You do not need a master’s degree to advocate for patients to receive resources from the community. Interestingly, community resources are what many non-hospice social workers in hospice perceive to be the social worker’s primary concern for some reason. They don’t always know that we’re the best equipped to intervene when people are flipping out and yelling at each other. But they do know we’ve got Meals on Wheels on speed dial.
You need only tenacity to be a strong resource advocate. You need to be tenacious in your search for potential solutions in the community, and then tenacious in your advocating for the patient and the resource agency to follow through with the solution.
Once your assessment has revealed a need, good resource advocacy involves two main skills: locating the resource and pushing for resolution.
Locating community resources
A familiarity with what resources exist is not a prerequisite for doing hospice social work. Familiarity can make you more efficient, because you’ll spend less time searching. And it can make you more thorough. Educating people about enrichment resources such as the Dream Foundation can prompt them to think about something good they might want, even if your assessment doesn’t reveal an unmet basic need.
Familiarity is good, more important is a dedication to search that is fueled by a belief that a solution exists. Search by “asking around.” Ask fellow social workers, in person or in one of the Facebook forums. Call the United Way hotline at 211. Conduct internet searches. Something will materialize.
Encourage follow through
I am more insistent with community service agencies to do their jobs than I am with patients or family members to follow through with their part. Patients and family member get to have mixed feelings. I can support them however they need, but that doesn’t involve criticizing them for not doing what it takes to receive a resource I helped them get in touch with. Community agencies, on the other hand, are populated by individuals who get paid to complete their agencies’ missions.
You can be very persuasive with agencies that seem to give the run around by being politely stubborn. Gently persistent.
“I appreciate it. I can wait until she’s available. Or I might stop by later. I’ll be in the neighborhood.”
In the next post, I’ll let some stories illustrate the power of polite stubbornness when advocating for patients.