This message goes out to all of my macro social workers. I know that we sometimes get overlooked in our profession (and yes, I say this as an LCSW). However, I wanted you to know that we are very much needed as macro social workers.
I recently received a referral from a provider whose patient had been deemed "non-compliant." The provider informed me that the patient was sent to the clinic's case manager, who said, "The patient has the right not to take their medications and there was nothing they could do." Frustrated, the provider contacted me to understand how we could help this patient.
Now, the first thought would have been yes, the patient does have that right. But when the patient agrees to meet with you, that is your first clue that something is up. In listening to the patient and asking a few simple questions, I learned a few things:
1. The patient did not understand what was happening to him medically. Health literacy was not provided to him simply because he kept nodding "yes" to everything the provider said.
2. The patient said he did not have the money to afford the medication once he understood what he needed to take. The patient was unaware of ways to access community resources, including state resources.
3. The patient did not "trust" his first case manager because he felt she "yelled at him" during their first encounter.
I will go on record and say that I was not in any part of the room, so I am taking the patient at face value while also being a little skeptical. I know that sometimes what is said and what a patient hears are not always equal.
The point for my macro social workers is that when I first started my career, I was told that all I was was a "paper pusher." I was often disregarded because I wasn't a nurse or a provider. But now, I tell you that through my training and establishing myself as a "bull shark" in patient advocacy, I often get thanked for the services rendered.
As advocates, especially health advocates, we are more than just resource connectors. We are COMMUNITY BUILDERS. In listening to our clients and fighting against arcane laws, we tell the story of communities of people who often get labeled as "non-compliant." Through our work, we bridge disciplines together that would primarily work in silos. Through our work, we bring dignity to people, often seen by their Medical Record Number or condition.
The next time someone tells you that a Macro Social Worker doesn't matter, that we don't generate revenue, that we only push paper, I want you to remember my words: YOU MATTER EVEN WHEN OTHERS DON'T THINK YOU DO! Because when that moment comes, and it will come, your door will get knocked on!
