Applications of Social

Case work
.Presented to: Dr. Mahnaz Hassn
Presented by: Saleem(43) Aqsa(14)
Nosheen(24) Shajra(17)
Abubakar(60) Rida(11)
 How social case work applied in Social Work

• Social casework is a method of helping people solve problems. It is

individualized, scientific, and artistic. It helps individuals with personal as well as
external and environmental matters. It is a method of helping through a
relationship that taps personal and other resources for coping with problems.
• Social casework is a primary approach and method of social work, concerned with
the adjustment and development of the individual and, in some instances, couples,
towards more satisfying human relations. In social casework, the relationship
between a caseworker and their client is one of support, focused on "enabling an
individual in solving a problem through self-efforts
 Applications Of Social Case
Work
• Social Case Work in Family Settings
• Social Case Work in Community Settings
• Social Case Work in Health Care Settings
• Social Case Work in Correctional Settings
• Social Case Work in Industrial Settings
• Social Case Work in Educational Settings
SOCIAL CASE WORK IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS
• Prisoners are that group of individuals whose liberty is restricted and
they are placed under the authority of another group of people.
Correctional institutions are meant for correcting the offender
especially prevention of social dysfunctions and transform the
offenders into a socially adjustable and enable them to handle social
relationships in a satisfactory way
• There is a strong linkage between the social case work and the
objective of correctional institutions in Pakistan,since their common
objective is the prevention of the problem. Since social case work
provide treatment to the root cause to the crime instead of the
criminal, case work intervention enables the offender to maintain a
better social adjustment with their society as a whole.
In correctional settings, improvement of social
functioning is achieved by means of mobilizing the
capacities within the offender. The mobilization of inner
capacities and environmental resources is accomplished
primarily through the relationship between the
caseworker and the client. The relationship, which is
established during the period of treatment process,
enables the client to work towards a constructive solution
of his
problems.
 Role of a Correctional Case Worker

• A correctional case worker has varying roles/functions in the

correctional institutions. Since the institutions operate in
different manner based on the nature of offence and offender,
the Correctional case worker is also expected to change his
roles and responsibilities in accordance with that. The
different correctional institutions we can broadly classified
into four and they are; Prison, Jail, juvenile , homes and
community correction.
 CASEWORK IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS
Prevention of dysfunction and enable the offenders to maintain a normal
social life is one of the main objectives of correctional institution. A
person in a prison does not become a non person and he /she is entitled
to all human rights within the limitations of imprisonment. His values
and dignity should be considered and he may be purified from the
deviant behaviors. Correctional case work, based on the professional
knowledge of social case work, one among the primary method of social
work is capable for fulfilling the objectives and following the principles
of correctional institutions. Various process and skills are included in
correctional case work practice and which provides it services both in the
institution and the community.
 SOCIAL CASE WORK IN
COMMUNITY SETTINGS
What is community settings?
Community organization is one of the main methods of social work. It is an inter-group
process that seeks to help communities to understand and assess their existing problems
and needs and to appropriate the available resources “to bring about solutions that will
strengthen the total community and enrich the life of its members”. According to Zastrow
(1978), “ it is a process of stimulating and assisting the local community evaluate, plan
and coordinate its efforts to provide for the community’s health, welfare and recreation
needs”.
 Roles of Community Worker
• Assist the community in defining a social problem.
• Be an effective communicator to help build coalitions in the
community.
• Provide direction and guidance to the community in order to
mobilize for an identified cause.
• Assist in establishing new programs to meet the needs of
individuals, groups, and the community.
• Provide advocacy for the needs of the community.
• Engage in fundraising and grant writing.
 According to Ross (1967)
Community organization, according to Ross (1967) is “a process by
which a community identifies its needs or objectives, orders these needs
to objectives, develops the confidence and will to work at them, finds the
resources (internal and or external) to deal with them, takes action with
respect to them, and in so doing extends and develops cooperative and
collaborative attitudes and practices in the community”
So, Community organization process equips the community. And this is
only possible with applications of Social casework.
Practices provided by social caseworker to a community
Social caseworker in a Community organization is
practiced for providing :
(1) the community or its sections with opportunities to mobilize
its resources to tackle social problems or prevent their onset.
(2) Means for meaningful interaction between different sections
of the community.
(3) Welfare planning service to the community through
development of social welfare plans, influencing welfare policies
and mobilizing adequate finances from voluntary public sectors.
Importance of casework in Community settings
Social caseworker recognizes the multiplicity of causation of
problems, it is concerned with both giving personal help to
clients in need of service and with measures that aim at
changing the societal conditions (macro-level) causing or
contributing to human suffering and maladjustment. In
working towards the social adjustment of the individual and
ofthe group, social caseworker need to consider the socio-
cultural environment from which the individual clients and
group members come.
Thus, Social casework has too much importance in
Community sittings.
 SOCIAL CASE WORK IN FAMILY
SETTINGS
The primary purpose of social case work is to help individuals, families or the
clients to learn to function more competently while meeting the developmental
and emotional needs of all members. Intervention of social case work targets the
following objectives:
1)Reinforce family strengths to get families ready for change or intervention.
2)Provide additional support so that families maintain effective family
functioning.
3)Create concrete changes in family functioning to sustain effective and
satisfying daily routines.
 Types of Families
The two basic types of families are the nuclear family and the extended
one.
Nuclear family: it is made up of the father, mother and children living
together under one roof. In nuclear families, although individuals have
more autonomy and freedom in making their own decisions, they also
tend to be burdened by the demands of a busy life, without the support
and assistance of a big family. Children’s care is often a serious problem,
especially if both parents work. Some children grow up in a nuclear
family
without much knowledge of their grandparents, family origin, history
and traditions.
Extended family: is made up of all members of a
nuclear family, plus the grandparents, aunts,
uncles, and/or cousins, all living together as one
family. In traditional Asians societies, most
families are extended. A generation ago in our
society, families lived closer and more intimately
together. Today, more and more families are
becoming nuclear, especially those living in urban
areas.
 Roles of Case Worker in the Family
1. To help family members manage daily activities and interactions more
effectively thereby decreasing stress and increasing family harmony.
2. To help families learn more effective problem-solving skills, reduce the
number or crises and manage unavoidable crisis more capably.
3. To help parents develop child management skills pertinent to the unique
needs of each child and to contribute to the improvement of parent-child
and parent-parent relationship
4. To help family members learn effective conflict resolution skills,
thereby assisting the family to deal with inevitable moments of stress and
disagreement in a constructive and growth promoting manner.
5. T help family members communicate individual wants,
needs, and desires as well as feelings of pain, hurt,
disappointment clearly, directly and honestly.
6. To help family access concrete and social resources during
periods of stress through promotion of individual, family and
community networking and to develop skills for solving
problems.
7. To help family appreciate the unique worth and potential of
each family member, thereby expanding opportunities for
growth and development.
 TYPE OF PROBLEMS IN THE FAMILIES

