Professional Practice in Healthcare Social Work: Roles, Responsibilities, and Clinical Contributions (PRO-Care)

In Sweden, a Healthcare Social Worker (HSW) is a licensed professional within Healthcare Social Work. They provide psychosocial support within general healthcare services, including somatic care, psychiatry, rehabilitation services and related fields. Broadly, this includes psychosocial assessments and evaluations of social circumstances, crisis support, counselling and supportive conversations, as well as providing information and guidance for patients and their families.

However, there is currently no unit or comprehensive body of knowledge regarding the specific tasks and methods employed by HSW in their professional practice. This gap has been identified both nationally and internationally. To address this gap, this research project has been initiated in collaboration with Professor Lynette Joubert at the Melbourne School of Health Sciences.

The aim of the study is to explore and describe the social work practice within Swedish healthcare services, with a specific focus on HSWs by identifying and mapping their professional tasks and competencies.

The research project is planned as a pilot study. A survey will be distributed in which HSW will record their work activities during a typical working day, including practice methods, therapeutic interventions, client contacts, administrative tasks, collaborative activities. The data will be analysed using descriptive statistics.