Drug Addicts Attitude in Clinical Social Worker - Dissertation Example

?Drug Addicts Attitude towards the Role of Clinical Social Worker at Taif Mental Health Hospital Introduction:- The Saudi society is considered to beone of the most modern in terms of development and establishment as compared to other societies. Recently, it has numerous changes that revolved around social, economic, political and educational aspect through which it gained various developments. So, the overview regarding the idea of social care and its mechanisms has changed. This is represented in developing incorporated systems that support all aspects of life. Clinical social work has witnessed numerous development and support via Saudi Ministry of Health. Clinical Social Work Department has been developed via the ministry in (1973), and it has been adopted and entered to hospitals. Clinical social workers started to work with the treating team in the hospital (Treating Physician, nurse and psychologist) with the intention of serving patients and solving their problems (Al-Rasheedi, 1991). Clinical social workers are not expected to be experts in drug and other alcohol related problems. As outlined, they are expected to know and identify the basics, be competent to raise the subject sensitively with the persons they work with, and discuss and assess the alternatives available to persons who may need or want support. Social workers are mainly expected to work intimately with social care, health and criminal justice colleagues to guarantee coordinated care. The substance and material use field is no different and its current national policies have placed working with communities and families high on its plan. This awareness to work with the social facets of substance use means social work requirements to be ready to maximize the opportunities of the partnership this presents and to have some understanding of drug and alcohol services, how they work and what they offer. This study talks about the attitude of the drug addicts attitude towards the role of clinical social worker at Taif Mental Health Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Drug addicts in mental health hospitals are the typical patients with whom the social workers have to deal. So, psycho-social work looks forward to accomplish the aims of therapeutic and preventive mental health. Identifying satisfaction of patient is important to determine the efficiency of any service (Thind, 2010). In a long term care facility, for example, a rehabilitation facility or nursing home, providers of food service use patient satisfaction surveys to recognize specific areas (e.g., food service, quality, timing and selection of the meal) that could be enhanced. To be most valuable, on the other hand, care must be taken in the growth and management of the instrument (Boyce & Neale, 2006). Chapter-I Plan of the Study: 1-         Scope of the Study:  Principles that support social work practice consist of non-judgmental attitudes, advocacy and empathy, yet often persons who experience alcohol or other drug troubles are viewed as less deserving and less worthy than those with other mental or physical health support requirements. Such prejudicial visions are reinforced by the media, own friends and families and frequently our cultures and religions. In general, medical social work is one of the most significant aspects, with which the country is focused on. This is due to the fact that patient requirements integrate therapeutic plan with the intention of providing them with social and health care. These make medical social work a specialized job that depends on scientific methods and technical mechanisms in order to accomplish its aims in different health institutions. Clinical social work mainly depends on the role of clinical social worker and his professional interference with patient, considering that patient is a human being with specific characteristics, and he is distinguished by individualistic differences that make him different from others and help him to solve pathological problems. There is no one method to raise issues of use of drug and alcohol. Educators must emphasize that raising such kind of issues mainly depends on the circumstance and the relationship among worker and client, in addition to the use of key skills and abilities by the social worker. “It was felt that education about psychosis would enable primary care physicians to leverage existing skills in managing chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardiac disorders and diabetes and extent the skills to the management of chronic mental disorders” (Integrating Mental Health into Primary Health Care: A Global Perspective World Health Organization 2008). Clinical social worker at Taif Mental Health Hospital works via methods of medical social service and executing policies and procedures of medical social work that have been adopted by Saudi Ministry of Health. On the other hand, there are some kinds of difficulties that prevent applying for this role because of various factors and reasons that did not achieve the aims of medical social service. “People with a history of drug and alcohol problems, and receiving treatment, do not necessarily pose any special challenges for IAPT services but there are often substantial clinical gains to be made in working with them” (IAPT Positive Practice Guide for Working with People Who Use Drugs and Alcohol 2012). The role of clinical social worker is characterized by certain specificity