Lesson 8:

"THE PROFESSIONALS
AND PRACTITIONERS IN
THE DISCIPLINE OF
SOCIAL WORK"
Objectives:
1.) Define the roles, functions, and competencies
of social work;
2.) Distinguish the areas of specialization of social
work;
3.) Be familiar with career opportunities of social
work;
4.) Describe the rights, responsibilities, and
accountabilities of social work; and
5.) Explain the code of ethics of social work.
Who do you think are the
professionals and practitioners in the
discipline of social work?
These are the following list of areas of
specialization of social workers:
•domestic violence
•poverty
•child abuse and homelessness •hospital
settings
•private practice
•research work
•social policy advocacies
Why do you think there is a need
for social workers to have
specializations? Differentiate
these areas.
The social work professionals and practitioners are aware that there
profession is based on the principles of human rights and social justice
that serve to empower individuals, groups, and communities.
The focus of intervention in social work is the relationship between the
individual and their immediate and wider social environment. Particular
emphasis is placed on meeting the needs of vulnerable and marginalized
individuals and groups ( Social Workers Registration Board 2004).

"Defining the Roles, Functions, and Competencies of Social work”

- Social work as a profession has evolved over time but its enduring
feature as a helping profession is "the dual aims of helping individuals fit
better into their environments, typically known as micro practice, and
changing the environment so that it works better for individuals , reffered
to as macro practice" (Segal, Gerdes, &Steiner 2005).
- Social work as a profession has evolved over time but its enduring feature as a
helping profession is "the dual aims of helping individuals fit better into their
environments, typically known as micro practice, and changing the environment
so that it works better for individuals , reffered to as macro practice" (Segal,
Gerdes, &Steiner 2005).

“Roles of Social Work”

- These provide direction for professional activities and are best situated in the
context of client system (Dubois & Miley 2008).
-The roles are generally interwoven with functions but DuBois and Miley (2008)
have provided elements that can be distinctively viewed as roles rather than
functions.
- For individuals, and families, their role is that of an enabler helping people
find solutions. They are broker or advocates in case management, and they are
teachers in terms of information processing.
- For formal groups and organizations, their role is that of a facilitator-in aid of
organizational development. They are convener or mediator in aid of creating
networks, and they are trainer for professional development.
- For community and society, their role is that of a planner
facilitating research and planning. They are activist in aid of
social action, and they conduct outreach in aid of community
education.
- Within the the social work profession, their role is that of a
colleague and monitor-in aid of professional enculturation and
socialization.
- They are catalysts for community service, and they are
researcher- scholars in aid of knowledge development and
capacity building.
- Today the roles of social workers are grouped into three, w/c
are case management, direct practice, and advocacy and policy
building (Segal, Gerdes, & Steiner 2005).
FUNCTION OF SOCIAL WORK
These speak of main activities professionally performed by social
workers. DuBios and Miley (2008) include among others:
 Counsel with individuals, facilitate groups, work with families, refine agency
procedures, initiate new programs, lobby for legislative changes, organize
community action, educate the public, conduct needs assessment, and evaluate
practice and programs at various system levels and targets of change or social
transformation;
 Enhance social functioning of individuals, families, organizations, and
communities;
 Links client systems with needed resources;
 improve the operations of the social services delivery networks and;
 Promote social justice through development of the social policy.

CONSULTANCY - refers to the professional activities through which

social workers and their clients plan, initiate, and pursue actions toward
desired change.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - refers to the act of coordinating, systematizing,
and integrating resources and services needed to support social functioning, meeting
needs and resolving problems.
EDUCATION - refers to the provision of knowledge and critical information necessary
for empowerment practice that facilitates informed decision-making, increased abilities,
and gain access to opportunities and resources for a client.

