Social Work has been part of healthcare services for more than 100 years and it has an impressive history of significant contributions to the field of healthcare in a wide range of settings. Social workers are involved in healthcare at all levels; preventive care, primary care, secondary care, tertiary care, restoration care and continuing care. The inputs of social services department complete the humanitarian services of a hospital.

The Medical Social Services Department of the Bowen university Teaching Hospital serves as a fulcrum for the prompt and effective alleviation of psychosocial problems of needy patients in a conducive environment. It also undertakes professional interventions and social treatments including connecting patients and their families to necessary resources and supports in the community by providing psychotherapy, supportive counseling, crisis intervention, psychotherapeutic sessions and grief counseling amongst other services.

We conduct substance abuse counselling and treatment process for patient who need rehabilitation. We are saddled with the responsibility of conducting interviews for the purpose of obtaining the family histories of the clients in order to get to the root of the social factors responsible for the psychological disorders. In essence, we offer individual forms of counselling to client with various mental problems.

WHAT WE DO...

From the humble beginning in 1907, the healing ministry has grown over the years to include the following constituent parts of the Centre:

• Serving as the next of kin until the next of kin arrives in emergency cases
• Helping the patient to understand the social implication of medical diagnosis
• Performing socioeconomic assessments of needy patients
• Offering family therapy and psychotherapy
• Serving as link between patients and the hospital management in sensitive cases
• Helping the patient utilize family and community resources
• Developing rehabilitation plan for patients
• Counseling of patients on various psychosocial problems
• Assisting patients with admission and discharge problems
• Involving patients and family member in the treatment plan
• Provision of accommodation services to patients and their escorts
• Provision of financial assistance to recognized indigent patients
• Conducting home visit to make "on the spot" assessment of patient's situation
• Networking with other ministries, departments and agencies
• Maintenance of special homes for patients and their escorts
• Analyzing the psychosocial factors of medical research.

Staff: