My aged care

Brokering Social Work through My Aged Care Providers

Supported Pathways are now working in the My Aged Care space, providing Social Work services through Heather Senior Care.

* Assisting Seniors to obtain MAC Codes for accessing day respite in the
community
* Assisting with applications for Hardship claims
* Assisting with any other Social Work services which Seniors struggle with

Role of Social Workers
Social workers are allied health professionals who provide a range of services to help people improve their wellbeing. They must attain a degree qualification through a recognised tertiary institution and maintain continuig professional develoment to maintain registration.

Social Workers must be registered with the Australian Association of Social Workers – AASW and therefore are accountable for their practice before they can provide therapeutic services within the NDIS and/or the Aged Care System. They must undertake professional clinical supervision to be able to practice within the NDIS and/or the Aged Care System

The profession is recognised through the Allied Health Professions Australia -AHPA.

Social workers can undertake assessments, provide individual and group interventions, and provide training for carers and other stakeholders.

Social Worker
Social workers support people to make change in their lives to improve their personal and social well-being. This happens by identifying issues that require change and connecting people with support such as secure housing or family therapy. Social workers have knowledge of human behaviour and development, life cycle stages, families and social networks, disability and health, including mental health.

Where do social workers practise?
Social workers work in a wide range of public and private settings including community health centres, and public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, education facilities, mental health settings; alcohol and drug services, private clinics and non-government organisations, refugee facilities, correctional institutions, universities and research facilities, group homes, supported employment and government departments.

When should I see a social worker?
There are a wide range of reasons to see a social worker. Issues social workers typically become involved in are

family dysfunction,
financial difficulties,
applications for welfare,
linking with community resources,
parenting difficulties,
child abuse,
trauma,
disability,
unemployment,
mental health problems,
alcohol or drug addiction,
unstable accommodation,
and many more
What services do social workers provide?
Social workers offer a broad range of services to individuals or groups. From a primary health perspective, typical social worker services include:

Personal and family counselling or therapies and group work

Service information and facilitated referral or linking to relevant services

Service coordination or care management

Advocacy with individuals, families and particularly people experiencing social disadvantage.

How are social workers qualified?
In order to practise, social workers must meet the following requirements:

Complete a four year undergraduate degree or a two year Master’s degree accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers

Complete continuing professional development

Meet requirements set out by the Association of Social Workers to comply with the Code of Ethics and Practice Standards

Accredited Mental Health Social Workers (AMHSW) have acquired additional specialist training and skills in assisting people with diagnosed mental health conditions.

Social work is a self-regulated profession which is in the process of seeking national registration.

Further information
For more detailed information about social work, please visit the Australian Association of Social Workers website.