Social work

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Contents
Articles
Main article
Social work 1 1 5 5 9 9 11 11 14 14 17 17

History
History of social work

Contemporary professional development

Social work knowledge building

Qualifications
Qualifications for professional social work

Role of the professional

Role of the professional social worker

Types of International, Social and Community practice

Community practice

References
Article Sources and Contributors Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 19 20

Article Licenses
License 21

Main article
Social work
Social work / child and youth worker
Occupation Activity sectors Pursuit of social welfare and social change

Social work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or perceived social injustices and violations of their human rights. Research is often focused on areas such as human development, social policy, public administration, program evaluation and international and community development. Social workers are organized into local, national, continental and international professional bodies. Social work, an interdisciplinary field, includes theories from economics, education, sociology, medicine, philosophy, politics, psychology.

History
The concept of charity goes back to ancient times, and the practice of providing for the poor has roots in many major ancient civilizations and world religions. Social work has its roots in the social and economic upheaval wrought by the Industrial Revolution, in particular the struggle of society to deal with poverty and its resultant problems. Because dealing with poverty was the main focus of early social work, it is intricately linked with the idea of charity work, but it must now be understood in much broader terms. For instance it is not uncommon for modern social workers to find themselves dealing with the consequences arising from many other 'social problems' such as racism, sexism, homophobia, and discrimination based on age or on physical or mental ability. Modern social workers can be found helping to deal with the consequences of these and many other social maladies in all areas of the human services and in many other fields besides. Whereas social work started on a more scientific footing aimed at controlling and reforming individuals (at one stage supporting the notion that poverty was a disease), it has in more recent times adopted a more critical and holistic approach to understanding and intervening in social problems. This has led, for example, to the reconceptualisation of poverty as more a problem of the haves versus the have-nots rather than its former status as a disease, illness, or moral defect in need of treatment. This also points to another historical development in the evolution of social work: once a profession engaged more in social control, it has become one more directed at social empowerment. That is not to say that modern social workers do not engage in social control (consider for example statutory child protection workers), and many if not most social workers would likely agree that this is an ongoing tension and debate.

Social work

Contemporary professional development

The International Federation of Social Workers states, of social work today, that "social work bases its methodology on a systematic body of evidence-based knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation, including local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. It recognizes the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the multiple influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors. The social work profession draws on theories of human development, social theory and social systems to analyse complex situations and to facilitate individual, organizational, social and cultural changes."[1]
Social Work education begins in a systematised manner in higher educational institutes (universities, colleges etc.), but is also an ongoing process that occurs though research and in the workplace.

Qualifications
Professional social workers are generally considered those who hold a degree. Often these practitioners must also obtain a license or be professionally registered.

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 like Master's (such as MSW, MA, MSc, MRes, MPhil etc.) or PhD (doctoral studies). More and more graduates of social work continue to post-doctoral studies. It has been argued that social work education is supposed to be a lifelong process. In a number of countries and jurisdictions, registration or licensure of people working as social workers is required and there are mandated qualifications.[2] In other places, a professional association sets academic and black requirements for admission to membership. The success of these professional bodies' efforts is demonstrated in the fact that these same requirements are recognized by employers as necessary for employment.[3]

Professional associations
There are a number of associations for social workers, which exist to provide ethical guidance and other forms of support for their members and social work in general. These associations/organizations are distinguished in international, continental or semi-continental, national and regional. The main international ones are the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW). In the United States the main one is the National Association of Social Workers.

Trade Unions representing social workers

In the United Kingdom by far the largest number of social workers are employed by local authorities and many of these are represented by the public sector union UNISON. 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 recognised by the TUC or by any employers.

Social work

Role of the professional

The main tasks of professional social workers can include a number of services such as case management (linking service users with agencies and programs that will meet their psychosocial needs - mainly common in US and UK), counseling & psychotherapy, human services management, social welfare policy analysis, policy and practice development, community organizing, international, social and community development, hospital and aged care, advocacy, teaching (in schools of social work), and social and political research.

References
[1] "Definition of Social Work" (http:/ / www. ifsw. org/ en/ p38000208. html). IFSW General Meeting in Montreal, Canada, July 2000. International Federation of Social Workers (http:/ / www. ifsw. org/ home). 04/10/2005. . Retrieved 2008-02-19. [2] The National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2005). NASW Fact Sheet. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http:/ / www. socialworkers. org. [3] "Catholic Social Workers National Association" (http:/ / www. cswna. org). .

