Abstract
A unique round- the- clock service has evolved out of the need to provide extended emergency coverage in the Milwaukee County Mental Health Center despite the dearth of psychiatric personnel. Psychiatric social workers, who see themselves as specialists in social functioning, have developed a combined intake-evaluation unit that sees all walkins, discusses prospective admissions, and considers alternatives to hospitalization. Using crisis intervention-psychiatric emergency criteria, they determine with applicants and referral sources the degree of disruption, the need for immediate action, and the most appropriate facility to handle the current situation. This is seen as a new extension of the traditional social work role, in the context of community mental health developments.
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References
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Mr. Hyttinen and Mrs. Golan were the first psychiatric social workers instrumental in developing the Psychiatric Emergency Service (PES) and they remain on the part-time staff. The PES has been partly supported by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (R20 MH 01839-04) and is under the overall supervision of Dr. Charles W. Landis, Director, Milwaukee County Mental Health Services.
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Golan, N., Carey, H. & Hyttinen, E. The emerging role of the social worker in a psychiatric emergency service. Community Ment Health J 5, 55–61 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01419801
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01419801