The primary mission of the Clinical Social Work Department is to identify and provide services to patients at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center who have significant psychological, social, emotional, financial, educational and/or cultural needs.
Clinical social workers assess and evaluate the needs of patients in relationship to their:
- Associated costs of care
- Continuing care needs
- Diagnosis and prognosis
- Discharge
- Hospital admission
- Medical treatment
Clinical social workers are counselors who specialize in helping people of all ages cope with life. Any situation that is causing psychosocial/emotional stress for a patient/family should be referred to a clinical social worker for intervention. The ultimate goals are to:
- Facilitate smooth transition between hospital and home/community destination
- Increase coping effectiveness
- Strengthen support systems
Examples of issues that clinical social workers will assist with include: adjustment to illness/new diagnosis causing stress, adoptions, adolescent pregnancy, adult/child abuse, changes in body image, cognitive impairment with or without medical etiology, death, depression, developmental and physical disabilities, difficult/disruptive patients/families, domestic violence, eating disorders, high risk pregnancy, homeless, mental illness, multiple admissions, non-compliance with medical treatment and follow-up, substance abuse and any crisis.
This group of experts provides crisis intervention, supportive counseling, consultation for mandated reporting, community service linkage and referral, and consultation to the healthcare team on management of a patient's psychosocial and psychiatric issues.
Clinical social workers are available from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week. For more information, please call (480) 728-7046.