Further reading
Agnew, Elizabeth N. (2004). From Charity to Social Work: Mary E. Richmond and the Creation of an American Profession. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN0252028759. OCLC51848398. Axinn, June and Mark J. Stern (2008). Social Welfare: A History of the American Response to Need (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. ISBN9780205522156. OCLC86038254. Balgopal, Pallassana R. (2000). Social Work Practice with Immigrants and Refugees. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. ISBN0231108567. OCLC43323656. Barker, Richard (2009). Making Sense of Every Child Matters - multi professional practice guidance (http:// www.everychildmattersbook.co.uk/) (1st ed.). Bristol, UK: Policy Press. ISBN1847420117. Barker, Robert L. (2003). Social Work Dictionary (5th ed.). Silver Spring, MD: NASW Press. ISBN087101355X. OCLC52341511. Butler, Ian and Gwenda Roberts (2004). Social Work with Children and Families: Getting into Practice (2nd ed.). London, England; New York, NY: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN1417501030. OCLC54768636. Davies, Martin (2002). The Blackwell Companion of Social Work (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK; Malden, MA: Blackwell. ISBN0631223916. OCLC49044512. Fischer, Joel and Kevin J. Corcoran (2007). Measures for Clinical Practice and Research: A Sourcebook (4th ed.). Oxford, UK; New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN9780195181906. OCLC68980742. Greene, Roberta R. (2008). Social Work with the Aged and their Families (3rd ed.). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. ISBN9780202361826. OCLC182573540. Grinnell, Richard M. and Yvonne A Unrau (2008). Social Work Research and Evaluation: Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice (8th ed.). Oxford, UK; New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN9780195301526. OCLC82772632. Mizrahi, Terry and Larry E. Davis (2008). Encyclopedia of Social Work (20th ed.). Washington, DC; Oxford, UK; New York, NY: NASW Press and Oxford University Press. ISBN9780195306613. OCLC156816850. Popple, Philip R. and Leslie Leighninger (2008). The Policy-Based Profession: An Introduction to Social Welfare Policy Analysis for Social Workers (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon. ISBN0205485928. OCLC70708056. Reamer, Frederic G. (2006). Ethical Standards in Social Work: A Review of the NASW Code of Ethics (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: NASW Press. ISBN9780871013712. OCLC63187493.

Social work Richardson, Virginia E. and Amanda Smith Barusch (2006). Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-First Ccentury: A Social Work Perspective. New York, NY: Columbia University Press. ISBN023110748X. OCLC60373501. Sowers, Karen M. and Catherine N. Dulmus and others. (2008). Comprehensive Handbook of Social Work and Social Welfare. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN0471752223. OCLC155755265. Specht, Harry; Courtney, Mark E. (1994). Unfaithful angels : how social work has abandoned its mission. New York: Free Press. ISBN0029303559. Statham, Daphne (2004). Managing Front Line Practice in Social Work. New York, NY: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ISBN1417501278. OCLC54768593. Thyer, Bruce A. and John S. Wodarski (2007). Social Work in Mental Health: An Evidence-Based Approach. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley. ISBN0471693049. OCLC65197928. Turner, Francis J. (2005). Canadian Encyclopedia of Social Work. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN0889204365. OCLC57354998. Wittenberg, Renee (2003). Opportunities in Social Work Careers (Revised ed.). Chicago, IL: VGM Career Books. ISBN0071390480. OCLC49959266.

History
History of social work
Social work has its roots in the struggle of society to deal with poverty and the problems associated with it. Therefore, social work is intricately linked with the idea of charity work; but must be understood in broader terms. The concept of charity goes back to ancient times, and the practice of providing for the poor has roots in all major world religions.[1]

Pre-Modern history
In the West, when Constantine I legalized the Christian Church, the newly legitimised church set up poorhouses, homes for the aged, hospitals, and orphanages.[2][3][4] These were often funded, at least in part, from grants from the Empire.[5] By 590 AD the church had a system for circulating the consumables to the poor: associated with each parish was a diaconium or office of the deacon. As there was no effective bureaucracy below city government that was capable of charitable activities, the clergy served this role in the west up through the 18th century. During the Middle Ages, the Christian church had vast influence on European society and charity was considered to be a responsibility and a sign of ones piety. This charity was in the form of direct relief (for example, giving money, food, or other material goods to alleviate a particular need), as opposed to trying to change the root causes of poverty. The practice and profession of social work has a relatively modern (19th century) and scientific origin.[6]

Modern history
Social work, as a profession, originated in the 19th century. The movement began primarily in the United States and England. After the end of feudalism, the poor were seen as a more direct threat to the social order, and so the state formed an organized system to care for them. In England, the Poor Law served this purpose. This system of laws sorted the poor into different categories, such as the able bodied poor, the impotent poor, and the idle poor. This system developed different responses to these different groups.

History of social work

6 The 19th century ushered in the Industrial Revolution. There was a great leap in technological and scientific achievement, but there was also a great migration to urban areas throughout the Western world. This led to many social problems, which in turn led to an increase in social activism.[7] Also with the dawn of the 19th century came a great "missionary" push from many Protestant denominations. Some of these mission efforts (urban missions), attempted to resolve the problems inherent in large cities like poverty, prostitution, disease, and other afflictions. In the United States workers known as "friendly visitors", stipended by church and other charitable bodies, worked through direct relief, prayer, and evangelism to alleviate these problems.[6] In Europe, chaplains or almoners were appointed to administer the church's mission to the poor.

Social work involves ameliorating social problems such as poverty and homelessness.

