Public Health Social Work in Florida

1
Public Health Social Work in Florida

• Presented by Susan Potts, LCSW

This presentation is a modification of slides
originally created by the North Carolina Public
Health Social Work Continuing Education and
Training Advisory Committee (CETAC). CETAC is
one of three state of practice committees in
North Carolina that are appointed jointly by the
Dean of the UNC-CH School of Public Health and
the State Health Director. The Florida
Department of Health wishes to thank them for
their willingness to share their work.
2
Training Objectives

• Provide an overview of public health social work
• Discuss the roles and functions of public health
  social workers
• Discuss how social workers are utilized within
  DOH
• Discuss new opportunities for social workers to
  further enhance the mission of DOH

3
National Social Work Month
4
Core Social Work Values

• Every person, family and community has a unique
  combination of strengths, talents and challenges.
• Recognizing, understanding and utilizing
  strengths is essential to improving the health
  and well being of individuals, families and
  communities.
• Building on strengths is what social workers do
  best.

Source NASW National Professional Social Work
Month Toolkit 2008
5
What is Public Health Social Work?
6
Public Health Social Work

• Addresses health from a broad perspective that
  includes physical, social, emotional and
  spiritual well being throughout the continuum of
  the life cycle.

Source Public Health Social Work Standards and
Competencies May 2005
7
Characteristics of Public Health Social Work

• Emphasis on prevention
• Orientation to populations rather than
  individuals
• Focus on the epidemiology (distribution,
  characteristics and risk factors) related to
  health and social problems
• Orientation to long range strategies, systems
  change, policy and legislation
• Source Continuing Education Workshop Modules,
  Graduate School of Public Health, University of
  Pittsburgh, July 2000

8
Three Levels of Prevention

• Primary Prevention
• Prevention of disease and adverse conditions
  (physical, emotional and behavioral)
• Health promotion

Source Kathleen Rounds, MSW, MPH, PhD and
Maria Gallo, MCH Public Health Leadership
Training Program, Public Health Social Work
Module Delving Into Public Health Social Work,
NASW/PIPPAH
9
Three Levels of Prevention

• Secondary Prevention
• Promotion of early diagnosis and treatment to
  minimize the effects of illness and limit
  disability

Source Kathleen Rounds, MSW, MPH, PhD and Maria
Gallo, MCH Public Health Leadership Training
Program, Public Health Social Work Module
Delving Into Public Health Social Work,
NASW/PIPPAH
10
Three Levels of Prevention

• Tertiary Prevention
• Prevention of further disability and
  deterioration
• Restoration of client to improved functioning

Source Kathleen Rounds, MSW, MPH, PhD and Maria
Gallo, MCH Public Health Leadership Training
Program, Public Health Social Work Module
Delving Into Public Health Social Work,
NASW/PIPPAH
11
Public Health Social Work Uses the Principles of
Epidemiology To

• Identify and assess factors associated with
  resiliency, strengths and assets that promote
  optimal health
• Identify and assess social factors contributing
  to health problems, health hazards and stress
  associated with ill health
• Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility and
  quality of individual, family and
  population-based health interventions
• Source Public Health Social Work Standards and
  Competencies May 2005

12
Public Health Social WorkersFocus on

• Promotion of positive health behaviors in the
  development of lifestyles

Source Public Health Social Work Standards and
Competencies May 2005
13
Public Health Social Workers Focus on

• Enhancement of the environment

Source Public Health Social Work Standards and
Competencies May 2005
14
Public Health Social Workers Focus on

• Avoidance of risks

Source Public Health Social Work Standards and
Competencies May 2005
15
Who Are Public Health Social Workers?

• Public health social workers are professionals
  with a bachelors or masters degree in social work
  from a Council on Social Work Education
  accredited school of social work.
• Many public health social workers are licensed by
  the State of Florida as Clinical Social Workers
  (LCSW) or nationally credentialed by the Academy
  of Certified Social Workers (ACSW).
• Competency of practice is assured through a core
  body of social work knowledge, philosophy, code
  of ethics and public health social work standards
  and competencies.

Source Public Health Social Work Standards and
Competencies May 2005
16
Public Health Social Workers

• Are critical members of the public health team.
• Bring a unique set of knowledge and skills in the
  areas of human behavior, social and environmental
  systems.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
17
Public Health Social Workers

• Have expertise in helping individuals and
  families make behavioral and situational life
  changes in order to improve their overall health
  and well being.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
18
Public Health Social Workers

• Work with communities and assist them in
  identifying and addressing broad public health
  issues.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
19
Public Health Social Workers

• Perform a variety of activities ranging from
  direct service to population-based public health
  planning and program administration.

Source Continuing Education Workshop Modules,
Graduate School of Public Health, University of
Pittsburgh, July 2000
20
Roles of Public Health Social Workers

• Psychosocial assessment and counseling
• Client advocacy and education
• Case management/case coordination
• Community organizing and advocacy
• Consultation and training
• Coordination of community health assessment and
  evaluation activities
• Policy development
• Source Continuing Education Workshop Modules,
  Graduate School of Public Health, University of
  Pittsburgh, July 2000

21
What Do Public Health Social Workers Do?

• On the Micro Level (Individuals, Families,
  Groups)
• Coordinate clients involvement with community
  agencies
• Counsel individuals and families who are dealing
  with emotional, physical and social issues
• Empower clients to assess their own needs and to
  advocate for themselves.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
22
What Do Public Health Social Workers Do?