COMPETENCIES OF SOCIAL WORK

These cover all necessary skills and personality qualities needed by the profession to
perform their various roles and skills;  Think critically
 Build and sustain relationship
 Execute empowerment processes
 Used practical methods
 Analyze policies
 Communicate effectively
 Strong cultural and intercultural competence
 Good computer literacy
 Conduct research
 Do social planning
 Perform crisis intervention, and
 Sound time management
On the other hand Segal, Gerdes, and steiner (2005) suggest a host of
functional competencies that social workers should be capable of, such
as;
1. Handle case management with various client and population groups
2. perform direct practice depending on the needs of the client and the
environmental in which social workers operate
3. conduct mediations among parties especially where one party is socially
disadvantaged
4. makes referrals to appropriate agencies and service sectors needed by the
client
5. in gerontological context, perform program plannings and administration in
numerous settings
6. in mental health setting, functions as case managers, advocates,
administration, therapist, and the use research as basis for problems- solving
and choice of intervention in empirically based practice
7. in school system, analyze the transactions between teachers, students,
parents and school system.
Areas of specialization of social workers

Social work specialization covers five major fields

1) FAMILY and CHILD WELFARE - These include services to families in situation

that seriously disrupt family life such as physical or mental illness, unemployment,
divorce, in aid of improving clients family life. In child welfare programs or services
such as adoption, daycare, foster child care, and care for children with disabilities and
aiding physically or emotionally abused children and their families.
2) HEALTH - Social workers help patients and their families in clinics, hospital and
health-care facilities. They provide information about social and economic background
og patients; help patients and their families deal with the impact of illness and death and
counsel patients who have been discharge to help them return to everyday life; provide
counseling in maternal and child care; to care for dying patients and victims of certain
diseases like HIV or cancer.
3) MENTAL HEALTH - social workers provide aid to people who suffering from
mental and emotional stress and many other services similar to the ones offered by
medical social workers. Many have training in psychotherapy, the treatment of mental or
emotional disorders using psychological method.
4) CORRECTIONS - social workers in correlations are involved with programs
concerned with prevention of crime and the rehabilitation of criminals and and provide
counsel to people who are on probation or parole.
5) SCHOOL - social work in school is part of the programs on all levels from pre-
school through college. It include services to student in special schools for individual
with emotional disturbances or physical disabilities. Social workers in school provides
vocational counseling, school adjustment counseling, and help behavioral management
and personal problems. They also assist students who have learning difficulties and help
them work to their potential.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES OF SOCIAL WORK

Social work careers span a wide variety of job opportunities in both public and private
practice. Social workers can directly work with people they serve and its common for
them to volunteer their service They also help in obtaining financial assistance and
medical care for the elderly and other service that will enable them to live as
independently as possible. They can work in clinics and community treatment centers to
provide counseling to alcoholics and drug abusers. They can also work in public housing
projects to help people find dwellings for families made homeless by urban crises,and in
the corporations and labor unions to provide a variety of work-related service including
health counseling and retirement planning.
Dubios and Miley(2004) took a wider survey of areas of opportunities and traced a
trend in recent tears that indicated steady increase in the areas of home health, aging
services, mental health,criminal justice , rehabilitation and school linked service.
THEY FOUND AREAS INCLUDE
1) Forensic social work
2) Corporate-based employee assistance
3) International practice and ;
4) Political social work
5) Neighborhood- based
6) Multidisciplinary service centers as ' one-stop shop' ease access to a constellation
of service including public assistance, employment,services,literacy
programs,family- centered services,juvinile court services and health care.
The number of social work professionals in the Philippines as much smaller but
they are present in a variety of settings, including hospitals, retirement, homes,
mental health clinics, schools, nonprofit agencies and government officers.
Rights, Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Social Work
- The rights of the social work are partially outlined
- The rights to fulfil its professional mandates and to live by its values.
 Its responsibilities to cover those that pertain to the dispensation of its
basis functions,roles,professional standard, And adherence to its local
and international codes of ethics. Social work is accountable.

