Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences

2nd Quarter

LESSON 1: THE DISCIPLINE OF SOCIAL WORK

TOPICS:
 Definition of Social Work
 Goals and Scope of Social Work
 Core Values and Principles of Social Work

What is Social Work?

 Is an academic discipline and profession that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups and
communities in an effort to enhance social functioning and overall well-being.
What is Social Functioning?
 Refers to the way in which people perform their social roles, and the structural institutions that are provided
to sustain them.

Goals of Social Work

The principal mission of social work profession is to develop human beings and assist other institutions in
attaining the basic human needs of the people and in empowering the lost, the least and the last. Morales and
Sheafor (1983) specified three (3) distinguishing goals of social work namely: caring, curing and changing. These
goals are outlined and described below:

1. The Goal on Caring

 Caring refers to the heart of social work and it focuses on the well-being or the welfare and comfort of the
individual and community.
 The goal on caring involves the enhancement of the quality of life in prisons, the upgrading and humanizing
services in nursing homes and juvenile facilities, and the constant advancement of care given to populations
in need.
2. The Goal on Curing
 Curing refers to the aspect of treating people with problems in social functioning. This covers a range of
aiding techniques for individuals, families, and groups.
 Techniques are compose of: (a) popular counseling approaches comprising of family therapy, behavior
modification, reality therapy, and gestalt therapy; and (b) unpopular approaches such as Rolfing therapy,
psychomotor therapy, and psychodrama.
3. The Goal on Changing
 Changing refers to the active participation of the social workers in social reforms. This goal comes from a
perspective that there is a persistence of poverty, environmental destruction, and social disintegration.

Scope of Social Work

The wide ranges of human problems create a widened scope and field of social work. The scope of social
work includes child development, medical social work, clinical social work, administrative and management social
work, international social work, social work in acute psychiatric hospital, and social work as community organizer.
Morales and Scheafor (1983) identified and described the fields included in the area of social work, which
are as follows:

1. Social Work as a Primary Discipline

1.1 CHILD WELFARE
a. ADOPTION
The adoption and services to unmarried parents is about facilitating the difficult decision of unmarried
parents whether to keep the baby or place the child for adoption. In this process social workers apply
both individual and group counseling to assist women in their sensitive decision making process.
b. FOSTER CARE
The foster care is about removing the children from their homes and placing them temporarily is a foster
care. The process includes working with the parents, the child, and the courts to acquire a decision to
 remove a child from her/his own home due to detrimental situations and bringing her/him to a foster
home placement. It also involves counseling with the child and parents.
c. RESIDENTIAL CARE
The residential care is a group care home or a residential treatment center for a child. These centers
are for children exhibiting anti-social behaviors or behaviors that require intensive treatment. Social
workers are involved in sustaining a helpful connection between the child and the family and in
preparing plans for the return of the child to his/her home.
d. SUPPORT IN OWN HOME
The support in own home involves providing support services in order to keep children in their own
homes. Support services may be in the form of counseling, family consultations, and connecting clients
with appropriate institutions such as day care centers and home maker services.
e. PROTECTIVE SERVICES
The protective services are about protecting the child from child abuse, maltreatment, and exploitation
by one or both parents. The social worker seeks to protect the child without infringing on the rights of
the parents.

1.2 FAMILY SERVICES

a. FAMILY COUNSELING
Family Counseling is about employing the three approaches to this type of counseling, which comprise of
family case work, which involves helping individual members of the family modify their behavior to make
them more effective contributors in the family.
b. FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION
Family life education is an intervention to strengthen the family through educational activities that seek to
prevent family breakdown. Its goal is to understand and anticipate the normal patterns and stresses of
family and community living toward improvement of interpersonal relationships and prevention or reduction
of situational crises.
c. FAMILY PLANNING
Family planning refers to assisting the families plan the number, spacing, and timing of the births of children
to fit with their needs. The social workers help the family to make decisions about their pattern of
reproduction toward enhancing the family’s quality of life.

1.3 INCOME MAINTENANCE

a. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Public Assistance refers to the provision of financial aid to the poor. Social workers support the development
of adequate income maintenance programs and efforts to provide needed services.
b. SOCIAL INSURANCES
Social Insurances are social provisions that are funded by employers and employees through contributions
to a specific program
c. The other income maintenance programs include cash in kind benefits, emergency support funds, and other
resources which can be used by the poor for food and shelter.

2. Social Work as an Equal Partner

2.1 Aging Support
a. The support for people in their own homes program consists of helping older people remain in their own
homes by linking them with community programs that bring health care, meals, and home care services into
their home.
b. The support for people in long-term care facilities program refers to nursing homes or other group living
facilities.
2.2 Community Services
a. Community organization activities involve the gathering and analysis of data related to delivery of
services, matching that information with data of population distribution, securing funds etc.
b. Community Planning refers to the involvement of social workers with the physical, economic, and health
planners in the long-range planning of communities.
 c. Community development is about the participation of social workers in providing aid to the people in the
communities as the aim to enhance their conditions.

