Professional Practice of Medical Social Workers in the Governmental Mental Health Centers and Ways to Activate Them "An Applied Study on the Governmental Community Mental Health Centers in the Gaza Strip"

Abstract

The study aimed to activate the professional practice of the medical social worker in the governmental psychological centers. This study is considered one of the descriptive studies that relied on the social survey method. The researchers used the questionnaire tool, which was applied to a sample of 144 individual psychiatric patients who frequently visit the social worker in the seven governmental psychological centers in the Gaza Strip, and they were selected using the purposive sampling method. The concluded study came up with a set of results, the most important is that the actual role of the medical/ social worker in the governmental psychological centers as determined by patients is low, as his role with the work team came at a rate of 35. 3%, while his role with the patient’s family came with a rate of 39. 3%, and his role with the patient came with a percentage of 47. 3%. Finally, the professional methods used by the social worker in the psychological centers came with a percent of 52. 6%. The results also showed that there are obstacles that limited the professional practice of the medical social worker in the governmental psychological centers, and their level is high and are attributed to the patient, the social worker, and the psychological centers. Based on these results, the study concluded with recommendations to activate the professional practice of the medical social worker in the governmental psychological centers with patients, their families, and the work team.