as it is very well required that social worker must be at a certain level of skill, qualification and scientific knowledge. So, professional relationship based on respect among social worker and drug addicts will assist in achieving the therapeutic aims. Attitude of drug addicts towards social workers has a major effect on the therapeutic aims. Clinical skills facilitate social workers to administer the meeting between him and the patient in order to accomplish the best results in the short time of obtainable. Social workers are on the front line of reacting to social evils and providing interventions and support to safeguard and protect children and adults. Evidence demonstrates that social workers from a range of expert areas of practice are encountering more problematic drug and other alcohol use among their patients. Social work appeared as a science taught in Saudi universities and as a profession practiced in various other institutions. The scope of social work expanded to consist of the aspects of health, education, youth welfare and caring with disabled family and patients.         2- Problem of the Study: The problem of study discusses about the attitude of drug addicts towards the clinical social worker. Clinical social workers work for the well being of their patients. But most of the times patients treat them roughly because they are in a mental health hospital. Attitude of the drug addicts is a psychological idea or a feeling that makes drug addicts to transform their reaction or response, which may be positive or negative, to a particular object, individual and situation. The study describes about the drug addicts attitude towards the clinical social worker and that always influence the way of interaction between them. The drug addicts behave differently in certain situations and if not treated with care, the situation becomes worse. Drug addicts fail to understand that clinical social workers work for their benefits and their main responsibility and concern is to cure them. It is important to change their attitudes. Another aspect is that “many practitioners do not have the knowledge or skills necessary to work in mental health settings” (Morley & Maefarlane 2010). They need good skills to deal with the patients. Drug addiction is a difficult illness differentiated by strong and sometimes disobedient drug desire, together with habitual seeking of drug and use that continues even in the countenance of overwhelming conditions. Addiction is a disease of brain that influences multiple brain circuits as well as those concerned in motivation and reward, learning and recollection and inhibitory power over behavior. As drug abuse and addiction have lot of aspects and interruption on many phases in the life of an individual, drug addiction treatment is not so easy. Helpful treatment plans normally include many factors, each intended for a particular phase of the illness and its effects. Addiction treatment must assist the patient to prevent consuming drugs and attain creative behavior in the family, at job and in society. As drug addiction is generally a chronic illness, people cannot expect to stop the use of drugs for a few days and then being cured. In most of the cases, patients may require prolonged periods of abstinence and rehabilitative care to become fully independent of the drug. The challenge of treating prevalent drug and alcohol abuse and adopting inpatient and outpatient programs in Mental Health and Addiction are so vital in Taif Medical Health Hospital. Their multidisciplinary staff consisting of psychologists, psychiatrists, clinical social workers and other mental health professionals assists thousands of patients each year to handle their mental disease and help them recover from the stage of drug abuse. Social workers evaluate and take care of patients with mental illness or drug abuse troubles, as well as abuse of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Such services comprise patient and group treatment, outreach, emergency intervention, social rehabilitation and educating skills required for everyday living. They also might assist in proposal of more helpful services to relieve patients and help them return to the society. 4 Aims of the Study: To identify the attitude as well as the role of clinical worker while treating patients. To identify facilities provided by Taif Mental Health Hospital for patients addicted to drug. To identify the general attitude and the involvement of patients during the course of treatment. 5 Importance of the Study: The study was conducted to focus on drug addicts’ attitude towards the clinical social worker. Drug addiction signifies a social problem requiring the cooperation of every institution of the society to assist drug addicts to overcome their mental battle and help them be energetic members towards building the society once they are in a normal state. Attitude of one patient towards the clinical social workers differs from that of the other. This study is an attempt to understand the connection between patients and social workers by recognizing the approach of the attitude of drug addicts towards the role of clinical social worker in the therapeutic procedure. This assists in raising this relation for patients. The study also investigates how factors influence the vision of facilities given to drug addicted. Social work leads its practice by the acceptance and the implementation of particular professional procedures and values. However, attitudes can unfavorably influence what social workers do in the helping procedure and how the patients accept and cope up with the procedure. Such attitudes seem to inevitably affect the social worker’s feelings and in turn the following behavior of the customers whom the social workers are trying to serve. Social work education continually stresses that the decisions social workers create should be valued in a free and objective manner. This study has contributed to building knowledge of the profession by giving data that will permit it to further study in detail the treatment, impact on service, and policy making for drug addicted males and their drug exposed females. This information will act as vehicle for changes that can impact the social worker, victims of drug addiction and drug exposed people. 