THE GENERALIST INTERVENTION MODEL FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

The primary purpose of the social work profession is to

work with client systems to alleviate social and
psychological problems and promote health and well-being.

The generalist practice

model:
helps social workers to identify potential stressors and other
disruptions to the client systems?equilibrium at themicro,
mezzo, and macro levels.

Most Master of Social Work programs are rooted in the generalist practice
model, while offering opportunities to specialize in key populations or areas of
interest through concentration and specialization options.
the generalist practice model provides a 7-stage model to guide the
problem-solving process:

Engagement Assessment
the social worker social workers should collect key
should focus on data about the client through
building trust and interviews and other assessment
rapport with the client, techniques and instruments and
so that mutually-agreed collateral contacts. During
upon goals can be assessment, social workers must
determined. remember to operate from a
strengths-based perspective, with
careful attention to seeking
information about client?s skills,
capacities, resources, and other
strengths.
Planning
is focused on goal development,
based on a mutual understanding
of the client?s problems, lifestyle,
and environment, the social
worker and client work together to
develop an action-plan that is
suited to the client?s unique
circumstances. This action-plan
should include specific objectives
and tasks that work toward
accomplishing the stated goals,
with a clear timeline for action, and
expectations of who will do what.
Intervention
the client and social worker
mobilize resources to
implement the action-plan,
both complying with their
agreed-upon expectations.
During this stage, the social
worker should monitor client
progress, and the client
should bring to the social
worker?s attention any
challenges, obstacles, or
threats to carrying out the
action-plan.

Evaluation
The social worker and the client
focus on goal attainment,
continuing to monitor progress
to determine when goals are
met, and/or whether new goals
should be set, critically
evaluates how an intervention is
working based on client
progress.
Termination
During this stage, the client
reflects on her/his
accomplishments, and client and
social worker work together to
identify resources and supports
in place to help the client should
problems re-emerge.
It is important to remember that there is no set
length of time for any stage, and in some cases,
social workers and clients will need to return to a
previous stage, depending on client progress.
The client should be at the center of any
problem-solving process, and the generalist
practice model offers a useful to guide to
supporting clients on their path to
self-determination and bio psychosocial health.