Social work

Social work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and subjective well-being of individuals, families, couples, groups, and communities through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, crisis intervention, and teaching for the benefit of those affected by social disadvantages such as poverty, mental and physical illness or disability, and social injustice, including violations of their civil liberties and human rights. The profession is dedicated to the pursuit of social justice and the well-being of oppressed and marginalized individuals and communities. The social work profession is broad.

A person who practices social work is called a social worker. In the UK, the title "Social Worker" is protected by law (under s.61 Care Standards Act 2000) and only those who have undergone approved training at university either through a Bachelor or Master's degree in Social Work and are registered with the appropriate professional regulatory body (the Health and Care Professions Council in England, the Scottish Social Services Council in Scotland, the Care Council for Wales, or the Northern Ireland Social Care Council) may practice social work and be called a social worker. To do so otherwise is a criminal offence. Student social workers typically undergo a systematic set of training and qualifications that are distinct from those of social care workers or care assistants, who may undertake a social work role but not necessarily have the qualifications or professional skills of a qualified social worker. Currently, there are no formal qualifications or training to practice as a social care assistant, care worker, or carer, but mostly ancillary staff are accountable to a qualified member of staff, such as a social worker.

Research and the practice of social work focuses on areas such as: mental health and addictions, assessment and diagnosis, human development, sociolegal, psychosocial, issues related to diversity, marginalization and oppression; psychotherapy, counselling, social policy, public administration, social program evaluation, social policy analysis and development, social planning, family and child welfare, and social and community development. Social workers are organized into local, national, continental, and international professional bodies. It is an interdisciplinary field that incorporates theoretical bases from economics, education, sociology, law, medicine, philosophy, ecology, politics, anthropology, and psychology.

History

The concept of charity goes back to ancient times, and the practice of providing for the poor has roots in many ancient civilizations and world religions. Even before the rise of modern European states, the church was providing social services. The earliest organized social welfare activity of the Christian church was the formation of burial societies, followed closely by provision of alms to the poor, shelter for the homeless, and care and comfort for the sick. Monasteries often served as comprehensive social service agencies, acting as hospitals, homes for the aged, orphanages, travelers' aid stations. It was not until the emergence of industrialization and urbanization that the informal helping systems of the church and family began to be organized into social welfare services.

The profession of social work is generally considered to have developed from three movements: the Charity Organization Society (COS) movement, the settlement house movement, and a third, less clearly defined movement, the development of institutions to deal with the entire range of social problems. All had their most rapid growth during the nineteenth century, and all grew out of the church.^[1]

Social work has its roots in the social and economic upheaval wrought by the Industrial Revolution, in particular the societal struggle to deal with poverty and its resultant problems. Because poverty was the main focus of early social work, it was intricately linked with the idea of charity work,.^[1] For instance, it is common for modern social workers to find themselves dealing with consequences arising from other social problems such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and discrimination based on age or on physical or mental disability.

Whereas social casework started on a more scientific footing aimed at directing and reforming individuals (at one stage supporting the notion that poverty was a disease), other models of social work arising out of the Settlement House movement, led by activists such as Jane Addams, emphasized political activism and community solutions. Currently, social work is known for its critical and holistic approach to understanding and intervening in social problems. This has led, for example, to the recognition of poverty as having a social and economic basis rooted in social policies rather than representing a personal moral defect. This trend also points to another historical development in the evolution of social work: once a profession engages in social control, it is directed at social and personal empowerment. This is not to say that modern social workers do not engage in social control (consider, for example, child protection workers), and many, if not most, social workers likely would agree that there is an ongoing tension between these forces within the profession. For example, see the debate between structural social work and humanistic social work.^[2]<need to add references to Jane Addams and more sources on history of the profession>

Practice

Social work is an interdisciplinary profession, meaning it draws from a number of areas, such as (but not limited to) psychology, sociology, politics, criminology, economics, ecology, education, health, law, philosophy, anthropology and counseling, also known as psychotherapy. It is not a 'single model', such as that of health, followed by medical professional such as nurses and doctors, but like nurses and doctors, social work requires study and continued professional development to retain knowledge and skills in practice. Family therapy as a distinct professional practice within Western cultures can be argued to have had its origins in the social work movements of the 19th century in the United Kingdom and the United States. As an example, here are some of the social work models (or theories) used within practice:

Contemporary professional development

Social Work education begins in a structured manner at higher educational institutions (universities and colleges), coupled with or followed by practical internships, but it is also an ongoing process that occurs through research and in the workplace.

