The impact of personal injury motor vehicle incidents: the development of adverse stress reactions

As a result of primary health care reforms, the profession of social work has been afforded the opportunity to engage with individuals and families in various primary health care settings, including local hospitals. Social work professionals perform a range of distinct and important roles when working in hospitals. This is particularly evident when engaging in social work practice in the emergency room and intensive care unit. Crisis intervention represents merely one role that social workers must undertake in the emergency room and intensive care unit. However, this role is of importance, especially when working with individuals involved in personal injury motor vehicle incidents. This practicum report will briefly discuss the impact of primary health care reforms on the profession of social work and the roles that social workers engage in when working in primary health care settings. There will also be a brief discussion focusing on crisis intervention and personal injury motor vehicle incidents. This report will also briefly examine the practical experience of a Master of Social Work student working in a primary health care setting and the research completed focusing on personal injury motor vehicle incidents and the development of adverse stress reactions. --P.ii.