Collaborating with Psychosocial Colleagues in the Hospital Setting

Abstract

In order to address the complex social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of children and families in the hospital setting, pediatric psychologists collaborate with a number of psychosocial colleagues, including but not limited to social workers, child life specialists, chaplains, educators, and creative arts therapists. Psychologists’ collaboration with other healthcare and psychosocial providers is consistent with the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Ethics Code and the APA’s Guidelines for Psychological Practice in Health Care Delivery Systems. Although psychosocial teams differ across institutions in size and composition, they all work to integrate their individual expertise and provide the highest quality care for patients and families. In this chapter, we first present models of engagement between providers, discussing differences between multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and interprofessional healthcare teams and overall benefits of healthcare team collaboration. Essential elements of successful psychosocial collaboration are presented, including (1) shared goals, (2) role clarity, and (3) effective communication. For each of these elements, we suggest specific strategies for promoting collaboration (both for individual providers and for team leaders) while highlighting common barriers that may interfere with successful teamwork and patient care. Finally, given current limited research on interprofessional collaboration among psychosocial teams, directions for future research are provided.