• Child Abuse
• Alcoholism
• Drug Abuse
• Divorce and Separation in the Family
• Death of beloved one
• Poverty
• Homelessness
Following are strategies that can help us to solve some of the problems
mentioned above. Some of the strategies are preventive while others are
rehabilitating and Family Therapy.

Preventive Strategies:
1. Provide relevant education to clients.
2. Train peer counsellors to give information.
3.Invite speakers to talk about relevant topics. Use
traditional community resources, and those from NGOs.
4. Avoid total seclusion between boys and girls, by allowing
protected interaction and socialization.
 Rehabilitation Strategies
1. Provide counselling to the client in order to recover
from emotional trauma.
2. Provide counselling to family members.
3. Seek professional assistance from other specialists.
4. Seek assistance from agencies such as
NGOs,churches, and law enforcement authorities,
where necessary.
5. If necessary, recommend foster care.
6. Provide options as a solution.
 FAMILY THERAPY
Family Therapy is a treatment approach in which the central focus
is not the individual but the family itself. The ultimate goal of
Family Therapy is that in addition to finding a solution of the
client’s current problem is to help in the reestablishment of healthy
relationships within the family so that stability and closeness in
these relationships be achieved and no family member has to face
any problem and if such a problem surfaces again, the members of
the family may be able to face that situation and find a solution to
the problem on their own.
 Importance of Casework in Family settings

Caseworker’s knowledge and expertise and material

resources are used (as tools) to inject strengths in the
Family to enable them to move more satisfyingly in the
social situation they find difficult to deal with. Thus
Social casework is useful in family setting.
 Social Case Work in Health Care Settings
What is health care settings?

Social casework in health care setting is practiced in collaboration with medicine and also
with public health programmes . It is the application of social casework knowledge, skills,
attitudes and values to health care. Social work addresses itself to illness brought about
by or related to social and environmental stresses that result in failures in social functioning
and social relationships. It intervenes with medicine and related professions in the study,
diagnosis and treatment of illness at the point where social, psychological and
environmental forces impinge on role effectiveness.
OPERATIONAL PLACES , WHILE DOING HEALTH SETTINGS
Medical social Caseworkers work in hospitals, nursing homes, mental health
facilities, clinics,drug rehabilitation centers and community health agencies.
Moreover they work in the following health care center.