During this time, rescue societies were initiated to find more appropriate means of self-support for women involved in prostitution. Mental asylums grew to assist in taking care of the mentally ill. A new philosophy of "scientific charity" emerged, which stated charity should be "secular, rational and empirical as opposed to sectarian, sentimental, and dogmatic.[8]" In the late 1880s, a new system to provide aid for social ills came in to being, which became known as the settlement movement.[9] The settlement movement focused on the causes of poverty through the "three Rs" - Research, Reform, and Residence. They provided a variety of services including educational, legal, and health services. These programs also advocated changes in social policy. Workers in the settlement movement immersed themselves in the culture of those they were helping. In America, the various approaches to social work led to a fundamental question is social work a profession? This debate can be traced back to the early 20th century debate between Mary Richmond's Charity Organization Society (COS) and Jane Addams's Settlement House Movement. The essence of this debate was whether the problem should be approached from COS' traditional, scientific method focused on efficiency and prevention or the Settlement House Movement's immersion into the problem, blurring the lines of practitioner and client.[10]

Jane Addams (18601935) was a founder of the U.S. Settlement House movement and is considered one of the early influences on professional social work in the United States.

Even as many schools of social work opened and formalized processes for social work began to be developed, the question lingered. In 1915, at the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, Dr. Abraham Flexner spoke on the topic "Is Social Work a Profession?" He contended that it was not because it lacked specialized knowledge and specific application of theoretical and intellectual knowledge to solve human and social problems.[11] This led to the professionalization of social work, concentrating on case work and the scientific method.

American History
Following European settlement of northern America, the only social welfare was in the area of public health. When epidemics occurred, quarantine facilities were built to prevent contamination. As populations grew, Almhouses were built to house vulnerable people with no other support, including people with a long term illness or older people without families. The first recorded Almshouse was built in 1713 near Philadelphia by William Penn, and was only open to Quakers. A second one was built nearby in 1728, this time with public money. In 1736 New York opened the Poor House of the City of New York (later renamed Bellevue Hospital) and in 1737 New Orleans opened the Saint John's Hospital to serve the poor of the city.[12]

History of social work Over the next 80 years, the facilities began to change. The precursors to modern hospitals began to form on the grounds of Almshouses, while the Almshouses themselves focused more and more on vulnerable people. Modern social work in America has its roots in the mass migrations of the 19th century. Many of the migrants landed in New York and moved to other eastern cities, where mass crowding, led to social problems and ill health.[12] Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell was the United States' first female doctor [13] who set up the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children in 1853. The dispensary was run to assist the poor communities of East Side, and it soon diversified beyond a basic pharmacy, providing social assessments and support to local families. In 1889 Jane Addams was a young medical student who set up Hull House in Chicago to work with poor and immigrant communities. The house was both a community service centre and a social research program. Precursors to modern social work arose in Blackwell's infirmary and in Hull House as health professionals began to work with social determinants of poor health.[12] The first professional social worker to be hired in the United States was Garnet Pelton, in 1905 at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Garnet retired after six months due to contracting tuberculosis in the course of her work. She was replaced by Ida Cannon who worked in the role for a further forty years. Dr. Richard Clarke Cabot was a key advocate in the creation of the role, as he believed there to be a link between tuberculosis and social conditions. Both Pelton and Cannon had trained as nurses before taking up the role. Cabot was in charge of the outpatient ward of the hospital, and together with the newly created social workers, they redefined the way in which health and wellbeing was managed. The economic, social, family and psychological conditions that underpinned many of the conditions that patients presented with were recognised for the first time. Social workers would work in a complementary relationship with doctors, the former concentrating on physiological health, and the latter on social health. In addition to this, he saw that social work could improve medicine by providing a critical perspective on it while working alongside it in an organisational setting. This approach soon spread through other American hospitals, and in 1911, there were 44 social work departments in 14 different cities. Two years later, the number of social work departments had grown to 200.

Professionalisation
After 1905, most social workers were trained as nurses. The American Association of Hospital Social Workers was set up in 1918 to increase the links between formal education and hospital practice. In 1929 there were ten university courses in medical social work. Around this time, psychiatry and psychology began to compete with social work as the complementary discourse to medicine in hospitals. Social work practice adapted to this by aligning itself more closely with psychoanalytic ideas, and became less concerned with living conditions and social health. While this detracted from the social concerns, it added a more scientific basis to dealing with patients, and challenging behaviours were more likely to be seen as a mental disfunction than poor moral character.[12] The increase of social spending after World War Two saw another rise in the number of social workers.

Australian History
Social work as a profession in Australia developed later than in England or America, with the first professional social workers being hired in the 1920s. Social work training began in Australia in 1940 at the University of Sydney. The profession took direction from the established schools in England until the 1960s, when a more American model took hold. Most high level training and theory was imported from abroad until the 1980s. Some Australian social work writers such as Jim Ife has criticised the impact that this has had on Australians being able to develop culturally appropriate theories and practices. Since the 1990s, Australian social work has increasingly affiliated itself with Pacific Islander and New Zealand approaches.[14] Social Work has been a mostly public sector or not-for-profit sector profession in Australia, with private practice being rare. The profession has experienced changes in two different direction in the last 30 years. One is a pull towards a more managerial, professionalised model, and the other is to a more community based, deprofessionalised

