11.2: Disabilities
- Page ID
- 219493
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)What Does a Social Worker for Disability Services Do?
More than one in four American adults has some type of physical, mental, developmental or emotional disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These disabilities range from vision or hearing loss to mobility and memory issues, and they can cause individuals to struggle to live independently or practice basic self-care.
Limited mobility or cognition can make it difficult for individuals with disabilities to access the care they need, but professionals such as social workers for disability services can help.
Professionals Supporting Individuals With Disabilities
Individuals living with disabilities may face disproportionate challenges accessing and receiving adequate care. About 25 percent of Americans with disabilities don’t have a primary care provider, another 25 percent have an unmet health and/or behavioral health care need, and 20 percent haven’t received routine medical care in the last year, according to the CDC. The reasons vary, but excessive cost, cognitive impairment and too few resources are the primary causes of the lack of quality care.
Because of the challenges they face, individuals with disabilities rely on a wide range of professionals for their care. Doctors, nurses, psychologists, and counselors help individuals with disabilities stay physically and mentally well, and other professionals — including occupational therapists, nutritionists, speech therapists, school counselors, special education teachers and social workers for disability services — serve much broader roles.
Human Services Professional for Disability Services: Job Description
The role of a human services worker for disability services is dynamic and unique. At its heart, it involves helping individuals with a wide range of disabilities cope with the various challenges they may experience. The role can vary from one agency or organization to the next based on the location, the clients’ needs and the resources available in the clients’ communities.
Several types of professionals fit within this category. Some specialize in helping individuals with learning disabilities; some primarily work with the aging population; and others care for individuals who have life-altering physical disabilities, such as vision loss, hearing loss and/or acute mobility issues.
Work Environment
Human services professionals for disability services can work in various settings. They commonly work in hospitals, local health departments and authorities, schools, clinics and community groups. They also work for nonprofit organizations and in private practice. They often work 40 or more hours per week and are on call many nights, weekends or holidays.
Though most professionals who specialize in disability services work from a central office, they spend much of their time visiting their clients in other locations, such as their clients’ homes, classrooms or workplaces. They may be required to travel to meet with or assist clients.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities that a social worker for disability services performs vary significantly from one day to the next and from one client to another. Clients with cognitive impairments have far different needs from those who have vision or hearing impairments, for example.
Common duties and responsibilities include the following:
- Helping clients understand their legal rights to aid, accommodation and accessibility
- Helping clients secure housing, food, employment or education to live as independently as possible
- Teaching clients how to communicate with others and care for themselves
- Helping clients understand their diagnoses and adjust their way of living to accommodate them
- Providing clients with access to resources, such as transportation to appointments, counseling and support groups
- Helping clients take care of everyday tasks, such as visiting the grocery store, getting a haircut or shopping for seasonal clothing
- Advocating for and assisting clients as they apply for the benefits to which they are entitled, including Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and state Medicaid programs
- Helping clients discover and pursue hobbies that enrich their lives
- Encouraging clients to live a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, exercise and regular medical checkups
- Serving as counselors by listening to clients’ feelings and emotions and helping them cope with past traumas
- Referring clients to other agencies and resources
- Helping clients set attainable goals for themselves and celebrating when they achieve them; affirming the client’s unique strengths and building their sense of empowerment; promoting the agency they have in their lives
- Evaluating and monitoring clients for progress
- Collaborating with other professionals in clients’ lives, such as health care providers, counselors, employers and teachers; supporting clients by helping them build a community of social support and access spaces that are inclusive and affirming
Attribution: What Does a Social Worker for Disability Services Do?