2.1.2 Introducing the Care Team
The members of the care team interact together to develop a plan which provides for the best care of the client. The members of the care team each have very specific roles based on their specialties in assisting with clients’ needs. You are likely already quite familiar with the physician role—most people see doctors for regular check-ups and have watch television shows about doctors—but you may not know about each of these other roles.
Review the following job roles carefully. If you click each term, you will be taken to a video about the job role. Or, you are welcome to conduct your own Internet research.
- Occupational Therapist
- Physical Therapist
- Recreational Therapist
- Nurse
- Chaplain
- Social Worker
- Behavioural Support Specialist
Did You Know?
A chaplain is typically a member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission, temple, synagogue or church; lay chaplains are also found in some settings such as universities. For example, a chaplain is often attached to a military unit (often known as a padre), a private chapel, a ship, a prison, a hospital, a college or other (especially boarding) school, even a parliamentary assembly and so on.
Because of their visible role in the workplaces where they serve, chaplains can become a resource to help their coworkers prevent burnout and provide staff support as well as indirectly provide better patient outcomes. They provide a resource by visiting clients, working with families and care staff to assist in the comfort of the spiritual component of life.
Now, that you have explored the roles of each of the professionals listed above, consider: how would they work together to help provide the best care for a client? Watch the following video, which provides an example of an interdisciplinary care team meeting for a fictitious client:
Click here for a video transcript: Video Transcript
Key Takeaways
After watching the video above, try to answer these reflection questions in your notes:
- Can you describe how the team worked together to make a care plan?
- Was there a “leader” or “main decision-maker” of the discussion, or did each professional contribute on equal ground?
- How can an interdisciplinary team provide better care for a client than one or two individuals?