3. Social Work as a Secondary Discipline

3.1 Correctional Facilities
Social Workers are also present in the correctional facilities. They provide counseling and serve as link to
the outside world, comprising of the family, potential employers, and the community service network that will
provide support upon release.
3.2 Industry
In terms of industry, social workers act as a support to both the managers and the employees of the
companies. They make themselves available to the employees with social problems for individual, family,
and group counseling.
3.3 Medical and Health Care
In terms of medical and health care, social workers attend to the social and psychological factors that are
contributing to the medical condition of the patients. They also link patients with community resources,
provide necessary counseling, and link with self-help groups.
3.4 Schools
In terms of schools, they organize parent and community groups to channel concerns about students and
the school to improve school and community relations, act as pupil advocate, focusing on urgent needs of
the selected group of students and facilitate the provision of direct educational and social services and
provide direct social case work and group work to selected students.

CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK

a. SERVICES
Directs social worker to go beyond purely performing a service for a pay and allow them to be generous with
their time. Their work borders on charity and professional services
b. COMPASSION
Considered as an important value for all humankind but in social work, it is the basis for someone to go out
and become a voice to the voiceless and a friend to the people who need it most.
c. COMPETENCE
Is a very important value for social work because it separates social care giving from social work
professional practice.
d. DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE PERSON
Provides the determination and drive of social workers to seek the marginalized in all forms without much
regard as to whether such problem is self-inflicted or socially imposed. In the heart of social work is the
belief that all humans have dignity and worth regardless of their acts and status in life.
e. IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIP
As a value, makes it possible for social workers to do their job as most human situations they seek to
address require collaborating with so many other professionals and individuals with a stake in the issue.
Social Work is all about relationship.

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK

a. ACCEPTANCE
 This involves respecting the clients as they are under any circumstances and understands the meaning
and causes of the client’s behavior.
 The social worker manifests warmth, interest, and concern about the client and his situation.
 Recognizing the individual or people’s strengths and potentials, weaknesses and limitations.
b. RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
 Upholding and promoting human dignity and well-being.
 Respecting the right of self-determination.
 Promoting the right to participation
 Creating each person as a whole
 Identifying and developing strengths.
 c. SOCIAL JUSTICE
 Challenging discrimination
 Social Workers should recognize and respect the diversity of the societies
 Social Workers, individually, collectively, and with other have a duty to challenge social conditions that
contribute to social exclusion, stigmatization or work toward an inclusive society.
d. INTEGRITY
 Bring trustworthy
 Maintaining professional boundaries
 Being professionally accountable
 Upholding the values and reputations of the profession.
e. CONFIDENTIALITY
 This means that the client should be accorded with appropriate protection, within the limits of the law,
from any harm.
 Client should be assured that what she tells will be kept in confidence.

LESSON 2: PROFESSIONALS AND PRACTITIONERS IN SOCIAL WORK

TOPICS:
 Roles and Functions of Social Work Professionals
 Competencies and Specialization of Social Work Professionals
 Career Opportunities of Social Workers
 Rights, Responsibilities, Accountabilities, and Code of Ethics

ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Roles Description
Resource Broker This role is about the direct provision and material aid and other resources that will be
helpful in reducing situational deficiencies. These resources are mobilized and created or
directly to the client being assisted.
Social Broker This role involves a process of negotiating the “service jungle” for clients. The social worker
links the client to the needed services and ensures quick delivery of these services.
Mediator This role includes acting as an intermediary or conciliator between persons or in groups
and the social worker engages her/his effort to resolve disputes between the client and
other parties.
Advocate This role involves taking a partisan interest in the client and her/his cause and aims to
influence another party in the interest of the client through arguing, bargaining, negotiating,
and manipulating the environment on behalf of the client.
Enabler This role is about activities that the social worker engages in order to help the clients cope
with the current situation and eventually find strengths and resources within themselves to
solve problems they encountered.
Counselor/ This role intends to restore, maintain, or enhance the client’s capacity to adapt to her/hi
Therapist current reality. Such goal may be achieved through provision of necessary services on an
individual or group basis to provide emotional support to facilitate adjustment.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS

