Mental Health and Social Work
We were joined this year by Gail Watts, MSW, Thuyet Tran, MSW, Linea Johnson, Mental Health Advocate. I very much appreciated participating with this fine group of professionals.
The team consulted and gave thoughtful clinical presentations at Can Tho University Medicine and Pharmacy (CTUMP), the Oncology Hospital, Can Tho University (CTU), Can Tho Medical College (CMC), the Center for Social Protection (CSP), the Children’s Hospital, and the OB/GYN Hospital. There were many highlights in this collaboration over our week there.
One very unique and inclusive workshop this trip was coordinated with Dr. Trung, MD, Radiologist, at the Oncology Hospital. The workshop focused on psychosocial care of patients/families receiving cancer care/treatments, with considerations for individuals at end of life. The Interdisciplinary Team perspective was an important consideration and members of our MEET Palliative Care team were a welcome addition. The attendees included not only the Oncology Hospital staff, with evident Administrative support, as well as students and faculty from CTUMP and CMC. The opportunity for our team to visit patients and families, followed by team case review and discussion, allowed for optimal understanding of how best to contribute to best practices and standards of care, as well as future considerations for collaboration.
There were many memorable exchanges, and I am encouraged by the growing interest in Social Work, Psychology and Psychiatry as esteemed professions in healthcare, and as a necessary partner in providing whole person care in a variety of hospital and community agencies.
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, as well as Substance Use
April, 2018 will allow another stellar team to build on education at most of these same venues, and hopefully include the Can Tho Central General Hospital (CTCGH) as well. The CTCGH has a relatively new Social Work Department, begun in 2016, with government authorization and positive regard for professional Social Work in hospital settings. I was introduced formally to the new SW Department Director April, 2017 and was impressed with the number of patients and families the hospital provides services to, in-patient, as well as community based. We look forward to an on-going relationship.
There is also interest in expanding Social Work and Mental Teams at the Children’s and OB/GYN Hospitals in Can Tho. These are very exciting times for our education exchanges.
Helen Sikov, Program Lead
Social Work Huge Impact - Continue to Support Us
The MEET Social Work (SW) Team will be returning strong again to Vietnam in April, 2019. Our delegation, in just a few short years, is making a huge impact in a profession that has been silent for many generations in Vietnam, especially in the area of Medical SW, and in the S. Vietnam.
There are many qualified Social Workers who have expressed a desire for a place on our team, but are unable to fully afford our MEET All Volunteer delegation. Some of our interested Volunteers are willing to serve as Translators, so vital to ensure our communications are optimal when consulting or teaching students or medical staff. There are others who are willing to travel with MEET to share their knowledge and experience working in the field of Mental Health/Social Work in both the classroom or as a consultant, but cannot fully afford the costs for travel.
Latest pictures below include those from the April 2019 includes SW Workshop at Children’s Hospital, followed by a couple of their Children’s SW team. Other 2019 trip pictures shows a dinner at the home of Mai and her family with those who taught at the Nursing school CMC (Can Tho Medical College.)