History of social work approach. Further to this has been the trend by large organisations to replace the "jack of all trades" social work approach with less highly trained, more technical positions. Since the 1990s, other reactions to managerial control of social work have followed theories of feminism, ecological sustainability and critical theories.[14]

English History
The growth of social work in England as a discipline had similar parallels to the American experience of mass migration and social upheaval. The Industrial Revolution was a major cause of these changes, as social and economic conditions changed, resulting in the massive growth of cities. The first social workers were called hospital almoners, and were based in medical institutions. The Royal Free Hospital hired Mary Stewart as the first almoner in 1895. Her role was to assess people requesting treatment at the hospital to ensure that they were considered "deserving enough" of the free treatment. The role soon developed to cover the provision of other social programs, and by 1905 other hospitals had created similar roles. By this time, the Hospital Almoners Council had been formed to oversee the new profession.[12]

References
[1] "Religion" (http:/ / www. globalenvision. org/ forteachers/ 28/ 1258/ ). Middle School Lesson Plans. Global Envision. . Retrieved 2008-04-09. [2] [By Alexander Clarence Flick (1909). The Rise of the Mediaeval Church and Its Influence on the Civilisation of Western Europe from the First to the Thirteenth Century. http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=ApLaUMO0ZycC] [3] [G. KALANTZIS (2006). THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDICINE IN BYZANTIUM (330-1453 AD) http:/ / www. ishm2006. hu/ scientific/ abstract. php?ID=138] [4] [C. GILLEARD (2007) Old age in Byzantine society Ageing & Society (2007), 27 : 623-642 Cambridge University Press http:/ / journals. cambridge. org/ action/ displayAbstract;jsessionid=4A665169DCB94F67A7CF47ECC60F22C0. tomcat1?fromPage=online& aid=1316632] [5] Burckhardt, Jacob (1967). The Age of Constantine the Great. Random House (Vintage). ISBN0520046803. [6] Huff, Dan. "Chapter I. Scientific Philanthropy (1860-1900)" (http:/ / www. boisestate. edu/ socwork/ dhuff/ history/ chapts/ 1-1. htm). The Social Work History Station (http:/ / www. boisestate. edu/ socwork/ dhuff/ history/ central/ core. htm). Boise State University. . Retrieved 2008-02-20. [7] "Social Work History" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071221085300/ http:/ / www. socialwork. ed. ac. uk/ social/ history. html). University of Edinburgh. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. socialwork. ed. ac. uk/ social/ history. html) on 2007-12-21. . Retrieved 2008-02-20. [8] Huff, Dan. "Chapter I.2 Missionaries & Volunteers" (http:/ / www. boisestate. edu/ socwork/ dhuff/ history/ chapts/ 1-2. htm). The Social Work History Station (http:/ / www. boisestate. edu/ socwork/ dhuff/ history/ central/ core. htm). Boise State University. . Retrieved 2008-02-20. [9] Huff, Dan. "Chapter II. Settlements (1880-1900)" (http:/ / www. boisestate. edu/ socwork/ dhuff/ history/ chapts/ 2-1. htm). The Social Work History Station (http:/ / www. boisestate. edu/ socwork/ dhuff/ history/ central/ core. htm). Boise State University. . Retrieved 2008-02-20. [10] Parker-Oliver, Debra; Demiris, George (April 2006). "Social Work Informatics: A New Specialty" (http:/ / lysander. naswpressonline. org/ vl=7534711/ cl=13/ nw=1/ rpsv/ cw/ nasw/ 00378046/ v51n2/ s4/ p127). Social Work (National Association of Social Workers) 51 (2): 127134. PMID16858918. . Retrieved 2008-02-19. [11] "From Charitable Volunteers to Architects of Social Welfare: A Brief History of Social Work" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20070205223657/ http:/ / www. ssw. umich. edu/ ongoing/ fall2001/ briefhistory. html). University of Michigan. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. ssw. umich. edu/ ongoing/ fall2001/ briefhistory. html) on 2007-02-05. . Retrieved 2007-02-20. [12] Gehlert, S. in Gehlert, S. and T.A. Browne (2006). Chapter Two: The Conceptual Underpinnings of social work in health care. Handbook of Health Social Work. New Jersey:WILEY [13] M. A. Elston, "Blackwell, Elizabeth (18211910)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 29 Dec 2008 (http:/ / www. oxforddnb. com/ view/ article/ 31912,) [14] Ife, J. in Mayadas, N., Watts, T., Elliott, D. (1997). Chapter Twenty Two:Australia International handbook on social work theory and practice. Greenwood Publishing Group

