The Discipline of

Social Work
Review
What is a Social work?
• Social work is a practice-based profession that
promotes social change, development, cohesion and
the empowerment of people and communities.
Social work professionals working with families and
institutions have helped to provide and advance the
following social impacts:
•Reduced Mental Health Stigma
• Civil Rights •Medicaid and Medicare
• Unemployment Insurance •Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

• Disability Pay
• Worker’s Compensation
3 Levels of Social Work
• Micro Social Work: At the micro level, social workers
provide one-on-one, family and small-group services to
individuals addressing a wide range of social issues.
• Mezzo Social Work: Social workers who operate at the
mezzo level work with groups of people, such as in a
school, prison, hospital or neighborhoods.
• Macro Social Work: Macro level social work encompasses
policy making, research and community based initiatives.
Social workers are professionals who aim to enhance
overall well-being and help meet basic and complex
needs of communities and people.
What do social workers help?
Picture Analysis!
What would be the principal goals of
social work based on the picture
presented
Goals of Social Work
• 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 etc.
• THE GOAL ON CURING Curing refers to the aspect of treating
people with problems in social functioning.
• Techniques: Popular counseling approches (family therapy,
behavior modification, gestalt therapy etc.)
• THE GOAL ON CHANGING Changing refers to the active
participation of the social workers in social reforms.
• THE GOAL ON CHANGING This goal comes from a perspective
that there is a persistence of poverty, environmental
destruction, and social disintegration.
• One of the most significant goals of social work because it
contributes in the struggle to pursue a lasting social change.