What Is Social Work?IntroductionSocial WelfareSlide 4Slide 5Social WorkSlide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Slide 15Distinguishing Characteristics of Social WorkSlide 17Slide 18Sociology and Social WorkPsychiatry and Social WorkSlide 21Psychology and Social WorkCounseling and Social WorkSocial Work in the World TodaySlide 25What Is Social What Is Social Work?Work?Chapter 1Chapter 1Introduction to Social WorkIntroduction to Social WorkIntroduction Introduction •Social work and social welfare are Social work and social welfare are based on three premises:based on three premises:–That the person is importantThat the person is important–That he or she has personal, family, and That he or she has personal, family, and community problems resulting from community problems resulting from interaction with othersinteraction with others–That something can be done to alleviate That something can be done to alleviate these problems and enrich the these problems and enrich the individual’s lifeindividual’s lifeSocial WelfareSocial Welfare•The terms social work and social welfare are The terms social work and social welfare are often confused and sometimes used often confused and sometimes used synonymously.synonymously.•Social welfare has a broader meaning and Social welfare has a broader meaning and encompasses social work, public welfare, and encompasses social work, public welfare, and other related programs and activities.other related programs and activities.•Social welfare is described as “the organized Social welfare is described as “the organized system of social services and institutions, system of social services and institutions, designed to aid individuals and groups to designed to aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of life and health”, attain satisfying standards of life and health”, (Friedlander, 1980).(Friedlander, 1980).Social WelfareSocial Welfare•Social welfare encompasses the well-Social welfare encompasses the well-being and interests of large number being and interests of large number of people, including their physical, of people, including their physical, educational, mental, emotional, educational, mental, emotional, spiritual, and economic needs.spiritual, and economic needs.•As reported in the Social Security As reported in the Social Security Bulletin, expenditures for social Bulletin, expenditures for social welfare under public law amounted welfare under public law amounted to $1,434.6 billion in fiscal year 1994.to $1,434.6 billion in fiscal year 1994.Social WelfareSocial Welfare•Many professionals deliver social Many professionals deliver social welfare services, but social workers welfare services, but social workers have always been prominent welfare have always been prominent welfare service providers.service providers.•The U.S. Labor Department projects The U.S. Labor Department projects there will be more than 650,000 social there will be more than 650,000 social workers by the year 2005.workers by the year 2005.•Minimum traditional standards required Minimum traditional standards required a Master of Social Work degree for the a Master of Social Work degree for the professional social worker.professional social worker.Social WorkSocial Work•Social work seeks to enhance the Social work seeks to enhance the social functioning of individuals, social functioning of individuals, singly and in groups, by activities singly and in groups, by activities focused upon their social focused upon their social relationships which constitute the relationships which constitute the interaction between man and his interaction between man and his environment. (CSWE, 1959)environment. (CSWE, 1959)Social WorkSocial Work•These activities can be grouped into These activities can be grouped into three functions:three functions:–Restoration of impaired capacity.Restoration of impaired capacity.–Provision of individual and social Provision of individual and social resources.resources.–Prevention of social dysfunction.Prevention of social dysfunction.The basic functions of social work are The basic functions of social work are intertwined and interdependent.intertwined and interdependent.Social WorkSocial Work•Restoration of impaired social functioning may Restoration of impaired social functioning may be subdivided into curative and rehabilitative be subdivided into curative and rehabilitative aspects. Its curative aspects are to eliminate aspects. Its curative aspects are to eliminate factors that have caused breakdown of factors that have caused breakdown of functioning, and its rehabilitative aspects, to functioning, and its rehabilitative aspects, to reorganize and rebuild interaction patterns.reorganize and rebuild interaction patterns.•Illustrations of restoration would include Illustrations of restoration would include assistance in obtaining a hearing aid for a assistance in obtaining a hearing aid for a partially deaf child or helping a rejected lonely partially deaf child or helping a rejected lonely child to be placed in a foster home.child to be placed in a foster home.Social WorkSocial Work•The rehabilitative aspect might be The rehabilitative aspect might be helping the one child to helping the one child to psychologically accept and live with psychologically accept and live with the hearing aid and supporting the the hearing aid and supporting the other child as he or she adjusts to the other child as he or she adjusts to the new foster home.new foster home.•Provision of resources, social and Provision of resources, social and individual, for more effective social individual, for more effective social functioning may be subdivided into functioning may be subdivided into developmental and educational.developmental and educational.Social WorkSocial Work•The developmental aspects are designed to The developmental aspects are designed to further the effectiveness of existing social further the effectiveness of existing social resources or to bring to full flower personal resources or to bring to full flower personal capacity for more effective social interaction.capacity for more effective social interaction.•An example would be the services of a Family An example would be the services of a Family Service Society that help Mr. and Mrs. X, Service Society that help Mr. and Mrs. X, through individual and conjoint interviews, to through individual and conjoint