September 6, 1860 May 21, 1935

Contemporary professional development

Social work knowledge building
The International Federation of Social Workers states, of social work today, "social work bases its methodology on a systematic body of evidence-based knowledge derived from research and practice evaluation, including local and indigenous knowledge specific to its context. It recognizes the complexity of interactions between human beings and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by and to alter the multiple influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors. The social work profession draws on theories of human development and behaviour and social systems to analyse complex situations and to facilitate individual, organizational, social and cultural changes."[1] The impetus for both movements was the glaring reality of social problems and the question over how to best attack them. This debate is arguably the earliest example of a larger debate within social work how is knowledge acquired? This debate pits positivism against post-positivism in the pursuit of achieving respect as a profession. The positivistic argument asserts knowledge has to be observable and testable (quantitative), free from bias, and ultimately replicable if it is to have any merit. Post-positivists argue there is no way to completely eliminate bias, and knowledge can be obtained via qualitative research methods. The debate reached its greatest intensity in the 1980s, reflecting the debate within the larger world of the social sciences. Subsequently, most of those interested in social work knowledge building have joined in a consensus that both perspectives are necessary to fully understand the complex realities encountered by social work practitioners. Today, most text books intended for social work research courses, while they may devote more pages to quantitative approaches, also include one or more chapters on qualitative approaches, and make an effort not to favor one over the other.[2] Meanwhile, practitioners, and often educators in social work practice, have felt left out of the debate. A frequent complaint was that social work programs were favoring research over practice skills in faculty hiring, thus weakening their ability to teach practice skills to new practitioners. The reliance among practitioners on shared practice wisdom, and the development of skills and techniques through clinical supervision and mentorship was not considered as valid as knowledge building by either camp. There have been attempts to bridge the gap between practice-based knowledge and knowledge obtained through more formal research approaches. One such strategy is single-subject research--also known as Single Subject Design (SSD), in which the clinician, working together with the client, carefully specifies a target of intervention, then measures its frequency, duration, intensity, or any relevant characteristics during a baseline period when no intervention is tried. Following this, an intervention is introduced, and measurement of the target problem is continued. Two claims made for SSD were that it would improve clinical work, since effectiveness of interventions could be determined, and that single cases could be aggregated into research reports, which, published, would constitute an empirically verified set of interventions for clinical use. Although SSD has been championed by social work graduate programs for more than two decades, there is little evidence that it has been widely adopted by social work practitioners. The current state of social work professional development is characterized by two realities. There is a great deal of traditional social and psychological research (both qualitative and quantitative) being carried out primarily by university-based researchers and by researchers based in institutes, foundations, or social service agencies. Meanwhile, the many social work practitioners continue to look to their own experience for knowledge. This is a continuation of the debate that has persisted since the outset of the profession in the first decade of the twentieth

Social work knowledge building century.[3] One reason for the practice-research gap is that practitioners deal with situations that are unique and idiosyncratic, while research deals with regularities and aggregates. The translation between the two is often imperfect. A hopeful development for bridging this gap is the compilation in many practice fields of collections of "best practices," largely taken from research findings, but also distilled from the experience of respected practitioners.

10

References
[1] "Definition of Social Work" (http:/ / www. ifsw. org/ en/ p38000208. html). IFSW General Meeting in Montral, Canada, July 2000. International Federation of Social Workers (http:/ / www. ifsw. org/ home). 04/10/2005. . Retrieved 2008-02-19. [2] Council on Social Work Education (http:/ / www. cswe. org) [3] Parker-Oliver, Debra; Demiris, George (April 2006). "Social Work Informatics: A New Specialty" (http:/ / lysander. naswpressonline. org/ vl=7534711/ cl=13/ nw=1/ rpsv/ cw/ nasw/ 00378046/ v51n2/ s4/ p127). Social Work (National Association of Social Workers) 51 (2): 127134. PMID16858918. . Retrieved 2008-02-19.

Further reading
Specht, Harry; Courtney, Mark E. (1994). Unfaithful angels : how social work has abandoned its mission. New York: Free Press. ISBN0029303559.

11

Qualifications
Qualifications for professional social work
Professional social workers are generally considered those who hold a professional degree in social work. In a number of countries and jurisdictions, registration or licensure of people working as social workers is required and there are mandated qualifications.[1] In other places, the professional association sets academic and experiential requirements for admission to membership.

United States
A social worker, practicing in the United States, usually requires a doctoral degree (Ph.D or DSW), master's degree (MSW) or a bachelor's degree (BSW or BASW) in social work from a Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited program to receive a license in most states. In some areas, however, a social worker may be able to receive a license with a bachelor's or even associate's degree in any discipline. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest organization of professional social workers in the United States. Depending on the university, the four year degree may be structured in different ways and draws upon many fields, including social work theory, psychology, human development, sociology, social policy, research methods, social planning and social administration. A person with a BSW is considered a "generalist" and the MSW is considered "a specialist or advanced generalist"; a Ph.D. or D.S.W. (Doctor of Social Work) generally conducts research, teaches, or analyzes policy, often in higher education settings. Various states in the United States "protect" the use of the title social worker by statute. Use of the title requires licensure or certification in most states. The licensure or certification also requires a prelicensure examination through the ASWB (Association of Social Work Boards), with the exception of the State of California, who creates and administers their own licensing exam. Over half of all states offer licensure at various levels of social work practice, and clinical social work is regulated by licensure in all states. The pass rate for the Master's level licensing exam is around 74%.[2] A range of products and services exist to assist students in preparing for the exam including practice tests, study guides, private tutoring and prep classes.[3]

Canada
A four-year Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is required for entry into the field. A Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW) is usually required to provide psychotherapy treatment. In Canada social workers may provide treatment but cannot diagnose. Some provinces require registration in order to legally use the title "social worker". Some provinces also require an exam prerequisite for certification through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). In British Columbia however, a social worker with extensive clinical experience in mental health, may apply for training and liscensure with the BCASW to practice as a Registered Clinical Social Worker, and can make DSM IV-TR diagnoses.

