PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL

WORK
- DEFINITION
- HISTORY
- PSW IN INDIA
 DEFINITION
Psychiatric Social Work, is a specialized branch of Social work,
which concerns with theoretical as well as clinical work and the
knowledge of Psychiatry which primarily deals with problems of
the mind and associated disorders.
PSW
The purpose of PSW is to help people with problems of
mind or with behavior or with the problems of mind and
brain and their solutions.
 PSW
Grown as a result of need felt and its realization for people with
mentally or emotionally disturbed could be helped more
effectively by understanding their social or environmental
factors responsible for the problems of mind and brain.
 History of PSW
• Psychiatric social work began in the United States in 1907,
when Massachusetts General Hospital initiated social work
services in its neurological clinic.

• First social worker in mental health field was in

Massachusetts Neurological Department then in Manhattan
state hospital NY and Boston psychopathic hospital.

• The specialization developed rapidly and by 1920, major

changes in the specialty were well underway.
 History of PSW
• After the world war-1, psychiatric social work flourished

• After 1920, psychiatric social workers pursued

psychological understanding of the patient and aspired to
provide direct treatment.

• After World War I American Red Cross established SW

federation in hospitals
 History of PSW
• By January 1920, there were social service departments in
42 Federal hospitals.

• Another major vehicle that helped push psychiatric social

work into a prominent position was the development of
child guidance clinics
History of PSW
• Early child guidance clinics created for juvenile
delinquents.

• Identified lack of social and psychological services for

children.

• As a consequence, child guidance clinics rapidly

broadened their mission to include children with mental
and emotional problems
 History of PSW
• In 1922, the American Association of Social Workers
(AASW)was formed.

• Initially they were part of American Association of hospital

workers.

• In 1926 they separated from the association and

considered as an independent body
HISTORY OF PSW IN
INDIA
 History of PSW in India
• The history of psychiatric social work in India began with
the establishment of child guidance clinics by sir Dorabji
Tata Graduate School, Bombay in 1937.

• 1938 a trained social worker was employed on a full time

basis.
History of PSW
• 1948 Yerwada medical hospital appointed a psychiatric
social worker.

• 1948 BHORE committee recommended for the

appointment of medical and psychiatric social workers.

• 1950 JJ hospital in Bombay employed a psychiatric social

worker.
 History of PSW
• 1962 Delhi School of Social Work introduced
specialization in psychiatric social work in the post
graduate training in social work.

• Training started @ NIMHANS National Institute of Mental

Health and Neurological Sciences
 Nature of PSW
PSW involves in supporting, providing therapy and coordinating
care of individuals who are severely mentally ill and who require
hospitalization or other types of intensive psychiatric help

PSW complete a variety of tasks like:

Psychosocial and risk assessments, individualized and group
psychotherapy, crisis intervention and support, care coordination,
and discharge planning services.
Employed in:
Emergency rooms to Intensive inpatient wards and in
outpatient psychiatric clinics
THANK YOU