Departments
Social Work
In the Republic of Ireland, a professional social work qualification, the National Qualification in Social Work (NQSW), is awarded to candidates who have completed an accredited university course.
...............................................................................................................................................................................Social work education has a broad social science base, with emphasis on sociology and social policy. The curriculum also includes psychology and counselling. Social work students develop skills and professional competence by completing fieldwork placements under the supervision of experienced practitioners.
Social workers work with individuals, families, groups and communities to assist them in resolving a range of problems. They are committed to the values of human rights, dignity, social inclusion and justice within an anti-discriminatory framework. Mental health social workers assert the rights of people with mental health problems to be treated, both by the healthcare system and the wider society, in a way which maintains their dignity, respects their right to make personal decisions, and maximises their quality of life.
The concept of “person in environment,” which emphasises the role which environmental factors can have in the creation, maintenance and resolution of personal problems, is fundamental to social work. It underlies the social work commitment to working collaboratively with the families of those with mental health problems. It alerts mental health social workers to the value of assessing mental illness in a broad contextual way. It sensitises social workers to the negative effects that low income, poor housing, inadequate educational provision or discrimination can have on a person’s mental health.
In practice adult mental health social workers carry out a range of functions as members of a multidisciplinary team. Individual counselling is one of their key tasks for those that experience a variety of emotional difficulties. Another key contribution is “psycho-education", which refers to working with individuals and their families to explain aspects of their illness and to offer coping strategies appropriate to the illness. In view of the fact that service provision can become fragmented mental health social workers are committed to what is known as "case management" or "care management".
This refers to working with individuals with a view to ensuring continuity of care and the co-ordination of services so as to maximise their well being and quality of life. Case management involves the integration of health services with a range of other services, such as housing, social welfare, job training and employment, statutory and voluntary agencies, all of which may contribute to positive mental health.
Find a Service