Barriers hospital social workers experience accessing treatment for substance use disorder patients since the covid-19 pandemic

Title : Barriers hospital social workers experience accessing treatment for substance use disorder patients since the covid-19 pandemic

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers hospital social workers experience when accessing treatment for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Barriers to SUD treatment prevent patients with SUDs from receiving the care that they need for recovery. In addition, these barriers prevent hospital social workers from effectively assisting SUD patients. If hospital social workers are able to access treatment for SUD patients, it negates the challenge of promptly discharging patients. More accessible SUD treatment will allow hospital social workers to help decompress emergency rooms, hospital length of stay, and readmissions. Most importantly, it will help social workers get SUD patients the treatment they need in a timely manner so that the patient does not lose interest in services. A total of 90 hospital social workers participated in the study. The participants were recruited from three healthcare systems in the metropolitan Atlanta area: one public hospital and two private hospitals. An exploratory mixed research design was employed, and a survey designed specifically for the study was used to gather the data. The survey measured barriers participants experienced when accessing treatment for SUD patients. Descriptive statistics analysis was used to describe hospital social workers’ perceived barriers of availability of services, referral wait time, and patients’ ability to pay. Last, content analysis was used to analyze the open-ended questions related to participants’ experiences. Hospital social workers experienced moderate barriers related to availability of services and referral wait times when accessing treatment for SUD patients. However, they experienced extreme barriers related to patients’ ability to pay. Although the conclusions from this study are preliminary, the study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the barriers hospital social workers experienced when attempting to provide services to SUD patients.

The following areas will be discussed, review of the literature: substance abuse and COVID-19, social work and substance abuse, Barriers to treatment, and historical overview of substance abuse policies; research findings, implications for pratice and policy.

Audience Take Away Notes:

• The audience will learn the historical perspective of hospital social work and substance Use Disorder Patients.
• COVID-19 pandemic impact on SUD treatment access and policy implications  
• How barriers to SUD treatment impact the healthcare system and patients 

Biography:

Dr. Sparkles Ransom is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) from San Francisco, CA. She Studied Social Work at Barry University School of Social Work, Miami, Fl and graduated with a MSW in 2013. Dr. Ransom has over 16 years of experience working with children and families, Medicaid, Substance Abuse, and varied populations. She has years of experience working in a safety net hospital. She recently received her Ph.D. in Social Work policy, planning, administration and social science from Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA May 2023. Dr. Ransom is currently a Senior Social Worker at the VA hospital in Atlanta, GA.