The emerging role of the social worker in a psychiatric emergency service

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.