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The role of social workers
The role of social workers
The role of social workers
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I. Introduction Across America, social workers can be found in a wide variety of settings, working with a vast population of people. One such setting in which social workers provide service is through private practice. Private practice social workers work outside an agency of government facility to provide services through their own established practice. Many people associate private practice social work with the work of psychologists, counselors or therapists initially. While they each provide similar services, educational requirements often differentiate the fields of practice and ultimately allow them each to make varying contributions to their clients. "Psychiatrists can prescribe medications, psychologists administer and interpret psychometric …show more content…
They may provide individual, couples, family therapy, group therapy, play therapy, crisis intervention, bereavement counseling, and more services (NASW, 2011). One study with a sample of 1,000 randomly selected social workers in private practice found that the largest population seen was Caucasian (88%). Following Caucasians were African Americans who accounted for 7.5% of the clients seen and Latino and Hispanics who accounted for 2.3%. In regards to age range, those between 21 and 59 encompassed 71% of the clientele, those 60 or older accounted for 12%, adolescents accounted for 11%, followed by children under 13 who accounted for roughly 6% (Lord & Iudice, 2012). Also, a majority of the social workers (86%) stated that they typically saw clients individually; that is in a one to one session. However, 48% reported that they offer family therapy, 20% reported doing group work, and 10% said that they offer clinical case management (Ibid). Roughly two-thirds of social workers in private practice work in a solo setting while 14% work in a group practice, 16% work in a home office, and 6% work in some other setting …show more content…
A recent requirement in every state is that a private practice clinical social worker must acquire licensure (Brauner, 2015). Clinical social workers in private practice also move through levels of professional competence. The first level is the postgraduate practice level, or the Masters in Social Work (MSW) level. An MSW will provide students with a wealth of information about clinical social work, but it does not qualify them to immediately work in their own practice. The general consensus is that MSW graduates must work in a supervised environment for at least two years before becoming licensed to work privately. The second level is the autonomous practice level or licensure level. Autonomous practice means unsupervised practice, inside or outside of an agency. Social workers who are at this level have completed at least two postgraduate years of supervised clinical work. They should be competent in diagnosing and treating clients, establishing intervention plans, and working within the parameters of the law. They can apply to be licensed and move on to independent practice. The next level is the advanced practice level or diplomate level. In order to get to this level, the social worker must have at least five years of clinical work post-MSW graduation and have achieved the autonomous practice level. These social workers are advanced and are now typically
The committee then reviewed its list of relevant content areas drawn from the literature and from public comment and developed a number of rough drafts, the last of which was shared with a small group of ethics experts in social work and other professions for their comments. In the third phase, the committee made a number of revisions based on the feedback it received from the experts who reviewed the document, published a copy of the draft code in the January 1996 issue of the NASW News, and invited NASW members to submit comments to be considered by the committee as it prepared the final draft for submission to the 1996 Delegate Assembly. Many states require the legal regulation of social work practice; some states require a special license for practitioners of clinical social work as well as those in independent private practice. Generally, certification for clinical social work requires a master’s degree in social work plus at least two years’ experience as well as an examination. The SC code of ethics and the NASW code of ethics are very similar in that they both contain similar content and expectations. The SC code of ethics has a little more detail than the NASW code of ethics. This is mainly due to the fact that one is state
Furthermore, a social worker needs to examine the laws within the state they live in and
The debate over public and private social services is a constant in the social work profession. To truly understand the debate, the definitions of such agencies must be clear. Barker defines private social agencies as “nonprofit agencies that provide ...
Social workers specialize in treating all types of clients. Regardless of their specialty, all social workers have common tasks. When they get new clients, social workers, both in the military and...
