An Examination of the Holism Paradigm: A View of Social Work

Abstract

This article examines the holism paradigm, implications on social work practice in healthcare, and how social work practice can help promote the value of social justice. Examining the holistic health paradigm fosters a critical reflection that assists to better understand beliefs and assumptions that guide social work practice, thus leading to critical action.

Social work leadership competencies in health and mental healthcare: a scoping review protocol

“…4-9 14-19 As the delivery of health and mental health services strives towards a value-based system, there will be a continued need for social workers to engage in formal and informal leadership roles to advocate for clientcentred care. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Previous research has highlighted the importance of leadership skills in increasing staff retention, effectiveness, team cohesion and reducing burnout among interdisciplinary team members, including social workers. [10][11][12][13] There has also been research on social workspecific leadership competencies and the importance of recognising these as integral components of social work practice.…”

“…Amongst these articles, those that reference leadership competencies in any form (relevance to skills training, leadership abilities, leadership capacity), as well as focus explicitly on service provision, include allied health team members and are relevant to the field of mental health or healthcare will be included for a title and abstract screening. Due to changing healthcare contexts [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] and the evolution of leadership theories over the last few decades, [39][40][41][42] this scoping review will include literature published between 2005 and 2020. This timeframe will allow us to retrieve findings as they pertain to social workers' roles within the most current health and mental health contexts.…”

“…Social workers employed in hospitals, primary care, community and mental health organisations require leadership skills to effectively support, treat and advocate for the complex needs of those with mental illness, multiple health challenges, and those most vulnerable and/or marginalised. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The changing landscape of healthcare service provision has resulted in a growing need for leadership from social workers in both health and mental healthcare settings. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Formally and informally, social workers practising within interdisciplinary teams display leadership skills when engaging in crisis management, providing critical family support, developing treatment plans, resolving complex decisions to support clients and when collaborating with multiple service providers.…”

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Formally and informally, social workers practising within interdisciplinary teams display leadership skills when engaging in crisis management, providing critical family support, developing treatment plans, resolving complex decisions to support clients and when collaborating with multiple service providers. [3][4][5][6][7] There exists a breadth of diversity in the nature of social work roles, expectations, and skill sets within the realm of health and mental healthcare across North America. Social work roles within health and mental health can vastly differ based on the organisational contexts in which social workers are situated in, as well as the political, economic, societal and cultural factors impacting roles in these domains.…”

“…Social work roles within health and mental health can vastly differ based on the organisational contexts in which social workers are situated in, as well as the political, economic, societal and cultural factors impacting roles in these domains. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Yet, an overarching commonality between social workers in both health and mental health settings is that they are situated in key positions to bridge medical models of care with behavioural health, recovery-oriented and client-centred approaches to support their clients. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] These require key leadership competencies to advocate for and prioritise client needs within a service delivery culture…”