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The Social Work Helping Process

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Origin of the Problem-Solving Process

■John Dewey (five phases of reflective

thinking)
a. recognizing the difficulty;
b. defining or speicifying the difficulty;
c. raising suggestions for possible solutions
and rationally exploring the suggestions
which include data collection;
d. selecting an optimal solution from among
many proposals;
e. carrying out the solution.
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Origin of the Problem-Solving Process

■George Polya (mathematics professor,

1940s)

a.understanding of the problem including the

problem situation, the goal of the
problem-solver, and the conditions for solving
the problem;

b.devising a plan by which a goal can be

attained;

c.carrying out the plan;

d.evaluation of the plan, its implementation, and

the results.
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Problem-Solving Framework in SW

Describes the social work process as a progressive

transaction between the professional helper and the
client, consisting of a series of problem-solving
operations which can be summarized as follows:

■Thefacts that constitute and bear upon the problem must

be ascertained and grasp (Study);

■The facts must be thought about, i.e., turned over, probed

into, and organized in the mind, examined in their
relationships to one another, and searched for their
significance (Diagnosis);
Helen H. Perlman
■Some choice or decision must be made as an end result of
Social Casework: A
the consideration of the particular facts with the intention of
Problem-Solving Process
resolving the problem (Treatment).
■ In general, the problem-solving process demands
that a social worker be successively involved in the
following sequential steps:
a. Recognition and definition of the problem, and
engagement with the client system;

b. Data collection;

c. Assessment of the situation;

d. Goal-setting and planning of an action;

e. Intervention or the carrying out of the action;

f. Evaluation; and

g. Termination
■ Social work helping process or
problem-solving process (one and the same):

■ Problem-solving process – is essentially a

cognitive process, a rational procedure
involving a series of steps to be followed
sequentially.
■Social work helping process – the context in
which we use the problem-solving process, is not
just a cognitive process since it involves a
relationship between two parties, the worker and
the client system. Professional values and ethical
principles guide this relationship particularly in
relation to the handling of feelings and attitudes
that inevitably enter the picture.
 STEPS IN SOCIAL WORK
HELPING PROCESS
■ The social work helping process consists of the
following sequential steps which are followed
when working with any type of client system, i.e.
individual, small group, community:
• Assessment; (Beginning phase)
• Planning;
• Intervention or Plan Implementation; (Middle phase
or Intervention phase)
• Evaluation; and (Ending phase)
• Termination
 I. ASSESSMENT
■ A process and a product of understanding on
which action is based (Max Siporin).
■ The process involves the collection of necessary
information and its analysis and interpretation in
order to reach an understanding of the client, the
problem, and the social context in which it exists.
■ It should be emphasized that the ultimate
purpose of assessment is to provide
understanding necessary for appropriate
planning
2 major tasks of a SW in Assessment
stage:
■ Information/ Data Collection
o Primary Source : client
o Secondary Source : significant others
o Existing Data
o Worker’s own observation

■ Defining the Problem

The Initial Contact(s) with Client/Intake

■ The client initiates the contact (walk-in)

■ The client is referred to the worker or
agency by some interested or concerned
party – relative, neighbour, teacher, etc.
(referral)
■ The agency, through the social worker,
reaches out to the (potential) client and
offers help (reach out/ outreach)
 The Intake Process and the Presenting
Problem

■ is the process by which a potential client

achieves the status of a client.
■ On the client’s part, this involves the
presentation of the self and the problem or
need as he or she is experiencing it.
■ On the worker’s part, this involves some
assessment of the client and the problem and
whether or not the agency is in a position to
help.
 Characteristics of Assessment
1. It is ongoing.
2. It focuses on understanding the client in the
situation and in providing a base for
planning and action.
3. It is a mutual process involving the client
and the worker.
4. There is movement with the assessment
process.
 Characteristics of Assessment
5. Both horizontal and vertical explorations are
important.
6. It identifies needs, defines problems, and
explains their meanings and patterns.
7. It is individualized.
8. Judgment is important.
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II. PLANNING
■ Planning is the link between Assessment and
Intervention. Although it is often considered part
of the assessment process, it is so important in
the helping process that it should be discussed
separately.
■ Two major tasks are involved during the planning
stage:
■ Formulating goals that directly relate to the client’s
need or problem
■ Defining the specific actions or interventions that
are necessary in order to achieve the goals.
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Goals vs. Plans
■ GOALS - are ends. They are desired or
expected outcomes of an endeavour.
When qualified by the word “optimate,”
“general” or “optimal,” this means that the
stated goals are the final, overall, or long –
range results to which efforts are directed.
■ Should be S.M.A.R.T
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Goals vs. Plans
■ PLANS - These would consist of the
specific actions or steps to be undertaken
in order to reach the goals. Jointly made
by the worker and client, they comprise
what is called a Helping Plan, Action Plan,
or Intervention Plan.
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III. INTERVENTION

■ The social work literature has many other

terms for intervention: Action, Plan
Implementation, Treatment.

■ This phase in the helping process is

concerned the action that would solve the
client’s problems.
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III. INTERVENTION

■ Intervention involves the rendering of all the

specific and interrelated services appropriate
to the given problem situation in the light of
the assessment and planning.