6- Limitations of the Study: The sample size selected is only 20 due to time constraints and, therefore, it is difficult to establish information related to the study. The time available to collect data was only 30 days, which is insufficient to carry out a detailed investigation. Most of the social workers provide information on the basis of their experience and, therefore, there is a chance of personal bias. Distributing only 16 questionnaires is not enough to receive the correct opinions from social workers. 7- Terms of the Study: 1. Clinical Social Work: The principal purpose of the profession of clinical social work is the improvement of mental health and welfare of patients and families who search for services from its health practitioners. 2. Clinical Social Worker: Social work turns out to be a service which involves caring and independent principles, and its principles are on the basis of respect for the worth, equality and self-respect of all people. The aim of a clinical social worker is to help people achieve their maximum potential, improve their lives and avoid dysfunction. Their social work is focused on solving patients’ problems and creating changes for the better. Therefore, social workers are change agents among the public and in the lives of people, families and also the society or community they work in. They react towards emergency and crisis and also to everyday personal and social troubles of patients. Clinical social worker uses a range of skills, practices and behavior in harmony with its holistic concentration on persons and their surroundings. Social work involvement varies from mainly person focused psychosocial method to participation in social policy, forecast and progress. This includes psychoanalysis, clinical social, group work, social work, social pedagogical work, family treatment and rehabilitation and also hard work to aid people take services and wealth in the society. Interventions also involve agency supervision, community organization and involving in social as well as political acts to influence social strategy and economic development. Clinical Social workers try to reduce and put off hardship and distress of patients. They have the duty to assist patients, families, groups and society through conditions and actions of suitable services and by contributing to social strategy. “Social workers form relationships with people and assist them to live more successfully within their local communities by helping them find solutions to their problems” (Ousey & Mclntosh 2008). They perform with, in support of, and for the benefit of people to allow them to deal with personal and social problems along with attaining necessary resources and services. Their work might consist of, interpersonal system, social growth, group work, community work, policy development, social action, research, social work education and administrative as well as supervisory task in their area. The area of practice for professional clinical social worker is increasing day by day. Clinical social workers help people to conquer some of life’s most complex challenges such as mental illness, addiction etc. They assist in avoiding emergencies and advice patients, families and society to survive more efficiently with the anxiety of daily life. Clinical social workers are approved mental health professionals. They provide patients, families and society to obtain preventive and rehabilitative interventions for a better quality life. By paying attention on social and emotional progress within the social setting, their profession is social integrity and action oriented. Clinical social worker takes a holistic method and forging healing relationships while dealing with mental patients. This makes their role a distinct one. Through this holistic attitude, the social worker makes the patient to recognize the patient’s entire condition and how to behave with that. Establishing an efficient helping rapport with patients who use services is vital to the role of the clinical social worker in turn to make certain that healthier results are achieved. Social workers require adequate time to mix knowledge of skills and principles and reveal efficient listening, honesty and integrity, positive attitude towards work, value as well as sensitive commitment which it requires. The skill to develop and continue such relationships can be supported by a workload which goes above resources, by supervision of risks and by raising the expectations from people who make use of services of the social worker’s capability to satisfy their needs. 