• Enhance clients coping abilities
• Link clients to resources for optimal outcomes
• Provide understanding of client psychosocial and
  environmental factors for the multidisciplinary
  health care team.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
23
What Do Public Health Social Workers Do?

• On the macro level (Systems, Communities,
  Organizations)
• Assess community service needs for program
  planning and development
• Assure culturally competent services and
  resources
• Develop applications and grant proposals to
  expand service resources in the community
• Evaluate service effectiveness using outcome
  criteria and client satisfaction surveys

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
24
What Do Public Health Social Workers Do?

• Facilitate and maintain partnerships with the
  community
• Implement workshops for staff and community
  professionals
• Maintain awareness of available community
  resources
• Provide supervision and training for other social
  workers, students, and others.
• Promote policies that address health disparities.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
25
Where are Public Health Social Workers Found?

• Childrens Developmental Services Agencies
• Community,Migrant and Rural Health Centers
• Community-based Organizations
• Local Public Health Agencies
• Health Clinics
• Home Health Agencies
• Hospice Agencies
• Hospitals
• Public Schools
• Regional and State Government Offices

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
26
Title V Maternal and Child Health Programs

• Pregnant women and children
• Healthy Start
• FIMR
• PAMR

27
Title V Maternal and Child Health Programs

• Children with special care needs
• Early Intervention (Early Steps)
• High Risk OB Clinics
• RPICC
• Medical and behavioral
• health care

28
MCH Social Work History

• 1985 Sarah Meachen, SW Consultant in MCH with US
  Public Health Service assigned to SHO
• Fewer than 50 Social workers in CHDs
• Trish Mann hired half time as the SW in SHO
• No SW job classifications in HRS
• 13 Improved Pregnancy Outcome SW
  positions
• Trish developed the TUAY Questionnaire
• Darcy Abbott hired full time as lead SW for
  SHO
• 50 IPO Social Workers
• 57 CHD staff identified as SW 22 with
  degrees
• 6 counties had social work
  departments

29
MCH Social Work History

• 1991 Darcy wrote Improving the Quality of
  Health Care Social Work in the HRS CPHU
  System
• 1992 Social Work Services Program Manager class
  code developed requiring MSW
• SHO provided one time funding for 10 counties
• to hire 9 SWSPM positions in Healthy Start
• Darcy wrote Hiring and Recruitment
• Handbook for establishing HS SWSPMs

30
MCH Social Work History

• 1993-94 9 additional SWSPMs funded in HS
• 1994-95 10 additional SWSPMs funded in HS
• 59 social workers attend PHSW meeting
• FPHA added a social work section
• 1995-96 32 SWSPM positions in HS
• Susan Potts hired as lead social worker
• Statewide SW Meeting
• Established PHSW web site
• Broadbanding collapsed SWSPM
  position
• into broad band with other groups
• Statewide SW Meeting
• 2008 SW Share point site established

31
Other Programs Utilizing Public Health Social
Workers

• STD/HIV/AIDS
• Children with special health care needs
• Sexual violence prevention
• Abstinence education
• Child Protection Teams
• School health
• Early intervention
• Disaster preparedness
• Chronic Disease Prevention and
• Health Promotion

32
New Opportunities for DOH Social Workers

• Medical homes
• Family Planning clinics
• WIC
• Child and adult primary care clinics
• Maternity clinics
• Chronic disease management
• Health promotion

33
Public Health Social Workers Are Supported by
Many Professional Organizations

• Florida Public Health Association Social Work
  Section www.fpha.com
• American Pubic Health Association
  http//www.apha.org/
• Society for Social Work Leadership in Healthcare
  http//www.sswlhc.org/
• National Association of Social Workers Florida
  Chapter www.naswfl.org
• Association of State and Territorial Public
  Health Social Workers http//www.astho.org/?templa
  teaffiliates.html

34
Other Public Health Social Work Resources

• Florida Department of Health http//www.doh.state.
  fl.us/
• Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage
  and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
  http//www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/491/index.html
• Florida Accredited Schools of Social Work
  www.cswe.org

35
Public Health Social Work

• How do I arrange a field placement in a public
  health setting?
• Contact your schools Field Placement Coordinator
  who has information on public health programs
  willing to accept social work student interns.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
36
How Do I Get A Job in a Public Health Setting?

• For jobs in Florida visit Workforce Innovation at
  http//www.floridajobs.org/onestop/os_job_search.h
  tml
• To find social work positions in both private and
  public settings within FL.visit
• http//www.naswfl.org
• Visit www.nasw.org to identify public health
  social work positions nationwide.

37
Mission of a Public Health Social Worker

• Go to the people
• Work with them
• Learn from them
• Respect them
• Start with what they know
• Build with what they have
• and
• When the work is done and the task is
  accomplished,
• the people will say
• We have done this ourselves.

Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee
38
Be a public health social worker!
Source North Carolina Public Health Social Work
Continuing Education and Training Advisory
Committee