainen puuttuminen nuorten rikoksiin ja hyvinvointiin liittyviin ongelmiin: kyselytutkimus monialaista yhteistyötä tekeville ammattilaisille

“…Monialaisen yhteis työn haasteena on, että jo eri tehtävien vuoksi ammattilaisilla on erilaiset tietoperustat, koulu tukset ja työmenetelmät. Esimerkiksi ank ku ritoi minnassa poliisien perustehtävä kohdis tuu tur vallisuuden edistämiseen ja rikosten estämi seen, terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten terveyden edis tämiseen ja sosiaali ja nuorisotoimen edustajil la hyvinvoinnin edistämiseen (15,25). Moni alai nen työskentely edellyttää, että sekä am mat ti lai set että esimiehet ovat sitoutuneet yhtei sen työ tavoitteen saavuttamiseen ja heillä on yhteinen käsitys toiminnan lähtökohdista, työmenetelmis tä ja päätöksenteosta (12).…”

Women Social Workers

“…Gendered attitudes and consequent behaviors are culturally engrained and influence organizational context, the second component of this model. Social workers often underestimate the impact of organizational climate, culture, and structure on their morale, including the paradox between the overt ethic of social and economic justice for women and the environmental context in which social workers practice (Spitzer, Silverman, & Allen, 2015). In this model, organizational structure refers to private and public institutions and agencies.…”