These organizations request for support from the community so as to help serve them better. Social workers in these facilities face numerous challenges which inhibit them from effectively carrying out their job. Their services are overlooked by other members of the community since they deal with mentally handicapped persons. Secondly, the society has stigmatised the mentally ill therefore making it impossible to restore social justice which is among the principles of social work.
Thirdly, the voice of social workers is not enough to compel policy and decision makers to change on draconian rules that will increase inequality in the society. Fourthly, social workers are not able to conduct their activities effectively due to limited resources. Lastly, social workers face ethical dilemmas just like in any other profession which might reduce the level of trust between them and their area of practice (Patti, 2005). Accountability for Social Workers
Social workers while conducting their duties have to strictly adhere to the codes of conduct and try as much as possible to avoid conflicts of interests. They are accountable for their actions when dealing with individuals, colleagues and employers. This various areas of responsibility may conflict at times and the social worker should make sound decisions. Social workers are expected to maintain confidentiality of information derived from those they deal with and their families. The workers should also collaborate with learning institutions and other organizations to improve on the quality of their services.
Decisions made by the workers should be informed and they should be responsible for any actions that are contrary to the ethical conduct of the profession. Social workers should engage governments and other decision makers in debates to ensure support from all quarters of the environment. These interventions will ensure that mentally ill persons access medication easily and continued support is available throughout their lives. At times it would be necessary for social workers to explain how they arrived at their decisions and the relation of the decision making process to ethical considerations (I. F. S. W, 2004).
Macro and Micro Interventions Barry (2002) suggests that both the government and the community have a role to play in improving the mental health system. The government should make sound decisions in dealing with this illness by ensure adequate budget allocations and formulating policies that will reduce the chances of suffering the condition. Together with the community it should embark on a campaign that will emancipate the public on the causes, effects and solutions to the condition.
As for the community, it should support the mentally handicapped and encourage one another to attend frequent medical checkups. This will help reduce the reported cases of mental illness that have resulted to increased mortality rates in the society. References Barry, P. D. (2002). Mental Health & Mental Illness. Boston: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Pub. IFSW. (2004). Ethics in Social Work, Statement of Principles. Retrieved from <http://www. ifsw. org/en/p38000324. html > on March 5, 2009. Patti, R. J. (2005). The Handbook of Social Welfare Management. New Orleans: Sage Pub.