THE PROFESSIONALS AND PRACTITIONERS IN THE DISCIPLINE OF SOCIAL WORK

(Lesson 8)

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?

The social work professionals and practitioners are aware that their profession is based on the principles of human
rights and social justice that serve to empower individuals, groups, and communities to develop their full potential and well-
being. The focus of intervention in social work is the relationship between the individual and their immediate and wider social
environment.

 Defining the Roles, Functions, and Competencies of Social Work

Social work has an enduring feature of helping individuals fit better into their environments, known as “micro
practice”, and changing the environment so it works better for individuals, known as “macro practice”. This focus on both
people and their environment helps to improve society and facilitate individuals and groups to function better within society and
their communities.

Social work helps individuals cope with anxiety, stress, and depression, and also provides access to community
resources and empowering services. These services range from temporary and special shelters to mental and health services,
educational and training services, and more, all aimed at providing relief and empowerment to bridge the individual and the
larger community.

 Roles of Social Work

DuBois and Miley (2008) identified three distinct roles for social workers: enabler, facilitator, and planner. For
individuals and families, their role is to help people find solutions, while for formal groups and organizations, they are a
facilitator, convener, mediator, and trainer. For communities and society, their role is to plan, facilitate research, and conduct
outreach. Social workers are also colleagues and monitors, catalysts for community service, and researcher-scholars. Today, the
roles of social workers are grouped into case management, direct practice, and advocacy and policy building.

 Functions of Social Work

These speak of main activities professionally performed by social workers.

 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 assessments, and
evaluate practice and programs at various system levels and targets of change or social transformation;
 enhance social functioning of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities;
 link clients systems with needed resources;
 improve the operations of the social service delivery network; and
 promote social justice through development of social policy

DuBois and Miley (2008) categorize social work into consultancy, resource management, and education, with
consultancy referring to planning, resource management coordinating, and education providing knowledge for
empowerment.

 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 relationships;
 execute empowering processes;
 use 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:
  handle case management with various clients and population groups;
 perform direct practice depending on the needs of the client and the environment in which the social worker
operate;
 conduct mediations among parties especially where one party is social disadvantaged;
 make referrals to appropriate agencies and service sectors needed by the client;
 in gerontological context, perform program planning and administration in numerous context;
 in mental health setting, function as case managers, advocates, administrators, therapists, and to use research as
basis for problem solving an choice of intervention in empirically based practice;
 in school system, analyze the transactions between students, teacher, parents, and the school system;
 in the judicial system, make the system more fair and beneficial to both convicted criminals and their victims;
and
 pursue social change on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals elimination economic inequality and
poverty

In addition to these, social workers should be empathic, compassionate, observe confidentiality, and have a sense of
humor. Compassion is necessary for working with people who are socially marginalized or suffer deprivation, while
listening skills allow people to understand what they are talking about.

 Areas of Specialization of Social Work

1. Family and child welfare. Services to families in crisis, such as adoption, daycare, foster care, and care for
children with disabilities, help to improve family life.
2. Health. Social workers provide help to patients and their families in health-care facilities, such as providing
physicians with information, counseling, and care for dying patients.
3. Mental health. Social workers provide aid to people suffering from mental and emotional stress, with
psychotherapy as the treatment.
4. Corrections. Social workers in corrections help prevent and rehabilitate criminals, as well as provide counsel
to those on probation.
5. Schools. Social work in schools provides services to students with emotional disturbances, physical
disabilities, and learning difficulties.

 Career Opportunities of Social Work

Social work careers offer a variety of job opportunities in both public and private practice, including administrators,
supervisors, planners, researchers, or teachers. They can work in child welfare, elderly care, clinics, community treatment
centers, public housing projects, corporations, labor unions, social planning practitioners, and researches on social service
issues.

DuBois and Miley (2008) found increased opportunities in home health, aging services, mental health, criminal justice,
rehabilitation, and school-linked services.

The number of social work professionals in the Philippines are much smaller but hey are present in a variety of settings,
including hospitals, retirement homes, mental health clinics, schools, non-profit agencies, and government offices.

 Rights, Responsibilities, and Accountabilities of Social Work

Social work has the right to fulfill its professional mandates and live by its values, and is accountable to clients, the
public, and society.

Social workers have a responsibility to protect and uphold respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people,
promote social justice, and act with integrity and compassion.

Social workers are accountable for their actions to their clients, colleagues, employers, professional associations, and
the law.

 Code of Ethics of Social Work

Social workers must demonstrate respect for the dignity and worth of people, pursue social justice, integrity of
professional practice, confidentiality, and competence in professional practice to protect the health and well-being of
people.

Social workers should strive to uphold ethical principles and standards based on social work's core values.

Value: Service

Ethical Principle: Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.

Social workers prioritize service to others over self-interest and volunteer their skills without expecting
financial gain (pro bono service).

Value: Social Justice

Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.

 Social workers work to promote social change, focusing on poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and
cultural and ethnic diversity. They strive for access to resources, equality of opportunity, and meaningful participation
in decision-making for all people.

Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person

Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.

Social workers treat clients in a caring and respectful fashion, taking into account individual differences and
cultural and ethnic diversity. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients' interests and broader society's interests in a
socially responsible manner.

Value: Importance of Human Relationships

Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.

Social workers recognize that relationships between people are an important vehicle for change, and seek to
strengthen these relationships to promote the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and
communities.

Value: Integrity

Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.

Social workers uphold the profession's values, principles, and standards by acting responsibly and promoting
ethical practices within their affiliated organizations.

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 knowledge base on the profession.

 Ethical Standards

The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all social workers. 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 the 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. It consists the ethical specifics in
the professional conduct of social workers called from the Code of Professional Conduct an Ethics for Social Workers devised
by the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB) at CORU (2011) and the Ethics in Social Work Statement of Principles by
the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) (2004).
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 should 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, careers, and professionals.
11. Social workers should seek informed consent of people who use 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 workers 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 service.