Construction of a Role Institutionalisation Instrument for Social Workers in Psychiatric Case Management

Abstract

In Hong Kong, mental health services are still institutionalised. There might be a risk that the roles of social workers in psychiatric case management may be institutionalised. The writer has identified seven elements in role institutionalisation. They are: medicalisation legalisation, bureaucratisation, servicisation, hospitalisation, chronicisation and dehumanisation. These seven elements have aversive impacts on the roles of social workers in psychiatric case management as assessors, counsellors, therapists, advocates, brokers, service coordinators, administrators of mental health ordinance, service e valuator and planners. According to these seven elements, the writer constructed a Role Institutionalisation Instrument to measure the degree of institutionalisation of social workers in performing various roles in psychiatric case management. Measures had been taken to ensure the validity and reliability of this scale.