The Girling Health Care Student Unit will close its doors in July, 2003 due to changing health care realities. Girling continues to offer internships to individual social work students. Girling Health Care, Inc., funded an innovative partnership with the School of Social Work that allowed students to serve impoverished individuals with medical concerns through their Medicaid-funded program in the Primary Health Care office and through the Family Home Care Program of the Texas Department of Human Services. Ten medical social work interns comprised the unit providing services to clients who otherwise would not receive medical social services. Counseling regarding social and emotional reactions to illness, death/grief and loss, adjustment to new and chronic illness, and referral to community, state, and federal resources were part of the services provided by interns. Students also provided follow-up services in the home and group experiences within the community at nursing homes and neighborhood senior centers, utilizing empowerment techniques. Quasi-experimental research designs were employed to ascertain the effectiveness of intervention strategies with groups. Other intern experiences included administrative projects, cultural diversity training, interdisciplinary team staffing, and various educational opportunities.
Sponsor:
Girling Health Care, Inc.