Qualifications for professional social work

12

United Kingdom
The main qualification for social work is the undergraduate Bachelor's degree (BA, BSc or BSW) in social work, offered at British universities from September 2003 onwards. There is also available a master's degree (MA, MSc or MSW). These have replaced the previous qualifying award, the postgraduate Diploma in Social Work (DipSW), which was first awarded in 1991 and will be phased out across the UK by 2009. Prior to this, the recognised qualification was the Certificate of Qualification in Social Work (CQSW), awarded between 1975 and 1991. Purporting to be either a social worker or a student social worker without registering with the Social Work Register and holding or undergoing training for the recognised qualifications is now a criminal offence. Social workers must renew their registration every three years. These regulations offer protection to vulnerable people by guaranteeing the professional regulation of people working as social workers. They also promote workforce development, as all social workers must participate in at least fifteen days of professional training over a three year period in order to be eligible for renewal of their registration. Lay practitioners in the United Kingdom, often referred to as Social Services Assistants or Care Workers, are unregistered social workers that often do not hold any formal social work qualification. This is not the case in Scotland where the scope of registration for social service workers [4] is more advanced. Within the mental health sector in the United Kingdom, social workers can train as an Approved Mental Health Professional. With the implementation of the Mental Health Act 2007, this had replaced the previous Approved Social Worker role and is open to other professionals such as community psychiatric nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists, whilst maintaining a social work ethos. AMHPs are responsible for organising and contributing to assessments under the Mental Health Act 1983, as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007. After qualifying, social workers can undertake further training under the social work 'Post-Qualifying Framework'. Before 2007, there were four awards available under this framework: Post-Qualifying Award - for advanced social work practice and management Mental Health Social Workers in England and Wales can now train to become an Approved Mental Health Professional or AMHP. Child Care Award - qualification to work with children and young people Practice Teaching Award - qualification to work as a tutor, supervisor and assessor for social work students on their work placement In 2007, the General Social Care Council and UK partners implemented a new framework which unified these awards in a simpler structure allowing broader study to count towards three levels of social work award: specialist, higher specialist, and advanced.

Australia
A four-year Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is required for entry into the occupation of Social Worker in Australia, although some universities also offer a two-year, accelerated, graduate-entry BSW. Whilst there are no legal registration requirements, most employers stipulate that applicants must be eligible for membership of the Australian Association of Social Workers (Australia) [5] (AASW). Only graduates of courses recognised by the AASW are eligible for membership. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is an ongoing requirement of accredited membership of the AASW and must incorporate accountability, gaining new knowledge and information & skill development (CPE Policy 2006, AASW). A person with overseas qualifications can apply for consideration of recognition of their qualifications via a formal application for assessment by the AASW.

Qualifications for professional social work

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Scandinavia
Socionom is the Swedish and Danish term for a person with a degree in social work and related subjects. In Sweden the "socionom"/Bachelor of Social Work education is 3.5 years.

References
[1] The National Association of Social Workers (NASW, 2005). NASW Fact Sheet. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http:/ / www. socialworkers. org. [2] http:/ / www. aswb. org/ SWLE/ passrates. asp [3] Scott Miller, MSW http:/ / www. socialworkexamprep. com/ [4] http:/ / www. sssc. uk. com/ All+ about+ Registration/ What+ are+ the+ timescales+ for+ registration/ What+ are+ the+ timescales+ for+ registration. htm [5] http:/ / www. aasw. asn. au/

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Role of the professional

Role of the professional social worker
This subarticle is kept separate from the main article, Social work, due to size or style considerations.

Social work definition: The International Association of Schools of Social Work and International Federation of Social Workers 2001: The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the point where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work. The main tasks of professional social workers are case management (linking clients with agencies and programs that will meet their psychosocial needs), medical social work, counseling (psychotherapy), human services management, social welfare policy analysis, community organizing, advocacy, teaching (in schools of social work), and social science research. Professional social workers work in a variety of settings, including: non-profit or public social service agencies, grassroots advocacy organizations, hospitals, hospices, community health agencies, schools, faith-based organizations, and even the military. Other social workers work as psychotherapists, counselors, or mental health practitioners, normally working in coordination with psychiatrists, psychologists, or other medical professionals. Additionally, some social workers have chosen to direct the focus of their efforts on social policy or academic research towards the practice or ethics of social work. While the emphasis has varied among these task areas in different eras and countries, some areas have been the subject of controversy as to whether they are properly part of social work's mission.

