Queensland Government
Home / Healthcare Services / Social work

Social work

Social workers can help people, their families and carers manage the emotional and practical issues that may arise because of illness, injury or admission to hospital.

Our services

We provide a range of specialised services to support people during their health care journey.

Our social workers provide support to patients and their families on a needs basis including:

  • counselling for people experiencing sexual assault and/or domestic/family violence
  • crisis response and trauma counselling
  • grief, loss and bereavement counselling
  • counselling for people experiencing a major health crisis
  • assessment and response to child protection concerns
  • assistance with homelessness
  • support to those concerned about their mental health
  • assessment and intervention to the frail aged
  • assistance with discharge planning.

Our social workers offer a range of services to patients and their families including:

  • psychosocial assessment
  • crisis intervention and counselling
  • grief, loss and bereavement counselling
  • counselling for people experiencing a major health crisis
  • family intervention and counselling
  • discharge planning
  • referrals to community services
  • ongoing care coordination.

Our medical and subacute social workers support patients experiencing multiple chronic health issues, disabling illness and physical and cognitive decline across a number of inpatient units, including:

  • acute medical wards
  • Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit
  • Rehabilitation Unit.

Our services include:

  • psychosocial assessment
  • grief, loss and bereavement counselling
  • family intervention, case conferencing and counselling
  • complex discharge planning
  • assistance with residential care processes
  • assistance with Advanced Care Planning, including Enduing Power of Attorney and referral to Queensland Civil and Administration Tribunal
  • assistance with homelessness
  • assistance with ongoing care coordination.

We provide support to both inpatients and outpatients and their families from diagnosis to end-of-life care.

  • psychosocial assessment
  • counselling regarding a life-limiting/new diagnosis
  • grief, loss and bereavement counselling
  • family intervention and counselling
  • assistance with practical and financial issues following a cancer diagnosis
  • information about and referral to appropriate hospital and community support services.

Social workers provide psychosocial assessment, emotional and practical support and referral to community agencies on a needs basis to help patients and the family/carer in dealing with:

  • counselling regarding a life-limiting/ new diagnosis
  • grief, loss and bereavement counselling
  • assistance with practical issues following an unexpected accident or event
  • discharge planning
  • counselling to assist with adjustment for long standing issues which impact on lifestyle/self-image.

Our social workers provide psychosocial assessment and support with issues relating to pregnancy and parenting. Support can be provided to both antenatal and postnatal patients in the antenatal clinic or as an inpatient on the maternity wards. This includes support for families with babies in the Special Care Nursery.

The social workers offer a variety of services to women and their families including:

  • counselling around pregnancy or parenting issues, relationship issues or concerns about antenatal or postnatal depression
  • bereavement support and counselling in the event of pregnancy loss or the death of a baby
  • information about and referral to appropriate hospital and community support services
  • surrogacy and adoption support
  • assistance with practical support.

Our services include:

  • psychosocial assessment
  • counselling following traumatic events and family and domestic violence, sexual assault and child protection concerns
  • grief, loss and bereavement care for families at the time of a bad news diagnosis or death
  • assessment of patient and family needs and supporting them, particularly families experiences disadvantage or hardship
  • counselling and practical assistance such as information about community support agencies while in hospital
  • facilitating family meetings and mediating conflict
  • discharge coordination support for families with children with complex needs.


How to access this service

This service is for inpatients and outpatients of the Redcliffe Hospital referred by a hospital clinician. No external referrals are accepted for this service.

What to bring

  • Your Medicare Card
  • Your appointment letter (if you have one)
  • Copy of Advanced Healthcare Directive or Enduring Power of Attorney (if you have one)

Clinics

Contact us

Social Work Department
Phone: (07) 3883 7753
Open: Monday-Friday 8.00am-4.30pm

Social Work in Emergency Department
Open: Monday-Friday 8.00am-10.00pm
Saturday and Sunday 2.00pm-10.00pm

Need help outside hours?

For non-urgent medical issues call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) or visit your GP.

In an emergency call 000.