Social Workers: Roles, responsibilities and practice

What Do Social Workers Do? Social workers provide support and guidance for people confronted with unforeseen events, such as accidents or illness, or with crises, such as sudden unemployment or homelessness. People who choose social work as their profession are typically motivated by humanitarian a...

What Do Social Workers Do? Social workers provide support and guidance for people confronted with unforeseen events, such as accidents or illness, or with crises, such as sudden unemployment or homelessness. People who choose social work as their profession are typically motivated by humanitarian and egalitarian values, and by a desire to understand how society works and to make it better for everyone. The practitioner needs analytical and hands-on skills, maturity and personal stability that will allow them to bring about effective change. In 2005, the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) rewrote the Code of Ethics, replacing the 1994 code. The Code defines social work practice as “the social work profession is dedicated to the welfare and self-realization of all people; the development of resources and skills to meet individual, group, national, and international changing needs and aspirations; and the achievement of social justice for all. The profession has a particular interest in the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and/or living in poverty. Social workers are committed to human rights as enshrined in Canadian law, as well as in international conventions on human rights created or supported by the United Nations.” The number of social workers has risen sharply over the past few years. The rise is primarily attributable to the much greater range and intensity of social service needs. The fact that a growing proportion of these needs are handled by members of other occupations has only slightly slowed employment growth in this occupation. This will be the trend over the next few years. It is common to distinguish between two types of social work. Direct social work – involves working face-to-face with people as individuals to provide services such as counselling, group work, and community development. This is typically done through a public (or publicly funded) social service agency or institution, such as a hospital or child welfare agency. Indirect social work – involves working with organizations that formulate, analyze, develop, and evaluate social policies and programs. It typically means working with social service agencies, research groups, and other groups whose purpose is to advocate for those in need. The different kinds of practice can also be described as micro, mezzo, or macro social work. Micro – refers to direct practice with individuals and families Mezzo – is social work with groups and communities Macro – involved working with organizations or communities to improve or change laws or policies in general society. Casework and Beyond The traditional notion of the social worker is that of a caseworker – a practitioner doing one-on-one counselling with individuals or families, usually working as part of a social service agency. Casework involves doing rigorous and indispensable practical work with individuals and families, often in extremely difficult circumstances. Underlying this work is a body of theoretical knowledge and “best practices” that social work practitioners can call upon to help determine the best course of action. The Role of the Social Worker A social work practitioner may need to assume several different roles, depending on the nature of their job and the approach to practice that they use. The role that is selected and applied is the one that will be the most effective with a particular client in particular circumstances. Some roles that a social worker needs to assume are... 1. Strategist – involves the worker in helping people organize to help themselves. 2. Broker – links individuals and groups who need help. 3. Advocate – provides leadership in advocating on behalf of a person or in challenging and institution’s decision not to provide services. 4. Initiator – calls attention to problems or the problems a particular policy or program may cause and follows up with colleagues or with an interdisciplinary team. 5. Mediator – involves participating as a neutral play in disputes between parties to help them reconcile differences or achieve mutually beneficial agreements. 6. Negotiator – is allied with one side in a dispute and tries to achieve agreement by bargaining on his or her client’s behalf. 7. Activist – seeks to change institutions and structures in society. 8. Educator – provides information and resources and raises awareness of problems and solutions. 9. Coordinator – bringing all the pieces together in an organized manner to accomplish a task.  10. Researcher – gathers information for inclusion in databases and stays abreast of new findings in his or her field. 11. Facilitator – may lead a group activity as part of group therapy, a self-help group, or any other type of group. 12. Spokesperson – may be engaged as a public speaker at schools, at conferences or workshops, at events staged by service organizations, at meetings with police, or at gatherings within related agencies. Social Workers and Social Service Workers Social worker – can make a series of judgments as to the nature of a situation and formulate the actions to be taken, or not taken, actions for which the social worker can be held accountable. Social service worker – may follow a suggested course of action based on diagnosis, but he or she will not be the person who has arrived at such a judgment. The Education and Employment of Social Workers In general, a university-trained person is referred to as a social worker, and a community college-trained person is called a social service worker. It some places this is ignored but university graduates will have more years of training. For university, you will need 4 years of school to obtain a bachelor's degree and another one year of training to obtain a master's degree. When someone holds a non-social work bachelor’s degree, they will normally need to take a two-year master’s for social work. For college, it requires at least two years of training for a diploma. People looking to obtain a doctoral degree in social work normally wish to teach at a university or are involved in high level research, social policy, or large-scale administration. Employment Opportunities in Social Work The career opportunities for qualified social workers today are quite diverse, ranging from various public institutions to private practice and occurring within many different fields of experience. Some examples of job opportunities are... 1. Health and social services – family and child welfare agencies, hospitals and other health care facilities, group homes, substance use treatment facilities, social assistance offices. 2. Government services – statutory services (child welfare or probation), planning and administration of programs, correctional facilities, and the justice system. 3. Communities – health centers, resource centers, other grassroots organizations  4. Research – governments frequently call upon social workers to conduct surveys and carry out research that affects social work practice. 5. Self-employment – operating out of private offices and offering services to the public for per-session fees. Balancing Ethical Responsibilities in Social Work The Code of Ethics outlines six key values: respect for the inherent dignity and worth of persons; pursuit of social justice; service to humanity; integrity of professional practice; confidentiality in professional practice; and competence in professional practice. The interpretation and application of these values applies to clients, colleagues, the profession, and society. Ethical Decision Making Related to Social Work Ethical dilemmas often arise, for example, in income support and child welfare cases. Part of the mandate of social welfare organizations is to spend public money wisely. Social workers must ensure that the client is genuinely in need and eligible for assistance. In child welfare cases, the social worker may be criticized for leaving a child in a home or taking them out prematurely. Such dilemmas are aggravated when large caseloads or tight budgets make it difficult for social workers to provide services in ways that are consistent with their professional and personal beliefs. This is the five-step proccess for ethical decision making: 1. Identify the key ethical issue 2. Identify the relevant ethical guidelines withing your areas social work code of ethics or any employer-based ethical guidelines 3. Identify which ethical principles are important in this situation and which are not. 4. Acknowledge and examine your own emotions and values. 5. Outline an action plan. Factors Affecting Practitioner Well-Being A study of 175 social workers employed by the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto in 2004 revealed that 82.7 percent of workers reported that they had been exposed to at least one critical incident at work (including the death of a client, threats, or assault). Seventy percent reported experiencing stress because of a critical incident. Rural and remote northern practice in Canada has long been a starting point for many social work professionals. Although they may be recruited to the North for job opportunities, many decide to stay because of job satisfaction. Authors suggest that “community size creates a context which might determine or impact key socio-cultural and socio-political interactions within the social environment, which then in turn impacts practitioner well-being". One way to offset stress and enhance job satisfaction is to engage in professional development activities among colleagues, especially those from different regions of the country. Self-Care The term “compassion fatigue” refers to the anxiety resulting from dealing with emotionally difficult cases under increased workplace pressure and increased workloads. The ABC mnemonic is an easy way to remember the steps necessary toward effective self- care practices: 1. Awareness – knowing yourself, your needs, and your limits. 2. Balance and boundaries – finding a balance between work, play, rest, and home activities and enjoying set times each day during which you detach yourself from work. 3. Consultation and connection – when you are in doubt about a troubling issue or case, consult with colleagues, supervisors, and other supports available to you.