Chapter 1 What is Social Work?

Social Welfare Encompasses social work, public welfare, and other related programs & activities Expenditures Services: institutions and processes related to facing & solving social problems History © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Work Work with individuals, families, groups, and communities struggling with problems Underlying assumptions of social work Restoration, provision of resources, and prevention Current definition © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing Characteristics of Social Work Focus on the wholeness of the person Importance of family Utilization of community resources Supervisory process Education program Clinical work, group work, and community organization © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing Characteristics of Social Work Professional bodies: NASW & CSWE Relationship Psychiatric concepts; understanding people Social interaction, function, & malfunction Social problems and social institutions © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Distinguishing Characteristics of Social Work Social workers employed in agencies Basic aim: help clients help themselves/help community in general Utilize fees Service & therapy for individuals and families; prevention Team approach © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Work Careers Many jobs in the health care field Often in child welfare & school social work Mental health, substance abuse, & addictions Forensic and international social work Policy planning & management/administration © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociology and Social Work Many similarities and differences Sociology: “the science of society” Both interested in people, their interactions, and understanding them Sociology: how, when, why Social work: focus on how © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychiatry and Social Work Frequently members of the same professional team Psychiatrist: deals with the treatment of an illness in medical model Social worker: focus on problems and strengths in human relationships © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychiatry and Social Work Both professions work with people who have personal/social problems Help people improve their relationships with others Interest and sensitivity in the ability to understand and direct feelings & emotions © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychiatry and Social Work Social worker utilizes community resources Works with family and marriage Psychiatrist deals with the patient on a medical basis © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychology and Social Work Often members of the same professional team Both are interested in the behavior of people and their interaction patterns Psychology: testing and measurements Individual attributes of people Social worker: social functioning © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Counseling and Social Work Easily confused roles School counselor Educational psychology Marriage counselor Incorporates part of social work Rehabilitation counselor © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Work in the World Today Utilized in a variety of setting, such as: psychiatric, medical, marriage, family School, rehabilitation, corrections, public welfare, workplace, drug abuse, child welfare Benefits of services Expanding international social work New & challenging opportunities © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Work in the World Today Increase quality of social work Education for international social work High demand as a profession Likely to keep growing and expanding services © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary People are at the core Social work focuses on helping people through social functioning Basic functions of social work Shares some knowledge and skills with sociology, psychiatry, and psychology © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.