Social Work Practice Questions and
Answers.
groups of people served by social workers -
\- Voluntary clients- apply for services
- Legally mandated clients- court ordered
- Nonvoluntary clients- fall between the two extremes, they are neither legally obligated
nor seeking services, receive pressure from family members, teachers, and referral
services
mission of social work -
\"The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and
help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and
empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty."
six purposes of social work -
\Service, Social Justice, Dignity and worth of every individual, Importance of human
relationships, Integrity, Competence
guiding values of social work -
\The Values of the profession separate it from many other 'helping professions'.
- Professional relationships are built on regard for individual worth and dignity, and are
advanced by mutual participation, acceptance, confidentiality, honesty, and responsible
handling of conflict.
- Respect the individual's right to make independent decisions and to participate actively
in the helping process
- Social workers are committed to assisting client systems to obtain the needed
resources
- Strive to make social institutions more humane and responsive to human needs
- Social workers demonstrate respect for and acceptance of the unique characteristics
of diverse populations
What is the knowledge base of social work practice -
\Mission
Values
Knowledge
Skill
Sanction
What is the Ecological Systems Perspective -
\The Ecological Perspective encourages social workers to focus on the person, the
environment, and the interaction of the two.
Target of change- system that needs to be changed
, Micro system: an individual
Mezzo system: a small group
Macro system: any system larger than small group
Client system: any system that will benefit from social work intervention
What are the "dimensions of human systems" -
\The key concepts of the dimensions of human systems are as follows: systems theory
include focal system, sub-system and supra-system and issues concerning boundaries,
hierarchies
What is the definition of generalist practice? -
\Generalist practice trains social workers to view problems holistically. Social workers
are trained to see how multidimensional a client's problems can be and to figure out
what interventions will address as many of these problems on as many levels as
possible. The de-emphasis of a specialization, which describes a social work
practitioner whose knowledge and skills encompass a broad spectrum and who
assesses problems/issues and their solutions comprehensively
What are the roles of direct practice -
\- Outreach - bringing people into helping environment
- Broker - negotiate with institutions on behalf of clients
- Advocate - speak out on behalf of powerless
- Teacher - explain, instruct
- Enabler - help develop power to act on own behalf
- Behavior modification
- Researcher - better understanding of human condition.
- Consultant - using your expertise
What are the primary roles of direct service social workers -
\interview, assess and intervening in problematic interactions involving individuals,
couples, families, and groups
skills in mediating conflicts, advocating for services, and obtaining resources
face-to-face services, work in collaboration with other professionals, organizations, and
institutions, and they act as advocates with landlords,agency administrators, policy
making boards, and legislators etc.
What other practice theories help to inform social work practice -
\- Systems theory describes human behavior in terms of complex systems. It is
premised on the idea that an effective system is based on individual needs, rewards,
expectations, and attributes of the people living in the system. According to this theory,
families, couples, and organization members are directly involved in resolving a problem
even if it is an individual issue.
- Social learning theory is based on Albert Bandura's idea that learning occurs through
observation and imitation. New behavior will continue if it is reinforced. According to this
theory, rather than simply hearing a new concept and applying it, the learning process is
made more efficient if the new behavior is modeled as well.
Answers.
groups of people served by social workers -
\- Voluntary clients- apply for services
- Legally mandated clients- court ordered
- Nonvoluntary clients- fall between the two extremes, they are neither legally obligated
nor seeking services, receive pressure from family members, teachers, and referral
services
mission of social work -
\"The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and
help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and
empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty."
six purposes of social work -
\Service, Social Justice, Dignity and worth of every individual, Importance of human
relationships, Integrity, Competence
guiding values of social work -
\The Values of the profession separate it from many other 'helping professions'.
- Professional relationships are built on regard for individual worth and dignity, and are
advanced by mutual participation, acceptance, confidentiality, honesty, and responsible
handling of conflict.
- Respect the individual's right to make independent decisions and to participate actively
in the helping process
- Social workers are committed to assisting client systems to obtain the needed
resources
- Strive to make social institutions more humane and responsive to human needs
- Social workers demonstrate respect for and acceptance of the unique characteristics
of diverse populations
What is the knowledge base of social work practice -
\Mission
Values
Knowledge
Skill
Sanction
What is the Ecological Systems Perspective -
\The Ecological Perspective encourages social workers to focus on the person, the
environment, and the interaction of the two.
Target of change- system that needs to be changed
, Micro system: an individual
Mezzo system: a small group
Macro system: any system larger than small group
Client system: any system that will benefit from social work intervention
What are the "dimensions of human systems" -
\The key concepts of the dimensions of human systems are as follows: systems theory
include focal system, sub-system and supra-system and issues concerning boundaries,
hierarchies
What is the definition of generalist practice? -
\Generalist practice trains social workers to view problems holistically. Social workers
are trained to see how multidimensional a client's problems can be and to figure out
what interventions will address as many of these problems on as many levels as
possible. The de-emphasis of a specialization, which describes a social work
practitioner whose knowledge and skills encompass a broad spectrum and who
assesses problems/issues and their solutions comprehensively
What are the roles of direct practice -
\- Outreach - bringing people into helping environment
- Broker - negotiate with institutions on behalf of clients
- Advocate - speak out on behalf of powerless
- Teacher - explain, instruct
- Enabler - help develop power to act on own behalf
- Behavior modification
- Researcher - better understanding of human condition.
- Consultant - using your expertise
What are the primary roles of direct service social workers -
\interview, assess and intervening in problematic interactions involving individuals,
couples, families, and groups
skills in mediating conflicts, advocating for services, and obtaining resources
face-to-face services, work in collaboration with other professionals, organizations, and
institutions, and they act as advocates with landlords,agency administrators, policy
making boards, and legislators etc.
What other practice theories help to inform social work practice -
\- Systems theory describes human behavior in terms of complex systems. It is
premised on the idea that an effective system is based on individual needs, rewards,
expectations, and attributes of the people living in the system. According to this theory,
families, couples, and organization members are directly involved in resolving a problem
even if it is an individual issue.
- Social learning theory is based on Albert Bandura's idea that learning occurs through
observation and imitation. New behavior will continue if it is reinforced. According to this
theory, rather than simply hearing a new concept and applying it, the learning process is
made more efficient if the new behavior is modeled as well.