• General Hospitals • Home health care organizations

• Children’s Hospitals • Women’s health centers
• Public Health Clinics • Community organizations for
• Rehabilitation service center specific diseases
• Nursing Homes • Hospice programmes
• Homeless- shelter home.
 Issues dealt in Health Care setting
Segal, E. (2003) listed the following issues as the focal areas of social work
interventions in a health care setting…

• Depression and anxiety about • Medical illness

illness • Care giving issues
• Alcohol and drug abuse • Medication compliance
• Marital and family problems • Care giver burden
• Parent-child difficulties • Greif reactions
• Phobias • Crisis Management
• Adjustment reactions
 THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CASE WORKER IN
HEALTH CARE

• Prevention • Assessment
• Treatment • Advocacy
• Rehabilitation • Direct Services
• Counseling Care • Case Management
Planning • Discharge Planning:
• Financial Assistance
 Social Case Work in Hospitals
Practice in hospitals is a major component of social
casework in health care. The functions of social
casework include :

1. Assess the patient’s psychological and environmental strengths and

weaknesses.
2. Collaborate with the team in the delivery of services to assure the
maximum utilization of the skill and knowledge of each team member.
3. Assist the family to cooperate with treatment and to support the
patient’s utilization of medical services.
4. Identify with a cadre of other professionals to improve the services of
the hospital by an interdisciplinary sharing of knowledge.
5. Serve as a broker of community services, thus by providing linkage of
patient need with appropriate resources.
6. Participate in the policy making process
7. Engage in research to assure a broadening of the knowledge base for
successful practice.
Importance of Social casework in health care settings
The social case work practice has become an
inevitable part of practice in health care setting
especially in the context of emerging communicable
diseases and increasing incidence of life style diseases.
Social Case workers practice with diverse settings viz.
HIV/AIDS, Mental health, Oncology, Pediatrics,
gynecology, eye care etc. The social workers should
acquire essential competence for practice in health
setting.
 SOCIAL CASE WORK IN
INDUSTRIAL SETTING
What is Industrial Settings?
Industrial social work refers to the application of social
casework knowledge, skills and values to workplace problems.
The social work role varies from being part of an employee
assistance programme to family therapy to family functioning
of the worker. Industrial social work is also known as
occupational social work or workplace social work. The social
work role in industry are largely clinical in nature and the
method often used in an industry is social case work.
According to Googins and Godfrey, Occupational
Social Work is “A field of practicein which social
workers attend to the human and social needs of
the work community by designing and executing
appropriate interventions to insure healthier
individuals and environment
 COMMON WORK PLACE CHALLENGES

• Substance Abuse. • Depression, anxiety.

• Mental Health Issues. • Interpersonal conflict.
• Stress & Burn out. • Poor teamwork.
• Depleted Physical Energy. • Barriers to learning and development
• Emotional Exhaustion. • Grief reactions as a result of loss.
• Absenteeism and Inefficiency. • Discrimination.
• Bullying and harassment. • Aggression and violence.
 Roles of the industrial caseworker

The case worker fulfills a number of roles with in the organizations. Some of the
key tasks expected are:
• Counselling
• Welfare
• Training
• Organizational consultancy
• Publicity
• Facilitating
• Organisational change agency
• Management advice
• Industrial counseling
 Goals and aims of Industrial Caseworker

• Enhancing developmental, problem- solving, and coping

capacities of clients to make them resilient and lead a
productive life.
• Creating and promoting the effective and humane operation
of systems that provide resources and services to people
• Linking people with systems that provide them with
resources, services, and opportunities.
• Promoting decision making which will stimulate the
individual to evaluate, make,accept and act upon his choice.
• Improving relationships to become more effective in
their interpersonal relationships.
• Facilitating client potential to learn ways to use their
abilities and interests to the maximum.
• Creating and promoting the effective and human
operation of systems that provide resources and service
to people.
• Improving the scope and capacity of the delivery
system.
• Contributing to the development and improvement of
social policy.
Importance of social casework in Industrial settings

The social case work intervention in an industry

fosters the psychologically healthy workforce. A
psychologically wealthy workforce is an asset to
any industry though their greater involvement in
the productivity of the industry.
 Conclusion
• Social case work involves helping individuals with their
problems in social functioning through a systematic
approach. Knowledge of human behavior and social
situation and skills in human relationship is basic to its
practice. It is an art when it uses various ways to effect
change in human behavior and a science when it uses
knowledge of human behavior and social situations. Social
case work can thus be said to be scientific art to help an
individual to live a socially productive and individually
satisfying life limited by his capacities and social realities.
• All individuals in their social life are
closely associated with each other. Every
individual renders a certain type of
services towards his fellow beings. For
example, doctor, teacher, lawyer etc.
render a particular type of service.
Similarly social work is also a profession
which helps to the needy people.