The International Federation of Social Workers says of social work today that

social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.^[4]

Its seven core functions are described by Popple and Leighninger as:

1. Engagement- the social worker must first engage the client in early meetings to promote a collaborative relationship.
2. Assessment- data must be gathered that will guide and direct a plan of action to help the client
3. Planning- negotiate and formulate an action plan
4. Implementation- promote resource acquisition and enhance role performance
5. Monitoring/Evaluation- on-going documentation through short-term goal attainment of extent to which client is following through
6. Supportive Counseling- affirming, challenging, encouraging, informing, and exploring options
7. Graduated Disengagement- Seeking to replace the social worker with a naturally occurring resource

^[5]

Six other core values identified by the National Association of Social Workers' (NASW)^[6] Code of Ethics are:

1. Service- help people in need and address social problems
2. Social Justice- challenge social injustices
3. Respect the dignity and worth of the person
4. Give importance to human relationships
5. Integrity- behave in a trustworthy manner
6. Competence- practice within the areas of one's areas of expertise and develop and enhance professional skills

Qualifications

The education of social workers begins with a Bachelor's degree (BA, BSc, BSSW, BSW, etc.) or diploma in Social Work. Some countries offer Postgraduate degrees in Social Work, such as a master's degree (MSW, MSS, MSSA, MA, MSc, MRes, MPhil.) or doctoral studies (PhD and DSW (Doctor of Social Work)). Increasingly, graduates of social work programs pursue post-masters and post-doctoral study, including training in psychotherapy.

In the United States, social work undergraduate and master's programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. A CSWE-accredited degree is required for one to become a state-licensed social worker.

A number of countries and jurisdictions requires registration or licensure of people working as social workers, and there are mandated qualifications.^[7] In other places, a professional association sets academic requirements for admission to the profession. The success of these professional bodies' efforts is demonstrated in that these same requirements are recognized by employers as necessary for employment.^[8]

Professional associations

Social workers have a number of professional associations, which provide ethical guidance and other forms of support for their members and for social work in general. These associations may be international, continental, semi-continental, national, or regional. The main international associations are the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW).

The largest professional social work association in the United States is the National Association of Social Workers. There also exist organizations that represent clinical social workers such as The American Association of Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, AAPCSW is a national organization representing social workers who practice psychoanalytic social work and psychonalysis. There are also a number of states with Clinical Social Work Societies which represent all social workers who conduct psychotherapy from a variety of theoretical frameworks with families, groups and individuals.

Trade unions representing social workers

In the United Kingdom, just over half of social workers are employed by local authorities, and many of these are represented by UNISON, the public sector employee union. Smaller numbers are members of Unite the union and the GMB (trade union). The British Union of Social Work Employees (BUSWE) has been a section of the Community (trade union) since 2008. In 2011, the British Association of Social Workers launched a trade union arm for the second time (it first tried this in 1976) called the Social Workers' Union, but this body is not recognized by the TUC or by any employers.

Role of the professional

The main tasks of professional social workers may include a number of services such as case management (linking clients with agencies and programs that will meet their psychosocial needs - common in the US and the UK), counseling and psychotherapy, assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders, child protection/welfare, human services management, social welfare policy analysis, policy and practice development, community organizing, international, social and community development, advocacy, teaching (in schools of social work), and social and political research.