United States
In the United States of America, leaders and scholars in the field of social work have debated the purpose and nature of the profession since its beginning in the late 19th century. Workers, beginning with the settlement house movement, have argued for a focus on social reform, political activism, and systemic causes of poverty. Social workers of the Settlement House Movement were primarily young women from middle-income families and chose to live in lower-income neighbourhoods to engage in community organizing. These workers sometimes received stipends from charitable organizations and sometimes worked for free. In contrast to the settlement house movement, the friendly visitors were women from middle-income families who visited (but did not reside among) families in lower-income neighbourhoods. Friendly visitors emphasized conventional morality (such as thrift and abstinence from alcohol) rather than social activism. Others have advocated an emphasis on direct practice, aid to individual clients and families with targeted material assistance or interventions using the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental diseases DSM-IV. While social work has been defined as direct, individual practice in the last quarter of the 20th century, there is a growing resurgence of community practice in social work. Of broad and growing significance are the relationship counseling and

Role of the professional social worker Relationship Education movements which seek to assist in interpersonal social skill building which can be of great societal value in promoting marriage and family stability. Relationship education and counseling primarily aid the majority of individuals who are free of pathology or who have found that DSM-IV based services are ineffectual. This majority can benefit from education and exposure to relationship skills that have not otherwise been discussed and distributed by social services in this time of weakened family, church, and societal conventions. Another new development in social work is the focus on informatics (Parker-Oliver & Demiris, 2006). For many social workers, the use of any online technology is problematic due to persistent concerns about privacy. However, other social workers recognize that clients are going on line for many purposes. Some schools of social work, such as University of Southern California are offering courses to build informatics skills at the graduate level. Community practice is the new term of art for what used to be known as "macro practice" social work. Community practice includes working for change at the systems level, including human services management (administration, planning, marketing, and program development); community organizing (community development, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy); social policy and politics; and international social development. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest and most recognized membership organization of professional social workers in the world. Representing 150,000 members from 56 chapters in the United States and abroad, the association promotes, develops and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its work and advocacy. Although membership is generally not required for licensure, NASW survey data give a rough idea of how social workers are employed in the US. According to NASW: Nearly 40% of NASW members say that mental health is their primary practice area. The health sector employs 8% of NASWs members, and 8% practice in child welfare or family organizations. Six percent of NASW members say school social work is their primary practice area, and another 3% work primarily with adolescents. (NASW, 2005) These figures are significantly confounded by the fact that NASW members are primarily licensed practitioners working in the clinical arena, and the fact that many social workers in the field do not actually hold a degree in social work. NASW is usually concerned with issues like licensing, reimbursement, etc., that are not relevant to child welfare practice, for instance. Within the mental health field, social workers may work in private practice, much like clinical psychologists or members of other counselling professions often do. Social workers are often in the position of recommending the use of psychopharmaceutical agents, though not prescribing them. The increasingly widespread usage of these agents in the U.S. has received little scrutiny by the NASW, despite that fact that these drugs are prescribed far more heavily in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world. Social workers in private practice may take direct payments from clients and may also receive third-party reimbursement from insurance companies or government programs such as Medicaid. Insurance reimbursement for mental health services involves the designation of the recipient of services as mentally ill, or more specifically a label is assigned from the DSM-IV, the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental illness. This assignment, when recorded to an individual's medical history can prove to be a significant impediment to future pursuits. It can raise the cost to the individual for health or nursing home insurance; it can be the basis of denial for life insurance; and it can limit an individual's professional choices, such as in health care, motor vehicle operation, or airplane piloting. Private practice was not part of the social work profession when it began in the late 19th century. It has been controversial among social workers, some of whom feel that the more lucrative opportunities of private practice have led many social workers to abandon the field's historic mission of assisting disadvantaged populations. The private practice model can be at odds with the community development and political activism strains of social work. Social workers in mental health may also work for an agency, whether publicly funded, supported by private charity, or some combination of the two. These agencies provide a range of mental health services to disadvantaged populations in the US.

15

Role of the professional social worker Some social workers are child welfare workers, a role that looms large in the public's perception of social work. This role contributes to a negative view of social work in the U.S., since child welfare authorities can remove abused or neglected children from the custody of their parents, a practice that is fraught with controversy and sometimes with scandalous incompetence. Many child welfare workers in the US do not in fact have social work degrees (though all caseworkers in most states have at least a Bachelor's degree in a related field). Some states restrict the use of the title social worker to licensed practitioners, who must hold a degree in the field. Such restrictions are a high legislative priority of NASW.

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United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom and elsewhere, a social worker is a trained professional with a recognised social work qualification, employed most commonly in the public sector by local authorities. Spending on social services departments is a major component of British local government expenditure. In Social care UK, the title "social worker" is protected by law (since 1 April 2005) and can be used only by people who have a recognised qualification and are registered with the General Social Care Council (in England), the Scottish Social Services Council, the Care Council for Wales (Welsh: Cyngor Gofal Cymru), or the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. The strategic direction of statutory social work in Britain is broadly divided into children's and adults' services. Social work activity within England and Wales for children and young people is under the remit of the Department for Children, Schools and Families while the same for adults remains the responsibility for the Department of Health. Within local authorities, this division is usually reflected in the organisation of social services departments. The structure of service delivery in Scotland is different. Within children services some social workers are child protection workers, a role that looms large in the public's perception of social work. This role contributes to a negative view of social work in the UK since child protection workers for local authorities can remove suspected abused or neglected children from the custody of their parents, a practice that is fraught with controversy and media criticism. However, this is only with the prior agreement of the court and the provision of a Court Order - such as a Emergency Protection Order. Contrary to popular belief, Social Workers cannot simply arrive at a family home and remove children. In mental health care, social workers can train to become an Approved Mental Health Professional, involved in the application of the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007) in England and Wales. Though now open to other professions, this involves a contributing a social care perspective to Mental Health Act assessments and is predominantly a social worker role. In 2007, the General Social Care Council launched a wide-ranging consultation, in concert with a number of other social care organisations, to agree a clear professional understanding of social work in the UK [1]