3- Professional Practice in the Medical Field: Professional practice for medical social work is the model of professional practice, in which social worker focuses on using technical methods to solve the problem, without preferring to apply a specific method for social work. This is done in order to help the beneficiaries of the services of medical institutions to satisfy their needs and solve their problems, taking into account all patterns of dealing (individual, family, organization, small community) and depending on skills as well as cognitive basics. In UK, practitioners are specialized as apothecaries, physicians, druggists, tooth drawers, surgeons, midwives and others. An apothecary is almost always apprentice trained. He not only compounds and dispenses medicine but also prescribes treatment. The physician here was concerned with internal disease. He was university trained, although he may have completed an apprenticeship as well. “Druggists made and sold medicines but did not engage in active practice. Surgeons limited their work to manual labor, performing treatment for wounds, fractures, tooth extractions, operations and the like” (Cotner et al. 2003). 4- Professional Relationship:   Galal El-Deen (1999) states that professional relationship from the viewpoint of a social worker takes place through verbal and nonverbal communication between him or her and a customer. It is supposed that this connection is the one that will decide the type of help the client requires. According to Holyos, professional relationship is the source of treatment and it happens between client and the social worker. She believed it as a technique of communication between two persons who are allocated in oriented dealings toward treatment. Charles Zastrow says that social workers should not get unfair benefits out of any professional connection or even influence others to further their religious, personal, business or political interests. Social workers should not connect in multiple or dual dealings with clients in any case where there exists a threat of potential harm or exploitation to the client. In case when multiple or dual relations are unavoidable, the social worker must take steps to guard clients and must prove themselves of being dependable for setting clear, suitable and culturally responsive boundaries. He also says that in connection with clients, the focus should be on trying to gain their value as well as to demonstrate the principles and values of the social work profession, rather than creating a mere friendly relationship. Brian J. Taylor states that the professional relationship of the social worker provides a specific area of skills and knowledge in an ethical framework. It remains in the mind of an efficient social work performer. The client still makes the final decision on treatment, as in further professional relationships, unless there is a protecting mandate from authorities. Survey Questionnaire: Personal information 1 Gender: Male………………. . B. Female……………. 2 Age Below 25 ………………….. 25-23………………………….. 35 -39………………………… 40 and above ………………………… 3 Education level Higher Diploma…………………..….. Bachelor and higher……..…………… Professional……………………………. 4 General Experience Less than 5yr……………… Bove 5yrs……………. 5 Clinical Experience Less than 5yrs…………… Bove 5yrs ……………. Open ended questions: 1) Identify the attitudes and the role of clinical worker while treating the patients. 2) What are the responses of the patients during the treatment? 3) The admission of the patients in the hospital helps in avoiding addiction as well as improves cognitive and psychological aspects. As a social worker, do you agree with this? 4) According to you, what are the major factors that force people to become drug addicts? 5) According to you, are the facilities provided by the Taif Mental Health Hospital satisfactory for individuals addicted to drugs? 6) Which are the various treatment programs adopted by social workers in Taif Mental Health Hospital to cure drug addicted patients? 7) As a social worker, do you feel any kind of frustration or irritation when you have to meet the patients? If yes what? 8) Do you behave aggressively to the patients during the treatment? 9) In normal cases, how long will it for the patients to recover? 10) Are the family members of the patients satisfied with the treatment? 11) Normally, a social worker conducts various kinds of programs and activities during the course of treatment of the patients. Are these programs beneficial to the patients? Reference List Cotner, S. et al. 2003, Physick: The Professional Practice of Medicine in Williamsburg, Virginia. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Available at [Accessed on 08 Oct. 2012]. Integrating Mental Health into Primary Health Care: A Global Perspective World Health Organization. 2008. World Health Organization. Available at [Accessed on 12 Oct. 2012]. IAPT Positive Practice Guide for Working With People Who Use Drags and Alcohol. 2012, NHS National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse. Available at [Accessed on 08 Oct. 2012]. Morley, C. & Maefarlane, S. 2010, Repositioning Social Work in Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities for Critical Practice. University of Windsor thinking forward. Available at < http://www.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/repositioning-social-work-in-mental-health-challenges-and-opportunities-for-critical-practice> [Accessed on 08 Oct. 2012]. Ousey, K. & Mclntosh, C. 2008. Lower Extremity Wounds: A Problem Based Approach. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 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