We work with patients, their caregivers, the community and a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, pharmacists, nurses, case managers, and occupational therapists to support patient recovery and rehabilitation.
Services
The Medical Social Work Department comprises a team of medical social workers and social work associates. They work closely with a multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive psychosocial services to our patients and their caregivers.
We provide the following services:
- Casework Management
- Information and referral services
- Financial and practical assistance referrals to support rehabilitation and care needs
- Care planning services
- Social risk assessment for issues, such as domestic violence and child abuse
Counselling and Family Systemic Psychotherapy
We provide counselling and family systemic psychotherapy to support patients and their families in navigating the challenges associated with mental illness. Our services help strengthen family functioning, improve communication, and address relationship difficulties, including marital and couple-related issues.
Family Psycho-education Programme
We are trained to educate families on certain illnesses, such as schizophrenia and depression, and to equip caregivers with coping strategies.
- Caregiver Support
We are here to equip and support caregivers in their journey of caring for patients. - Training and Public Education
We partner our healthcare team to provide educational sessions to our community partners on mental health issues. These sessions can be conducted through seminars, talks or workshops.
If you would like to see us, please approach your attending doctor for a referral to our department.
Group Work and Family Therapy
Medical social workers provide a range of psychosocial services aimed at addressing the individual and family’s psychosocial concerns while optimising recovery and resilience for individuals, families and caregivers.
Individual and Family Systemic Psychotherapy is a key service provided by medical social workers. This form of therapy is useful for situations where individuals face:
• Relational difficulties such as problems with marriage, family members, significant others, and other social systems such as work and friendships
• Maladaptive communication patterns within families
• Challenges in negotiating rules, roles and expectations during major life transitions
• Intergenerational pain relating to unresolved trauma and anxieties
• Issues with grief and loss
• Caregiver burden and other issues with care
These sessions can be conducted in groups. Group sessions provide a safe and supportive space where participants can:
• Gain a better understanding of mental illness and the recovery journey
• Learn practical coping strategies
• Connect with others facing similar challenges
• Improve family and spousal relationships
• Build confidence in parenting
• Promote resilience and confidence in caregiving roles
Group work with the IMH MSW department is only currently available for existing patients and their caregivers. To indicate interest, please click here.
