Social workers to be assigned to more ERs, urgent-care centres

The provincial government said Wednesday it will help health care staff do their jobs more efficiently by expanding social work services to more emergency departments and urgent care centres.

New positions will open up for St. Boniface Hospital, Seven Oaks hospital, Concordia Hospital and Victoria Hospital, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said at a news conference.

“This investment means that Manitobans are going to see more support in their time of need in urgent care, in emergency departments, so they can go home more quickly and we can reduce those pressures in our ER,” they said.

Asagwara said many health-care workers have told the government social workers are invaluable in emergency departments because they have expertise in mental health, crisis intervention and connecting people to supports in the community.

Four of eight new positions have been filled and staffing allocations vary between hospitals.

“It’s not a one-size fits all,” said Asagwara. “We’re making sure that we’re really tailoring the approach to the needs of the hospital.”

Social workers have been stationed at the HSC emergency department around-the-clock as of 2023 and Anna Reed, one of the staff assigned to the site, said she loves the work.

“It’s a privilege to get to meet people sometimes in their most vulnerable state and they open up to me,” said Reed. “I feel so lucky to hear stories, good and bad, and then get to work with patients through that.”

The expansion of social workers is set to cost roughly $1.2 million annually. Doctors and nurses will be able to refer patients to the staff.

However, Linda Rost, another social worker at HSC, said the professionals are “always watching who is coming through the door.”

“Our goal is always to get involved as soon as possible,” she said, so they can work with other professionals on site to get them support, or back at the patient’s home.

Rost said it’s not uncommon for people to keep in touch with her and her colleagues; they get to know patients personally, which builds trust and respect.

“Personally, I’ve got a lot of positive feedback from patients who have … either at the time, have been very thankful, or they come back and thank you later,” she said. “They’d phone me to follow up and say: ‘I really appreciate that I’m now housed.’”

Jane Curtis, interim president and CEO of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, said the expansion to other sites will improve conditions for staff and patients.

The health minister said more social workers could be hired in future, depending on advice from front-line officials and facility officials to reduce pressure on ERs.

“If other sites put their hands up and say: ‘we need social workers too and these are the reasons why’ we’re going to make that happen.”

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca