March marks the celebration of National Social Work Month, a time to recognize and honor the invaluable contributions of social workers. Within the UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers (LICSW) form an integral part of the multidisciplinary team dedicated to providing care for patients.
Their roles extend beyond traditional therapy sessions, encompassing advocacy, support, and empowerment for those facing mental health challenges.
The Heersink School of Medicine communications team sat with Shawnneice Brock, MSW, LICSW-S, PIP, Richard De Shazo, LICSW, Caroline Holman, LICSW, Karen Marks, LICSW, PIP, and Bronwyn McInturff, LICSW, to learn more about the pivotal role the LICSW team plays within the UAB Department of Psychiatry, shedding light on their compassionate approach and the profound impact they have on the lives of patients.
Q: What specific services does the LICSW team offer within the UAB Department of Psychiatry?
Our services predominantly encompass individual therapy sessions, with occasional marital therapy sessions catering to adults across all age groups. While we primarily focus on individual and marital therapy, we anticipate the introduction of specialized group sessions in the future. Our clinical services are delivered both independently and collaboratively with our psychiatrists/advanced nurse practitioners, who oversee medication management. This collaborative approach ensures that our patients benefit from a diverse clinical team, fostering optimal opportunities for enhancing mental well-being.
Q: How does the LICSW team collaborate with other mental health professionals within the department to support patients?
Collaboration is a key component of social work practice, proving essential and advantageous to directly engage with professionals from other departments as needed.
Social workers, alongside psychiatrists, psychologists, and advanced practitioners, collaborate to deliver comprehensive holistic care to patients. This mutual respect for each other's expertise and specialization ensures that our patients receive tailored support that addresses their unique needs effectively.
Q: What are some common challenges or issues that patients seek assistance from the LICSW team for?
Patients often approach the LICSW team seeking support for a variety of challenges or issues, including anxiety, depression, stress management, grief, trauma, chronic illness, relationship issues, or addiction counseling.
Our LICSW team adopts a comprehensive therapy approach, leveraging our broad scope of practice. This allows us to pivot between therapeutic modalities and utilize integrated models tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient. We approach cases from both an individual and systems-level perspective, allowing for a holistic understanding of the patient's circumstances. Moreover, social workers have the ability to assist patients in navigating community resources or the healthcare system when necessary.
Q: How does the LICSW team tailor their support to meet the diverse needs of patients, including those from different cultural backgrounds or with specific needs?
Social workers are professionally trained to recognize, appreciate, and work with diverse populations and their needs. Each patient is thoroughly assessed, acknowledging their individuality. Treatment plans are collaboratively developed by the patient and provider within a therapeutic partnership. Upholding our ethical mandate, we ensure cultural competency is maintained both within our field and in addressing the specific needs of each patient.
Q: How does the LICSW team stay updated on current research, best practices, and ethical considerations within the field of social work in psychiatry?
As a LICSW, we have an ethical mandate to maintain professional competency. This entails fulfilling continuing education requirements mandated by our state licensing board, evaluating our progress every two years. We adhere to UAB’s shared values and are passionate in exhibiting them with colleagues and our patients: integrity, respect, diversity and inclusion, collaboration, excellence, and achievement.
Our team at UAB Sparks Center engages in weekly departmental education as well reviewing updated literature, podcasts, and attending other educational opportunities for in-depth training related to our areas of specialization. Additionally, working within this setting gives us access to educators, experienced psychiatrists, and psychologists who are more than willing to share their insight and knowledge.
UAB’s core values are a part of our never-ending pursuit of excellence as social workers: Own it, Do Right, Work Together, and Always Care.