RESPONSIBILITIES
• to help children
•assist those life threatening problems,or aid people in overcoming addictions.
Responsibility of social worker to protect and uphold respect for the inherent worth and
dignity of all people as expressed in the United Nation Universal Declaration of Human
Rights(1948). Social workers have a responsibility to apply the professional values and
principles set out about their practice.
ACCOUNTABILITY - Accountability of social worker is to the
clients,colleagues,employers,professional association and to the law. - Social worker are
accountable for their actions to the values and principle of the professionals which
require them to act in a reliable,honest, and trustworthy manner. - They are answerable
to bodies like registers social workers (RSW), certified social workers(CSW), licensed
social worker(LSW)licensed clinical social workers(LCSW) and licensed independent
social workers (LISW)organization and the laws promulgated and enforced by
appropriate government agencies.
Code of Ethics of Social Work
The code of ethics specifies the standards of ethics,conduct, and performance expected
of registered social workers.
It is a duty of social worker to always protect the health and well-being of people who
of the services. In everything that a social workers does he/she has to demonstrate
respect for the inherent dignity and worth of persons,pursuit of social justice,integrity
of professional practice,confidentiality in professional practice, and competence in
professional practice.

ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
A sample of ethical principles and ethical standards here are adapted from the Code of
Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. These principles and standard
set forth ideals to which all social workers should aspire.
Value : Service
Ethical Principle : Social worker's primary goal is to help people in need and to
address social problems.
- Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest.
- Social workers draw on their knowledge, values and skills.
- Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills
without expecting significant financial return.
Value : Social Justice
Ethical Principle : Social workers challenge social Injustice.
- Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and
oppressed individuals and groups of people.
- Social workers social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty,
unemployment, discrimination and other forms of social Injustice.
Value : Dignity and Worth of the Person
Ethical Principle : Social workers respect the inherent dignity and Worth of the person.
- Social workers that treat easch person in a caring and a respectful fashion, mindful of
individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.
- Social workers promote clients socially responsible self-determination.
- Social workers seek to enhance clients capacity and opportunity to change and to
address their own needs.
Value : Importance of Human Relationships
Ethical Principle : Social workers understand that relationship between and among
people are an important vehicle for change.
- Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process.
- Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to
promote, restore, maintain and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social
groups, organization and communities.
Value : Integrity
Ethical Principle : Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.
- Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the
part of the organizations with which they are affliated.
Value : Competence
Ethical Principle : Social workers practice within their areas of competence and
develop and enhance their professional expertise.
- Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and
skills and apply them in practice.
- Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the ptofession.
ETHICAL STANDARD
These standards are concerned with the social workers ethical responsibilities ; 1) to
clients, 2) to colleagues, 3)in practice settings, 4) as professionals, 5) to social work
profession, and 6) to the broader society.

GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

The following guidelines for professional conduct reflect the spirit of a code of
ethics:
1. Social workers are expected to uphold human rights in their practice.
2. Social workers should respect the rights and dignity of people.
3. Social workers should respect relationships of people who use their services.
4. Social workers should promote social justice.
5. Social workers should comply with the laws and regulations governing their
practice.
6. Social workers should carry out their duties professionally and ethically.
7. Social workers should demonstrate ethical awareness.
8. Social workers demonstrate professional accountability.
9. Social workers should act in the best interest of people who use their services.
10. Social workers should communicate with people who use their services,
career and professionals.
11. Social workers should seek informed consent of people who their services.
12. Social workers should keep accurate records.
13. Social workers should deal appropriately with health and safety risks.
14. Social workers should willingly collaborate, delegate and manage
appropriately.
15. Social workers should undertake research ethically.
16. Social workers should maintain high standards of personal conduct.
17. Social workers should act with Integrity. this means that they should
not abuse the relationship of the trust with people using their services;
they should recognize the boundaries between personal and professional
life and they should not abuse their position for personal benefit or gain.
18. Social workers should provide accurate information about their
conduct and competence.
19. Social worker should treat information about people who use their
services as confidential except in situations that call for greater ethical
requirement such as preservation of life.
20. Social workers should act within the limits of their professional
knowledge, skills and experience.
21. Social workers should keep their professional knowledge and skills up
to date so that they are able to provide appropriate services.