MHPN partners with Excelsia University College to support social workers in multidisciplinary and collaborative care

Supported by MHPN, social work students from Excelsia University College are exploring the barriers and enablers to social workers’ effective involvement in multidisciplinary teams. Their final report highlights the importance of connecting and supporting our diversified mental health workforce, and adds to a growing evidence base about the value and challenges of multidisciplinary and collaborative care.

Students adopted a mixed methods approach to understand effective multidisciplinary collaboration in current social work practice, undertaking a literature review and gleaning insights from an online survey of 180 social workers. In-depth interviews with three multidisciplinary mental health professionals bolstered these findings, shedding light on common experiences across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare settings.

The most prominent barriers the students identified fell into two distinct categories; structural and interpersonal. High administrative burdens, staff shortages and system fragmentation were pervasive throughout, as were communication challenges stemming from role ambiguity and professional hierarchies. MHPN’s CEO, Dr Daisy Brooke, says this recognised lack of inclusivity and supportive leadership reinforce the need to value and coordinate diverse sector expertise.

“Fostering meaningful engagement among mental health professionals across all disciplines is at the core of our work at MHPN,” she affirms.

Key enablers identified by the social work students similarly reinforced MHPN’s commitment to showcasing evidence-informed, best practice mental health care. One of the students, Tahsin Hoque, credits this learning opportunity with strengthening her ability to both understand and curiously reflect on the realities of community and clinical practice.

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet and learn from a range of mental health professionals,” she shares.

“I’ve also built knowledge around psychosocial safety, role clarity, peer support and ongoing professional development, which all contribute to social workers being able to confidently participate in multidisciplinary teams.”

This work with MHPN demonstrates active, meaningful collaboration in action. As Helen Fittler, Director of Student Placements at Excelsia, adds, it has also equipped the next generation of social workers with an understanding of their “distinct skills, values and advocacy within complex service systems”.