Social Work in Alaska, Homer

The purpose of Social Work - to achieve the highest possible level of health, functioning and adaptation of persons with physical and mental disorders, as well as disadvantaged socially.

Objects of Social work - the different contingents of persons who having health and social problems (long and frequently ailing, socially disadapted persons, the disabled, lonely elderly, orphans, families with many children and social family, those affected by natural disasters, AIDS and others. ) mutually potentiating each other, whose solution is difficult in the framework unilateral professional activities.

Typical work activities:

Many social workers work with young people and their families. They may also work with the following groups:

• drug and alcohol abusers;
• the elderly;
• young offenders;
• people with learning and physical disabilities;
• people with mental health conditions;
• school non-attenders;
• homeless people.

Tasks and Functions of Social Workers:

• organization of medical care and patient care;
• provision of medical and social assistance to the family;
• medical and social patronage of various groups;
• health education;
• ensuring the social protection of citizens rights in matters of health and providing medical and social assistance;
• facilitating in the prevention of socially dangerous actions;
• participate in the creation of the rehabilitation social infrastructure for the needy categories of the population;
• family counseling and family psycho-correction;
• psychotherapy, mental self-regulation;
• contribute to the implementation of preventive measures of physical disorders, mental and reproductive health at the individual, group, and territorial levels;
• provide medical, social and professional rehabilitation of the disabled;
• carrying out social work in psychiatry, Addiction, oncology, geriatrics, surgery and other areas of clinical medicine;
• facilitating the prevention spread of HIV infection and ensuring the social protection of infected and their families;
• participate in the development of comprehensive programs of social assistance to the needy population groups at different levels.