Advocacy
An Emerging Synergy: Pain and Social Work
March 2, 2007
Terry Altilio LCSW and Shirley Otis-Green, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, OSW-C
In honor of Social Work Awareness Month, we are calling attention to the emerging, yet unrealized potential for skilled social workers to contribute to the lives of persons living with pain. For years, a small cadre of practitioners has demonstrated the relevance of social work training to many aspects of pain management. More recently there is an increased presence of the profession within leading educational, leadership and advocacy organizations, such as the American Pain Foundation and the Alliance of State Pain Initiatives and through the Mayday Fund’s Pain & Society Fellowship Project. Many social work conferences and curriculums involving end-of-life and palliative care now include pain and symptom management as a core competency; yet the role of the profession in chronic pain is largely untapped. The historical commitment of social work to the underserved, to social justice and to the relief of suffering provides a context that naturally applies to the tragedy of undertreatment of pain.
There are more than 100,000 heath care social workers across the country. These skilled professionals provide the first and, in some instances, the only mental health contact for patients with chronic pain, particularly in institutional settings. Social workers practice in hospitals, extended care facilities, hospices, senior centers, advocacy agencies and policy venues.
For patients with chronic pain, social workers may function as advocates, care managers, clinicians, educators and coordinators of their treatment plan. They are often instrumental in ensuring access to appropriate pharmacotherapy and other pain treatments, and may become the major support for patients, family and caregivers. Fears about addiction and other barriers to adequate pain management, including issues with child care or transportation to appointments, are often vetted by socials workers. These clinicians can also teach skills and strategies to enhance pain relief, such as relaxation, breathing exercise and goal setting.
Social workers collaborate with other members of the health care team and play an increasingly important role in addressing chronic pain. They help patients suffering with chronic pain navigate the health care system and optimize access to pain care. Social Work Awareness Month provides an occasion both to celebrate our profession and to challenge ourselves to call attention to the tragedy of the undertreatment of pain.
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