What is a Social Worker?
A Social Worker is a registered professional with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers who is guided by the Scope of Practice and Ethical Standards.
Social workers assist individuals, families and communities to resolve problems that affect their day-to-day lives. People consult social workers when they are going through a difficult period in their personal, family and/or work life. Social workers help identify the source of stress or difficulty, make assessments, mediate between conflicts, offer various forms of counselling and therapy, and help people to develop coping skills and find effective solutions to their problems. Social work is unique among the helping professions because it focuses on people’s problems within the context of their families, communities and workplaces.
Please visit the following websites for further information:
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
Why see a Social Worker?
A registered Social Worker will work collaboratively with other health care professionals to guide your treatment goals within the following areas:
- Situational Stressors (i.e work/major life change)
- Postpartum adjustment, anxiety and depression
- Grief / Bereavement
- Sleep Concerns
- Emotional regulation (i,e anger, hypersensitivity)
- Marital / relationship issues
- Parenting challenges
- Issues related to loss or adjustment
- Addiction
- Trauma
- Work-related or school-related problems
- Effective coping skills
- alcohol addiction treatment
- Family support for those suffering with mental health and/or addiction issues
- Concurrent Disorders
- Education to support wellness and recovery management
Further assistance includes:
- Referrals and advocacy for access to resources to assist individuals and families
- Assistance with form completion
- Programs
What does the Marathon Family Health Team Social Worker do?
The Social Worker can optimize your health by helping you to:
- identify & understand the source of stress or difficulty
- develop positive coping skills & find effective solutions to your problems, and
- navigate the system & find needed resources in the community or district.
The Social Worker does this through the provision of programs and services such as:
- brief short-term counselling & support, and
- evidence-based group workshops.
The counselling process typically involves setting therapeutic goals, the use of assessment and screening tools, educational materials, and “homework” exercises (eg. journaling). Some of the therapeutic modalities utilized by our social worker include mindfulness, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), brief solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, psychoeducation, etc.
Who can use this service?
Social work support at the Marathon Family Health Team is for adults, 18 years of age or older.
How do patients access Social Work support?
You may request an appointment with the Social Worker through your family doctor or other health care provider on our team. All visits are covered by the Ontario Ministry of Health for patients of the Marathon Family Health Team.