First off, clinical social workers work one-on-one with individuals by utilizing psychosocial casework to improve their client’s lives. Social workers at the micro level typically provide case management by coordinating and monitoring services, developing a treatment plan, advocating for new services, providing psychoeducation, and by helping clients learn more about their specific disorder (Marx). They also provide psychotherapy through three major therapeutic approaches- psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic (Marx). When it comes to the mezzo level social worker work with groups and families. They may initiate therapy groups, support groups, psychoeducational groups, and socialization groups all in order to uplift their clients about their mental disorder (Marx). On top of that, social workers also offer family therapy with the goal of helping families learn and function effectively by meeting the needs of a family member with a mental illness (Marx). Finally, social workers also work on a macro level through advocacy and policy changes, and in an administrative setting. Through advocacy, social workers may lobby for policy changes on a local, state, or national level in order to promote positive
Becoming a social worker is dependent on numerous factors, one of which being education. “A bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) degree is the most common minimum requirement to qualify for a job as a social worker, however, majors in psychology, sociology, and related fields may be sufficient to qualify for some entry-level job” (Chao & Orr, 162). Many people when pursuing the goals of being a social worker, however, are most interested in jobs in public agencies and/or having their own practices. “A master’s degree in social work (MSW) is necessary for positions in health and mental health settings and typically is required for certification for clinical work” (Chao & Orr, 162). One’s level of school is not the only thing employers are focusing on when looking to hire social workers. Along with one’s education, a social worker must have “a broad liberal arts base which includes a knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, political science, and economics) to provide explanations about the nature of human society and the human condition” (Johnson, 48). There are many more skills that are just as essential, if not more beneficial, to the employer as well as client.
Sheafor, B. W., & Horejsi, C. R. (2012). Techniques and guidelines for social work practice (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Allyn & Bacon. (Sheafor & Horejsi, 2011)
Clinical social workers represent the largest group of behavioral health practitioners in the nation. They are often the first to diagnose and treat people with mental disorders and various emotional and behavioral disturbances (NASW, 2005). Clinical social workers are essential to a variety of client centered settings, including community mental health centers, hospitals, substance use treatment and recovery programs, schools, primary health care centers, child welfare agencies, aging
Social work as a profession strives to help the welfare of those within the community whether its persons or families through advocacy. Often times clients are those who may be vulnerable and disadvantaged. Social workers aim to help people fulfill basic needs in their everyday lives and assist them by providing beneficial resources and intervention counseling. They do more than just help them in their current situation, it’s about helping them to survive and set attainable goals to live a fuller and better life for themselves, and most time for their families.
Social work practice requires many skills, which need much practice themselves. This needs social work students to be open to trying within safe environments and scenario’s for mistake, such as with their peers and with emotional safe scenarios such as stress at University. This begins with a requirement to do 5 minutes of interviewing with a peer which includes many social work skills such as active listening, encouraging, paraphrasing, being/creating a welcoming and safe environment and other such basic and beginning skills.
Social work is a multifaceted, ever adapting profession, which has had many purposes and identities through the years. It is imperative for the vocation to constantly evolve alongside the social climate and the new ways in which we identify and treat those who are in need of support. Social workers can be required to take on the role of counsellor, advocate, case-worker, partner, assessor of risk and need, and at times (as the government seeks to push social work further and further towards the health and education sectors) a servant of the state. The profession is dramatically subject to affection by societal change, thus demanding social workers have a duty to be up to date with the latest developments in understanding how and why people get to the point of requiring social work intervention, and how best to prevent and cater for it.
My understanding about the social work profession is one that works with a diverse group of people to better their well-being in all aspects. Social workers requires: responsibility, passion, and knowledge. The social worker has to understand their own personal cultural values, beliefs, and appreciate the multicultural identities of different people. The profession of social worker requires a lot of skills because they have different tasks and responsibilities. They are aware of social policies and programs for the diverse clients advocating.
In terms of relationship to each other, social work is one of the many professions within the social welfare network and even though they may be different in terms of definition, they are both linked to advocacy and empowerment of people.
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen
Many individuals from communities have devoted their time and efforts to do social work, a lot of these volunteers did their practice in churches before it was recognised as a profession. It was through social investigation and attempts to understand family situations that social work began to develop a profession. A lot of people such as teachers or lawyers believe that what they do is also ‘social work’ that is why social work is a very broad context. Social work is more than just ‘doing good’ and