Specific Work Area Area

Child, Family, and School Social Deal with all sorts of situations such as helping a child who has
Worker experienced trauma or abuse- counseling students at school who are
experiencing grief over the death of a friend; or helping parents find the
right resources for their child who is suffering from a severe mental illness.
Community Social Worker Helps plan, coordinate, and organize efforts related to infrastructure,
volunteering, and fundraising within specific communities.
Hospice and Palliative Care Hospice and palliative care social workers often help or care for someone
 Social Worker
Medical and Health Social
Worker
Mental Health and Substance
Abuse Social Worker
Military and Veterans Social
Work
Psychiatric Social Worker
who is seriously or terminally ill. They help provide relief from pain; improve
quality of life; assist with difficult decision-making; help family and friends of
an ill individual; and in social cases assist with trauma, grief and loss.
Works in hospital settings and helps navigate the emotional, financial, and
physical struggles that a serious medical condition can cause an individual
or family. By connecting patients to resources and helping them make
important medical decisions.
Assists individuals who struggle with addiction, substance abuse, or mental
health problems.
Helps both the soldiers and their families with post-traumatic stress, role
adjustments, the implications and stressors of returning home, and any
substance abuse that may occur as a result of combat.
Provides therapy and assess the psychiatric health of their patients. They
work with the individual’s family to understand legal procedures, long- term
care options, and make referrals or provide resources.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES OF SOCIAL WORK

Social Workers may pursue careers in the following areas:

 Social work in health care
 Social work in school
 Occupational social work
 Clinical social work such as medical and psychiatric social work
 Forensic social work
 Adoption social work
 Management and supervision in various agencies working on social welfare, social policy and
planning
 Charity social work and social work education
 Child and family social work
 Community social work
 Social work research
 Military social work

CODE RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, ACCOUNTABILITIES AND CODE OF ETHICS

(Source: National Association of Social workers (NASW)
Six (6) Areas: (i) Responsibilities to Clients; (ii) responsibilities to colleagues; (iii) responsibilities in practice
setting; (iv) responsibilities as professionals; (v) responsibilities to social work profession; (vi) responsibilities to
broader society

Section A: Responsibilities to Clients

Element Brief Description
Commitment to Clients Uphold the well-being of clients. The clients’ interests are primary.
Self- Determination Respect and promote the right of clients to self-determination and assist clients in
their efforts to identify and clarify their goals.
Informed Consent Social Workers should use clear and understandable language to inform clients of the
purpose of the services, risks related to the services, limits to services etc.
Competence Provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries
of their education, training, license, certification, consultation received etc.
Conflict of Interest Be alert to and avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with exercise of professional
discretion and impartial judgment.
Privacy and Respect clients’ right to privacy. Social workers should not solicit private information
confidentiality from clients unless it is essential to providing services or conducting social work
evaluation or research.
Access to Records Social workers should provide clients with reasonable access to records concerning
the clients.
 Social workers who are concerned that clients’ access to their records could cause
serious misunderstanding or harm to the client should provide assistance in
interpreting the records and consultation with the clients regarding the records.
Sexual Relationship Do not engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether such
contact is consensual or forced.
Physical Contact Do not engage in physical contact with clients when there is a possibility of
psychological harm to the client as a result of the contact (such as cradling or
caressing clients).
Sexual Harassment Do not sexually harass clients. Sexual harassment includes sexual advances, sexual
solicitation, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature.
Derogatory Language Do not use derogatory language in their written or verbal communications to or about
clients. Social workers should use accurate and respectful language in all
communications to and about clients.
Payment to Services Ensure that the fees are fair, reasonable, and commensurate with the services
performed. Consideration should be given to client’s ability to pay. Avoid accepting
goods or services from clients as payment for professional services
Clients who lack When social workers act on behalf of clients who lack the capacity to make informed
decision-making capacity decisions, social workers should take reasonable steps to safeguard the interests and
rights of those clients.
Termination of Services Terminate services to clients and professional relationships with them when such
services and relationships are no longer required or no longer serve the clients’ needs
or interests.

Section B: Responsibility to colleagues

Respect Treat colleagues with respect and represent accurately and fairly the qualification,
views, and obligations of colleagues; avoid unwarranted negative criticism of
colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals.
Confidentiality Respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their
professional relationships and transactions.
Dispute Involving Do not take advantage of a dispute between a colleague and an employer to obtain a
Colleagues position or otherwise advance the social workers’ own interests.
Referral Services Refer clients to other professionals when the other professionals’ specialized
knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully or when social workers believe
that they are not being effective or making reasonable progress with clients and that
additional service is required.
Sexual Relationships Social workers who function as supervisors or educators should bot engage in sexual
activities or contact with supervisees, students, trainees, or other colleagues over
whom they exercise professional authority.
Sexual Harassment Do not sexually harass supervises, students, trainees, or colleagues.
Impairment of Social Workers who have direct knowledge of a social work colleague’s impairment
Colleagues that is due to personal problems, psychosocial distress, substance abuse, or mental
health difficulties and that interferes with practice effectiveness should consult with
that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.