Social Worker, Guidance And Stabilization Basics Of Social Work

 

Social Worker, Guidance And Stabilization Basics Of Social Work (pixabay)

Social Worker, Guidance And StabilizationBasics Of Social Work

Guidance And Stabilization Basics Of Social Work

DEFINITION OF SOCIAL WORK

According to the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) :

The social work profession promotes problem solving in human relationships, social change, empowerment and liberation of people, and the enhancement of society. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work

 

SOCIAL WORK REFERENCE FRAMEWORK

As a professional activity, Social work is based on three basic components that integatively shape the profile and approach of social work. Namely: the knowledge framework (Body Of Knowledge), the expertise framework (Body of Skill) and the value framework (Body of Values)

 

THE MAIN MANDATES OF SOCIAL WORK

Providing social services to individuals, families, groups and communities in need in accordance with the values, knowledge and skills of social work professionals.

 

 

METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION :

1.     Case Work (targets individuals and families)

2.     Group Work (target group)

3.     Community Organization//Community Development (the target is organization, community, and policy)

 

OBJECTIVES OF SOCIAL WORK :

Improve, improve or maintain social functioning or the implementation of the social roles of people in their social environment.

 

Skidmore, Thackeray & Farley (1991:5):

Social work aims to improve the social functioning of individuals, groups both individually and in groups, whose activities are focused on their social relations, in particular the interaction between people and their environment

 

THE MAIN FOCUS OF SOCIAL WORK

Improving Social Functioning (Social Functioning)

"Social functioning to be a central purpose of social work and intervention was seen as the enhancement of social functioning (Skidmore, Thackeray & Farley, 1991:19).

 

SOCIAL FUNCTIONING :

Is the ability of people (individuals, families, groups or communities) and social systems (institutions and social networks) to meet / respond to basic needs, carry out social roles, and face shocks and stresses

 

SOCIAL WORK STRATEGY IN IMPROVING SOCIAL FUNCTIONING:

1.     Improve people's ability to deal with the problems they experience;

2.     Connecting people with social systems and networks that enable them to reach or obtain a variety of resources, services and opportunities;

3.     Improve the performance of social institutions so that they are able to provide social services effectively, quality and humane;

4.     Formulate and develop legal and regulatory tools that are able to create a situation that is conducive to the achievement of economic equality and social justice

Some of the main points in generalist practice

Social workers always work alongside clients/beneficiaries. 

a.     Individual clients, for example, are always in families, groups, neighborhoods, organizations, societies, etc.

b.     Problem situations are always viewed within the framework of the concept of "person-in-environment".

c.      Social workers intervene at several levels of different systems, micro, meso and macro.

 

The generalist intervention model has 4 main features

a.     GIM is based on a foundation of knowledge, skills, and values that illustrate the unique nature of social work.

b.     The scope of problem solving, not only on individual aspects, but also groups, organizations, societies, even policies (micro, mezzo, and macro systems).

c.      The goals of change are understood or analyzed using a very broad perspective.

d.     The troubleshooting methods used are flexible,

 

Social functioning focus

a.     The ability to face or solve the problems they face according to the situation and conditions, as well as the environment.

b.     The ability to interact with others in his social environment, both in his education, his work, his family, his group, his society, and so on constructively

c.      The implementation of duties and roles in his life according to his age, status, and responsibilities he carries.

d.     Behave adequately in order to meet his needs.

e.       

f.       Social functioning indicates a condition of balanced exchange, in kindness, as well as mutual adaptation, between man as an individual and his environment.

g.      

h.     Thus, social functioning is the systemic result of an exchange that fills each other between needs, available resources, expectations / motivations with one's ability to meet them, between demands, expectations, as well as opportunities with the ability of the environment to meet them. 

 

Social work practice

Direct services practices, namely improving and improving the ability of people / target groups to achieve social functioning,

The practice of indirect services that seeks to change, improve, and build social conditions that are closely related to the social functioning of people.

 

10 (ten) initial competencies of a social worker

1.     Identify and assess situations where relationships between people and social institutions need to be initiated, strengthened, improved, or need to end.

2.     Develop and implement a plan aimed at achieving individual well-being based on problem assessment, goal exploration, and development of alternative solutions.

3.     Develop or improve people's ability to face, solve problems, and the client's self-development ability.

4.     Connect people with systems that can provide resources, as well as opportunities.

5.     Intervene effectively by prioritizing the target populations that are most vulnerable, or exposed to discrimination

6.     Develop service effectiveness and improve the humane performance of systems that provide services, sources, and opportunities.

7.     Actively participate with other parties to create, modify, and improve existing service systems to be more responsive to client needs.

8.     Evaluate how far the planned goals can be achieved.

9.     Continuously evaluate professional development through assessment of behavior and practical skills.

10.                        Contribute to improving the quality of service by developing a foundation of professional knowledge and upholding professional standards or ethics.

 

Three schools or views in social work

Reflexive-Therapeutic.

This school considers that social work is a profession that seeks to achieve the well-being of individuals, families, groups, and communities by improving and facilitating growth and meeting self-needs.

 

Socialist- Collectivist.

This school considers that social work is a profession that seeks to achieve the welfare of individuals, groups, and communities in society, by improving and facilitating the growth and fulfillment of community needs.

Individualist-Reformist. 

This school or view considers that social work is part of social welfare services to individuals and communities.

 

Each of these schools of social work puts forward its own ideas about social work and its functions, while also criticizing while seeking to change other schools.  However, each also recognizes the merging and tug-of-war between streams, such as Reflexive-Therapeutic and Socialist-collectivist which also focus on social change and development.  Similarly, Reflexive-Therapeutic and Individual-Reformist are more inclined to individual practices, rather than macro/collective practices.