Place, Role and Functions of Clinical Social Work in the Field of Healthcare

Abstract This publication has been developed on the basis of a thorough theoretical overview. It presents in detail the place, role and functions of Social Activities specialists in the field of health care. In the methodology of the study, the researchers rely on the desk research method, through which a detailed secondary analysis of already existing empirical data and analysis of the content of documents is carried out. Going through the individual stages of the study, the place, role and functions of social work specialists in the field of healthcare are presented in detail. These functions include: assessment of the physical and mental needs of the patient, informing patients and their family members, providing support in planning finances and assistance with financial assistance, developing plans for follow-up care, individual and/or group counseling, identifying mental health problems, working with various types of documents, advocating for patients’ rights and training interested parties regarding specific aspects of the specific condition. The emphasis in the study is placed on the essence and content of clinical social work, the place and role of clinical social work specialists in the structural units of healthcare. The degree of interaction between scientific achievements and practice in the field of clinical social work is presented. The functions of clinical social work specialists in the process of performing professional activities and the skills they need to possess for this are synthesized. A number of facts are identified, confirming the importance of the clinical social worker in multidisciplinary health care teams.