PROFESSIONALS AND PRACTITIONERS IN

SOCIAL WORK
SOCIAL WORKER
 The social worker 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
communication to develop their full potential
and well being.
 The focus of intervention in social worker is the
relationship between the individuals and
immediate and wider social environment.
Particular emphasis is placed on meeting the
needs and marginalized individuals and groups.
Defining the Roles, Functions and
Competencies of Social Work •
 According to 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, referred to as macro
practice”
ROLES OF SOCIAL WORK •THESE PROVIDE
DIRECTION FOR PROFESSIONAL

 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 role rather than
functions. For individuals and families, their role
is that of an enabler helping people find
solutions.
 FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL WORK
These speak of main activities professionally performed
by social workers. DuBois and Miley (2008)
• 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
 COMPETENCIES OF SOCIAL WORK
These cover over all necessary skills and personally
qualities needed by the profession to perform their various
roles and skills. Foundationally, social work requires the
following abilities and skills (DuBois & Miley 2008).
 Think critically;

 Build and sustain relationship ;

 Execute empowering processes;

 Use practical methods;

 Analyze policies;

 Communicate effectively;

 Strong cultural and intercultural competence;

STEINER (2005) SUGGEST A COST OF
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES TAT 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 specially where
one party is socially disadvantaged.
 Make referrals to appropriate agencies and service
sectors needed by the client/
 In gerontological context, perform program planning
and administration in numerous settings.
In mental health setting, function as case
managers, advocates, administrators, therapists,
and to use research as basis for problem-solving
and 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.
 Pursue social change on behalf of vulnerable
and oppressed individuals, eliminating
economic inequality and poverty.
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION OF SOCIAL
WORK
The social work specializations cover five major
fields (Hartman, 2015)
 Family and child welfare

 Health

 Mental health

 Corrections

 Schools
RESPONSIBILITIES OF A SOCIAL WORKER

 Assess Your Client.

 Create and Implement A Treatment Plan.

 Secure and Refer Needed Resources.

 Evaluate and Monitor Improvement.

 Serve as a Client's Advocate.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES OF SOCIAL WORK
 Social work careers span a wide variety or job
opportunities in both public and private practice.
Social workers can directly work with people they
serve and it is common for them to volunteer their
services.
According to Hartman (2015) these are the career
opportunities :
 Teachers

 Medical care for the elderly

 Work in clinics and community treatment

 Work as social planning practitioners

 Mental Health Counselor

ACCORDING TO DUBOIS AND MILEY (2008)
THESE ARE THE AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES:

 Home health
 Aging services

 Mental health

 Criminal justice

 Rehabilitation

 School linked services

 Forensic social work

 Corporate-based employee assistance

International practice and political social work
 Juvenile court services
CODE OF ETHICS OF SOCIAL WORK
 Value : Service
 Ethical Principle: Social workers’’ primary goal is
to help people in need and to address social
problems.
 Value : Social Justice

 Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social

injustice
 Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person

 Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the

inherent dignity and worth of the person
 Value: Importance of Relationships
 Ethical Principle: social workers recognize the central
importance of human relationships.
 Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a
trustworthy manner
 Value: Competence

 Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their

areas of competence and develop and enhance their
professional expertise.
RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND
ACCOUNTABILITIES OF SOCIAL WORK
 The rights of social work are partially outlined.
Social work foremost rights include:
 Right to fulfill professional mandates and to live
by its values. Its responsibilities cover those that
pertain to the dispensation of its basic functions,
roles, professional standards, and adherence to
its local and international codes of ethics. Social
work is accountable to the clients, the general
public, and the society.
 Responsibilities of social workers working within their
field of specialization are to help children, assist those
life threatening problems, or aid people in overcoming
addictions. Its responsibility of social worker to protect
and uphold respect for the inherent worth and dignity
of all people as expressed in the United Nations
Universal Declarations of Human Rights (1948).
 Accountability of social worker is to the clients,
colleagues, employers, professionals associations, and
to the law. Social workers are accountable for their
actions to tee values and principles of the profession,
which require them to act in a reliable, honest, and
trustworthy manner.
ETHICAL STANDARDS
These following ethical standards relevant to the
professional activities of all social workers: •
 To clients

 To colleagues

 In practice settings

 As professionals

 To the social work profession

 To the broader society

 GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL
CONDUCT
 Social workers are expected to uphold human
rights in their practice. • Social workers should
respect the rights and dignity of people
 Social workers should respect relationships of
people who use their services.
 Social workers should promote social justice.

 Social workers should comply with the laws and

regulations governing their practice
 Social workers should carry out their duties
professionally and ethically.
 Social workers should demonstrate ethical
awareness.
 Social workers should demonstrate professional
accountability. • Social workers should act in the best
interest of people who use their services.
 Social workers should communicate with people who
use their services, careers, and professionals.
 Social workers should seek informed consent of people
who use their services. •
 Social workers should keep accurate records.

 Social workers should deal appropriately wit health

and safety risks
 Social workers should willingly collaborate, delegate,
and manage appropriately.
 Social workers should undertake research ethically
 Social workers should maintain high standards of
personal conduct. • 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.
 Social workers should provide accurate information
about their services as confidential except in situations
that call for greater ethical requirement such as
preservation of life.
 Social workers should treat information about people
who use their services as confidential except in
situations that call for grater ethical requirement such
as preservation of life.
 Social workers should act within the limits of their
professional knowledge, skills, and experience. • Social
workers should keep their professional knowledge and
skills up to date so that they are able to provide
appropriate services.