Human services workers: a study of perceptions of their role.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Administration
• Human Services
• Patient Support

Background:

• Human services workers at Veterans Administration Hospital, Brentwood, manage patient care throughout their hospital stay.
• Their role extends from admission to post-discharge community adjustment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role of human services workers.
• To understand task perception among different stakeholder groups.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted to assess the tasks of human services workers.
• Perceptions were gathered from workers, supervisors, other paraprofessionals, and patients.

Main Results:

• Human services workers were perceived as most involved in assisting patients within the hospital.
• Other key areas included treatment planning, discharge, and therapy.
• Community assistance, support activities, and patient admission/evaluation were also noted.

Conclusions:

• Human services workers' primary focus is in-hospital patient assistance.
• Task perception varies across different groups involved in patient care.
• Understanding these perceptions is crucial for optimizing human services roles.