■ It includes all the goal-related activities that

the worker will undertake following the
agreement forged with the client based on
the problem to be worked on and the plan of
action to be pursued.
 Two Phases of the Helping Process
(Compton and Galaway)

■ Deciding
what to do – involves the
assessment and planning steps
■ Doing the decided – intervention
Obviously, it is during intervention that the
worker is faced with the challenge of putting
into operation her professional knowledge,
values and the skills to help the client reach
their mutually defined goals.
 Interventive Roles in
Direct Practice

■ Interventive Roles – refer to the

composite of activities or tasks that she is
expected to undertake in order to
accomplish the goals agreed upon with
the client.
 1. RESOURCE PROVIDER
■this role engages the worker in the direct
provision of material aid and other concrete
resources that will be useful in eliminating or
reducing situational deficiencies.
■ NOT DOLE-OUT
 2. SOCIAL BROKER
■thisrole involves the process of negotiating the
“service jungle” for clients, whether singly or in
groups. The worker links or connects the client
to needed services in the community
■helper, interpreter, facilitator, expeditor, escort,
negotiator – to ensure rapid service delivery.
 3. MEDIATOR
■is a person who acts as an intermediary or
conciliator between two persons or sides. In her
work with individuals, families, groups and
communities, the worker often has to engage in
efforts that will resolve disputes between the
client system and other parties.
■Theobjective is find common ground which will
make it possible to resolve the dispute.
 4. ADVOCATE
■like the lawyer, the worker has to take a partisan
interest in the client and his cause. She cannot
remain neutral.
■Theadvocate will argue, debate, bargain,
negotiate, and manipulate the environment on
behalf of the client.
5. ENABLER
■involves the social worker in interventive
activities that will help clients find the coping
strengths and resources within themselves to
solve problems they are experiencing.
■The enabler role is also useful in helping the
client change his/her own reality or
environment, if this is the source of the
problem.
 6. COUNSELOR-THERAPIST
■the goal of the worker who performs a counsellor
or therapist role is the restoration, maintenance, or
enhancement of the client’s capacity to adapt or
adjust to this current reality.
■Itis premised on the belief that there are client
problems which are caused not so much by
situation factors as by factors in the client himself,
such as wrong attitudes, distorted values, low
self-esteem, limited use of knowledge, lack of
self-understanding, etc.
 Interventive Roles in
Indirect Practice

1. Mobilizer of Community Elite

- This intervention involves the worker in
activities aimed at informing and interpreting
to certain sectors of the community, welfare
programs and services, as well as needs and
problems, with the objective of enlisting their
support and/or involvement in them.
 Interventive Roles in
Indirect Practice
2. Documentor/ Social Critique
- in this role the worker documents the need for
more adequate social welfare policies and
programs based one her knowledge (gained from
actual experience) about the inadequacies or
deficiencies in these existing welfare policies and
programs, as well as on her beliefs as to how they
ought to be, in the light of professional values and
goals.
 Interventive Roles in
Indirect Practice
3. Policy/ Program Change Advocate - the
worker is involved in efforts to change policies
and programs on behalf of particular sectors of
the population o the values of the profession.
-this role concept requires the worker to take a
stand regarding important issues relating to social
welfare policies and programs affecting client
populations , and argue for or defend her
proposal.
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IV. EVALUATION

■ Is defined as the “collection of data

about outcomes of a program of action
relative to goals and objectives set in
advance of the implementation of that
program.”
■ Prerequisite to evaluation in social work
is a statement of goals and objectives
against which results will be reviewed.
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■ Accountability

📫 social workers and social work agencies must

answer for their work, not just to the clients
who are the direct users, but to the public that
supports them.

📫2 aspects of accountability
a. Effectiveness
b. Efficiency
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■ Two levels of evaluation

📫 On the level of direct practice
📫 On the level of program
implementation
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In any good research, the evaluation is
directed toward the following:
■Measuring the outcomes (dependent variables)
of programs or specific interventions
■Measuring the change processes or the nature
of the intervention themselves (independent
variables)
■Utilizing a research design that will permit you
to attribute the outcome to the change
processes.
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■ Summative Evaluation – evaluation that

is concerned with outcomes or
effectiveness

■ Formative Evaluation – evaluation that

is concerned with looking at the process
of the work
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To be able to do systematic evaluation of
practice with an individual, group or
community, the following are needed which we
will call the “essentials” for doing evaluation:
1.A clear definition of the goals and objectives to
be attained.
2.A clear definition of the intervention and change
activities to be undertaken.
3.Documentation of the activities undertaken to
achieve the goals defined.
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V. TERMINATION
The following are common reasons for
terminating the client-worker relationship:
1.When the goals set by the worker and the client
have been reached.
2. When after a reasonable period of time, there
has been very little movement toward the
attainment of the goals formulated, and the
prospect for any change in the situation is held
unlikely.
3. When the client thinks that the worker has
provided sufficient help so that it is now
possible for the client to pursue
problem-solving on his own.

4. When an agency does not have the

resources needed by the client or the worker
does not get her agency’s approval to provide
the services needed by the client.
5. When the systems outside the client make it
difficult for the client to continue with the
helping relationship or when these systems
influence the client to discontinue the
relationship.

6. When for one reason or another, the worker

must leave the agency.
■ Transfer (within the agency)
■ Referral (outside the agency)