Making the Invisible Visible Thesis

 

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Social Work in Health Care

ISSN: 0098-1389 (Print) 1541-034X (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wshc20

Making the Invisible Visible: Are Health Social Workers Addressing the Social Determinants of Health?

Shelley L. Craig PhD LCSW , Raluca Bejan MSW & Barbara Muskat PhD RSW

To cite this article: Shelley L. Craig PhD LCSW , Raluca Bejan MSW & Barbara Muskat PhD RSW (2013) Making the Invisible Visible: Are Health Social Workers Addressing the Social Determinants of Health?, Social Work in Health Care, 52:4, 311-331, DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2013.764379

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00981389.2013.764379

Published online: 14 Apr 2013.

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Social Work in Health Care, 52:311–331, 2013 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0098-1389 print/1541-034X online DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2013.764379

Making the Invisible Visible: Are Health Social Workers Addressing the Social

Determinants of Health?

SHELLEY L. CRAIG, PhD, LCSW and RALUCA BEJAN, MSW Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

BARBARA MUSKAT, PhD, RSW The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This study explored the ways in which health social workers (HSW) address the social determinants of health (SDH) within their social work practice. Social workers ( n = 54) employed at major hospitals across Toronto had many years of practice in health care ( M = 11 years; SD = 10.32) and indicated that SDH were a top priority in their daily work; with 98% intentionally intervening with at least one and 91% attending to three or more. Health care services were most often addressed (92%), followed by housing (72%), disability (79%), income (72%), and employment security (70%). Few HSW were tackling racism, Aboriginal status, gender, or social exclusion in their daily practice.

KEYWORDS hospital social work, social work, social determi- nants of health, medical social work, health and social care

Received June 19, 2012; accepted January 1, 2013. We are grateful to the inspired social workers from Toronto Western Hospital, The

Hospital for Sick Children, St. Michaels Hospital, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University Health Network, and the Ontario Association of Social Workers for sharing their time and insight with us.

Address correspondence to Shelley L. Craig, PhD, LCSW, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, 246 Bloor Street W., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A1, Canada. E-mail: [email protected]