References
[1] GSCC Roles and Tasks of Social Work consultation page (http:/ / www. gscc. org. uk/ News+ and+ events/ Consultations/ Roles+ and+ Tasks+ of+ social+ work/ )

Further reading
Specht, Harry, and Courtney, Mark E., "Unfaithful angels : how social work has abandoned its mission", New York : Free Press ; Toronto : Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; New York : Maxwell Macmillan International, 1994. ISBN 0029303559

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Types of International, Social and Community practice

Community practice
Community Practice is a branch of social work in the United States that focuses on larger social systems and social change, and is tied to the historical roots of United States social work. The field of community practice social work encompasses community organizing, social planning, human service management, community development, policy analysis, policy advocacy, evaluation, mediation, electronic advocacy and other larger systems interventions. In the field of social work, community practice is often contrasted with direct practice social work, in which social workers work directly with individuals solving micro-level problems. Community Practice has been referred to in the past as Macro Practice, though Community Practice is now the standard term in the United States. Community Practice has considerable overlap with many other applied social sciences, such as urban planning, economic development, public affairs, rural sociology and nonprofit management. Community Practice social workers typically have a Masters in Social Work (MSW). There are several MSW programs in the United States that offer Community Practice Concentrations, while many other MSW programs offer specializations in one or several types of community practice, such as social services administration or policy analysis. The professional group of community practitioners is the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA), which publishes the leading journal in the field, The Journal of Community Practice.

Schools of Social Work with Community Practice Concentrations

Arizona State University Azusa Pacific University Boston University School of Social Work Case Western Reserve University

Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences Georgia State University Hunter College of the City University of New York University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work University of Denver Social Work Doctoral Program University of Georgia University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work University of Michigan University of Minnesota School of Social Work University of North Carolina University of Oklahoma University of Pittsburgh University of Tennessee University of Texas at Arlington

University of Texas at Austin Wayne State University Yeshiva University, Wurzweiler School of Social Work

Community practice

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External links
Association for Community Organization and Social Administration [1] Journal of Community Practice [2] University of Oklahoma

References
Hardcastle, D., Powers, P. & Wenecour, S. (2004). Community Practice: Theories and Skills for Social Workers. Oxford University Press Weil, M. (2005) The Handbook of Community Practice. Sage Publications.

Further reading
Specht, Harry; Courtney, Mark E. (1994). Unfaithful angels : how social work has abandoned its mission. New York: Free Press. ISBN0029303559.

References
[1] http:/ / www. acosa. org/ [2] http:/ / www. haworthpress. com/ store/ product. asp?sku=J125

Article Sources and Contributors

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Wrexsoul, Wuhwuzdat, Zaloom, 801 anonymous edits History of social work Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=458459372 Contributors: Anastrophe, Andycjp, Celique, Eastlaw, Mbell, Mentifisto, Ohconfucius, Rakkar, Soccybrarian, 11 anonymous edits Social work knowledge building Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=457813338 Contributors: Funandtrvl, J04n, Jmdickman, Jonkerz, Nyttend, UnitedStatesian, Ursasapien, Wikiklrsc Qualifications for professional social work Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=476847404 Contributors: Amphalumpa, Eastlaw, Funandtrvl, Jacob Lundberg, Jongleur100, R'n'B, R000t, Scottmillerlmsw, Somno, Squids and Chips, Ursasapien, 10 anonymous edits Role of the professional social worker Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=463481026 Contributors: Amphalumpa, Exit2DOS2000, Funandtrvl, HannahCoo, Hmains, Levineps, Materialscientist, Mungomba, R'n'B, Rjwilmsi, Scarykitty, Somno, Springatlast, Ursasapien, Wikiklrsc, 8 anonymous edits Community practice Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=456911605 Contributors: Badaftermotorfinger, Bobblehead, CQ, Celiseo, Cryptic C62, Diwakarvk, Dwi1645, Fasten, Gwguffey, Ice tres, Jmdickman, Mifter, MuHaMaat, RockMFR, Ursasapien, Wikiklrsc, 16 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:Czythumbur.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Czythumbur.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: PITER Image:Charity to Street Arab.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Charity_to_Street_Arab.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: AndreasPraefcke, Anne97432, Sherurcij Image:Jane Addams profile.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jane_Addams_profile.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Moffett Image:Splitsection.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Splitsection.svg License: GNU Free Documentation License Contributors: Original uploader was Crotalus horridus at en.wikipedia

License

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License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/