A frame for articulating the unique role of social work in a hospital setting is presented which links the patient's experience of the disruptive impact of illness and hospitalization with the historical roots of the profession of social work. The presentation emphasizes the social worker's role in orienting patients and families to the importance of their part in the process of healing and helps partialize this task into specific areas of work with the social worker. A consideration of the process of discharge planning within this framework is discussed.