social work chpt 3

• Psychiatrist


  Emphasizes on medical model approaches in the treatment of illnesses/problems, focuses on 'intrapersonal dynamics' and often tackles the individual's subconscious level, problem and the related factors
• Social work


  Focuses on the problems and strengths in human relationships, using environmental and community resources in assessing issues and problems, usually focusing on behavior on a conscious levels
• Similarities between psychology and social work

  • Working with groups that involved in personal and social issues
  • Help improve individual relationships with other individuals (relationships between humans being)
  • Both fields are sensitive, which has a high degree of sensitivity to understanding emotions
• Psychiatrist


  • Acts on a medical basis using a pathology approach
  • Provide preliminary description of medicines and hospitalization process
  • Often focus on unconscious factors and intra psychic methods
• Social worker


  • Tends to make full use of community resources in terms of economics and material in improving social relationships in society
  • Assessment of the social environment (home visit) and retrieve client's social history
  • Try to avoid associating the problem with the subconscious factor
  • Work with families and communities rather than being too focused on individuals
  • Avoid the use of medicines or drugs in the treatment or intervention
  • Emphasize on strength and formation of individual potential
  • It focuses more on social functioning and community factors and their interactions with individual
• The differences between practice of social worker and psychiatrist
• Inner and outer forces

  Concept that explains how inner psychological factors and external environmental factors interact to influence a person's behavior
• Inner and outer forces in John's case

  • INNER FORCES: inferiority, frustration, anxiety
  • NEGATIVE OUTER FORCES: School, Stepfather, Police
  • Resulting in NEGATIVE Behaviour
• Additional model definition of Inner and outer forces concept

  INNER FORCES: Biology, psychology

  OUTER FORCES: Social, Family, Groups, School, Culture, Institution, Organizations, Committees

  PERSON: Micro, Mezzo, Macro

  Resulting in Behaviour
• Inner and outer forces in George's case

  • INNER FORCES

  OUTER FORCES: Family, Groups, School, Culture, Institution, Organizations, Communities

  PERSON

  Behaviour
• The main goal of social work is to improve the social functioning of individuals, groups and communities
• Social work curriculum outlines social functionality is the main purpose of social work activities since 1955
• Social Functioning


  The interaction between individual, group and community, including social interactions, stress, and the degree and magnitude of stress
• Positive effects of social interactions

  • Increased ability to deal with problems
  • Reduce or eliminate the negative effects of stress
  • Contribute to achieve individual, group or community goals
  • Enhancement of social welfare and social justice
• Examples of social dysfunction


  • A father who is always late coming home from work, resulting in tension and problems in family communication

  50% of school children dropping out, indicating problems in the school system
• Role of social workers in addressing social dysfunction

  • For a hospitalized father: Rehabilitation process, family income needs, connecting to resources, changing family roles, involving community

  For a mother with 'nervous exhaustion': Home visits, improving physical home environment, marriage counseling
• Problems related to social dysfunction

  • Family problems (divorce, parenting, single parent)

  Changes in society (urbanization, migration, women's role changes)

  Abuse and neglect

  Mental illness, homelessness, juvenile delinquency, drug abuse
• Person-in-Environment (PIE) concept


  Explains how individuals, families and small groups undergo transitions and changes in their life cycle, influenced by their environment
• Examples of PIE concept

  • Individual life transitions: Infant to walking, school, college, job, marriage, parenthood, retirement

  Family transitions: Engagement, marriage, childbirth, parenting, children leaving home

  Small group transitions: Getting to know each other, building trust, learning to work together, dealing with conflicts, separating
• Social Welfare


  A nation's system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet social, economic, educational, and health needs fundamental to society
• Social Welfare (academic perspective)


  The study of agencies, programs, personnel, and policies which focus on the delivery of social services
• Goals of Social Welfare

  • Fulfill social, financial, health and recreational needs

  Enhance social functioning of all groups

  Address when social institutions fail to meet societal needs
• Activities in Social Welfare

  • Care for orphans/children, rehabilitation, emotional treatment, services for elderly/disabled, financial aid, criminal rehabilitation, childcare, domestic violence, health services, recreation, disaster relief, homelessness
• Relationship between Social Work and other disciplines


  There is confusion and overlap between disciplines like social welfare, social work, sociology, human services, psychology, psychiatry, etc.
• Definitions of related disciplines

  Sociology: Study of human society

  Psychology: Study of mental/emotional processes

  Psychiatry: Study of mental illness

  Political Science: Study of government

  Economics: Study of production, distribution, use of commodities

  Cultural Anthropology: Study of human culture
• Relationship between Social Welfare and Social Work


  Social welfare is a more comprehensive term that encompasses social work

  Social welfare and social work are primarily related at the level of practice

  Many professional groups work in the social welfare field
• Professional groups in Social Welfare

  • Social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, community organizers, case managers, probation officers, child welfare workers, gerontologists, rehabilitation specialists
• Social work practice is based on scientific theories, values and principles
• Social work practice involves tested knowledge, hypothetical knowledge, and assumptive knowledge & practice wisdom
• Social work practice emphasizes professional skills and values/knowledge
• Distinguishing characteristics of Social Work

  • Focus on the wholeness and totality of the person

  Emphasis on the importance of family

  Utilization of community resources

  Use of supervisory process

  Unique educational program of theory and field practice

  Generalist practice of casework, group work, community organization

  Distinctive professional bodies

  Relationships as key in the process

  Orientation in psychiatric concepts and social psychology/sociology
• Social workers recognize that social problems and human behavior is related to social institutions
• Social workers work with agencies, help clients help themselves, have fixed salaries/fees, traditionally provide services to individuals/families, use team approach
• Social work emphasizes stress in social interaction and social functioning/malfunctioning