Models of Social Work Practice in a Hospital

In my short career, I've been fortunate enough to work at various hospitals as a medical social worker. Doing so has helped me hone my social work skills and learn about the various community resources in different locales. Additionally, I've been able to see first-hand the true versatility of this profession, as demonstrated by how the social work role differs at each hospital.
I've practiced two main models of hospital social work practice: pure social work and social work/discharge planning. In this post I will elaborate on these two practice models and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Pure Social Work
Pure social work focuses exclusively on the psychological and social barriers that affect a patient's well-being and hinder a safe discharge home. Social workers practicing this model focus on completing comprehensive psychosocial assessments, providing brief counseling/crisis intervention services, assisting with end-of-life situations, finding shelters for hom…
I've practiced two main models of hospital social work practice: pure social work and social work/discharge planning. In this post I will elaborate on these two practice models and discuss the pros and cons of each.
Pure Social Work
Pure social work focuses exclusively on the psychological and social barriers that affect a patient's well-being and hinder a safe discharge home. Social workers practicing this model focus on completing comprehensive psychosocial assessments, providing brief counseling/crisis intervention services, assisting with end-of-life situations, finding shelters for hom…