Risks and Implications in Social Work Practice in Mental Health Services from Bihor County

As a general rule, mental health service beneficiaries constitute one of the most vulnerable categories of population, being constantly in need of support both from their families and the people from their entourage, from specialists and the community, in order to improve their quality of life. Social workers are more likely to face ethical issues during their specific intervention than other service providers, since they find themselves in the position of making decisions concerning important aspects of the beneficiaries’ lives so as to meet the needs of the latter and at the same time to manage the potential risks which may occur as a result of the issues that beneficiaries have to deal with. Social workers are professionals who play an extremely important part in assessing the risks in their own organizations and in the communities they are part of, and therefore contribute to the management of these risks. This research paper puts forward the results of a qualitative study which aimed at presenting the specificity of social workers’ activity in mental health services for adults with mental and psychological disabilities, also highlighting the risks that the specialists are exposed to during their direct activity with the beneficiaries, as well as the way in which they and the institutions/organizations assess and manage these risks.


Keywords: social work activity, mental health services, ethics, risks