Mental Health/ Social Work November 2018 Update
The interest in Mental Health/Social Work education continues to grow in Vietnam, and learning exchanges in Can Tho are increasing for our MEET team. During our November 2018 visit our Can Tho Psychiatry delegates, Kathleen Myers, MD and Aditi Sharma, MD continued their efforts at Can Tho Children’s Hospital by providing experiences and knowledge in the area of Autism.
Dr. Richard Veith, MD offered a lecture on Dementia at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy (CTUMP). Additionally, our three Psychiatry professionals provided lecture and patient interviews at the Psychiatry Hospital in Can Tho. In the past year, the staff from The Center for Social Protection has been invited to participate in these sessions, thus adding to their efforts in the care of the chronically mentally ill.
I was pleased to be able to spend quality time meeting with several of our partners at universities and hospitals, determining the Social Work priorities for April 2019. In the US, Social Work professionals are considered a vital member of both the Mental Health Team, and as a member of a Medical Multi-disciplinary Team. The April 2019 Social Work delegation will bring four to five professors/practitioners from the US to continue building on education and skills we believe essential for quality Social Work practice.
Dr. Jill Cole, DSW and Gail Watts, MSW will be focused primarily on continuing their work with the Can Tho Children’s Hospital Social Work (SW) team, as they are newly developing their department at the hospital, with a strong Administrative support. There will be an All Day Workshop offered to Social Workers who are interested in working in medical settings on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at the Children’s Hospital in Can Tho. It is our understanding that the workshop will be open to SW colleagues in the area. We are hopeful the SW employees we have met at Can Tho Central General Hospital and the Oncology Hospital will join us. There will be a Certificate of Completion provided to those who attend. In addition to Jill and Gail, Dr. Tam Dinh, PhD will discuss Trauma and Health. We have invited speakers from WWO (World Wide Orphans) in HCMC, for a discussion of Community Resources. I will plan (Helen Sikov, MSW, LNHA) to participate as well. The day is intended to be instructive and participatory to ideally ensure relevance to the Vietnamese culture, as well as application to their responsibilities now and in the future. We are all looking forward to learning from each other.
Dr. Tam Dinh and I will have appointments at Can Tho University, Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Can Tho Medical College, and the Oncology Hospital. We are very honored to be part of a growing recognition of the importance of Social Workers in medical settings, as well as in the variety of community agencies in Can Tho. Our team is hopeful that we can contribute to the Social Workers pioneering efforts, especially in health care. Establishing an on-going educational program through a university setting, and providing support to those currently practicing, are an essential support our MEET Social Work Delegation will be striving towards.
Many Thanks,
Helen Sikov, MSW, LNHA
Board President of MEET