A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession's focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society.^[9] Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients.^[10] The term "client" is used to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, or communities.^[11] In the broadening scope of the modern social worker's role, some practitioners have in recent years traveled to war-torn countries to provide psychosocial assistance to families and survivors.^[12]

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), professional social workers are the nation's largest group of mental health services providers. There are more clinically trained social workers—over 200,000—than psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychiatric nurses combined. Federal law and the National Institutes of Health recognize social work as one of five core mental health professions.^[13]

Social workers in literature

In 2011, a critic stated that "novels about social work are rare," ^[14] and as recently as 2004, another critic claimed to have difficulty finding novels featuring a main character holding a Master of Social Work degree.^[15]

However, social workers have been the subject of many novels, including:

• Bohjalian, Chris (2007). The double bind: a novel (1st ed.). New York: Shaye Areheart Books. ISBN 9781400047468.  ^[16]
• Cooper, Philip (2013). Social work man. Leicester: Matador. ISBN 9781780885087.  ^[17]
• Desai, Kishwar (2010). Witness the night. London: Beautiful Books. ISBN 9781905636853.  ^[18]
• Gaige, Amity (2007). The folded world. New York: Other Press. ISBN 1590512480.  ^[19]
• Irish, Lola (1993). Streets of dust: a novel based on the life of Caroline Chisholm. Kirribilli, N.S.W: Eldorado. ISBN 1864120010. 
• Greenlee, Sam (1990) [1969]. The spook who sat by the door: a novel. African American life. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0814322468. 
• Konrád, György (1987). The case worker. Writers from the other Europe. New York, N.Y., U.S.A: Penguin Books. ISBN 0140099468.  ^[20]
• Henderson, Smith (2014). Fourth of July Creek: a novel. ISBN 9780062286444.  ^[21]
• Johnson, Greg (2011). A very famous social worker. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse Inc. ISBN 9781450285483.  ^[22]
• Johnson, Kristin (2012). Unprotected: a novel. St. Butt, MN: North Star Press. ISBN 9780878395897.  ^[23]
• Kalpakian, Laura (1992). Graced land (1st ed.). New York: Grove Weidenfeld. ISBN 0802114741.  ^[15]
• Lewis, Sinclair (1933). Ann Vickers (First ed.). Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company. OCLC 288770.  |accessdate= requires |url= (help)
• Mengestu, Dinaw (2014). All our names (First ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780385349987.  ^[24]
• Sapphire (1996). Push: a novel (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf; Random House. ISBN 0679446265.  The basis of the movie Precious.^[25]
• Smith, Ali (2011) There But For The, Hamish Hamilton, Pantheon.
• Ungar, Michael (2011). The social worker: a novel. Lawrencetown, N.S: Pottersfield Press. ISBN 9781897426265.  ^[26]
• Weinbren, Martin (2010). King Welfare. Bakewell: Peakpublish. ISBN 9781907219184.  ^[14]

See also

References

Further reading

Social work and related concepts Concepts Primary Social work Secondary Anti-oppressive practice Charity Organization Society Child savers Community practice Community organizing Critical social work Group development Personal practice model Settlement movement Social justice Social learning (social pedagogy) Types of social work Barefoot social work Caseworker Child protection Forensic social work Medical social work School social worker Social planning Social work in the military Social work with groups Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Qualifications Qualifications for professional social work Bachelor of Social Work (BA, BSc or BSW) degree Socionom (Scandinavia) Master of Social Work degree (MA, MSc or MSW) Doctor of Social Work degree (Ph.D or DSW) International Association of Schools of Social Work Council on Social Work Education Schools of social work Social workers by nationality American Argentine Austrian Australian Bangladeshi Belgian British Canadian Dutch French German Guyanese Hong Kong Indian Indonesian Israeli Japanese Nepalese New Zealand Norwegian Pakistani Polish Swedish Trinidad and Tobago Ugandan Professional associations International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) National Association of Social Workers (American) Australian Association of Social Workers British Association of Social Workers Institute of Medical Social Workers (British) Professional Social Workers' Association (Indian) Scottish Children's Reporter Administration Biographies Jane Addams Social Welfare and Social Work portal