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THE PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK

. For Discussion. What are the other professions in the room?. Why do you consider yourself as a part of that profession?. . INTRODUCTION. Many individuals and other professionals will question whether social work is a TRUE profession. YOU need to be able to say why it is a profession and have arguments to support this..

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THE PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK

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    1. THE PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK Kimberly Hinds kimberly.hinds@uwimona.edu.jm Department of Sociology, Psychology & Social Work UWI Mona---September 26, 2005

    2. For Discussion What are the other professions in the room? Why do you consider yourself as a part of that profession?

    3. INTRODUCTION Many individuals and other professionals will question whether social work is a TRUE profession. YOU need to be able to say why it is a profession and have arguments to support this. There are some characteristics that must be present if a profession is to be recognised.

    4. Let Us Examine Social Work and See If It Fits Into These Criteria. Ernest Greenwood quoted in Zastrow stated that all professions seem to have: SYSTEMATIC THEORY AUTHORITY COMMUNITY SANCTION ETHICAL CODES CULTURE (Greenwood, Ernest, Attributes of a Profession, Social Work 2(July 1957): 45-55 )

    5. Leslie Leighninger Presented a Process Model Movement toward professional status, specifically the formation of professional organisations and professional education. Power/control -----status of the profession (Authority/monopoly) (Leighninger, Leslie, Social Work Search for an Identity: NY: Greenwood Press 1987)

    6. Public Model Vs. Private Model (Elizabeth Howe) Law, medicinePrivate Social Work-Public Relates to autonomy and accountability Most of the employees are in public agencies and are subject to a greater degree of control by the public. Public professions (i.e. social work) are responsible to clients and the agency (Howe, Elizabeth, Public Professions and the Private Model of Professionalism, Social Work 25 (May 1980)

    7. DO WE QUALIFY AS A PROFESSION? LETS LOOK AT THE THEORETICAL BASE

    8. 1920-1960- Medical Model Most social workers used a MEDICAL MODEL to assess and change human behaviour. Mainly initiated by Freud. Clients were referred to as PATIENTS. The worker first diagnoses the patients problem and then provides or prescribes treatment. Advocated that the problem was inside the patient. Something was wrong with their mind. (Zastrow)

    9. Medical Model Continued Characterized behavioural and emotional problems as mental illness, so there was a lot of labelling e.g. schizophrenia, paranoia, phobia, bipolar) The Medical Model attributed this mental illness to causative factors e.g. genetics, traumatic early childhood experiences, infectious diseases and unconscious use of defense mechanisms. (Beyond their control) The Medical Model considered the sick/ mentally ill as in need of therapeutic help.

    10. 1960s Ecological Model Some social work scholars began to question the usefulness and accuracy of the medical model as they theorised that environmental factors were equally and perhaps more responsible for a clients problems. The Ecological Model emphasizes the transactions, both positive and negative between individual and their physical and social environment. The Ecological Model recognises the importance of internal and external factors on an individuals functioning. (More to come in SW 21C ?).

    11. Ecological Model Continued The Ecological Model talks about the person-in-the environment (PIE) and the various systems impacting on the individual. In the Ecological Model, the worker can work with the client on three distinct areas: (a)Himself and try to help that client develop his/her problem solving, coping and developmental capacities. (b)The relationship between the individual and the different systems he/she interacts with and put the client in touch with the resources and services they need to function effectively. (c) The external systems (macropolicy---advocacy) and attempt to change them to better meet the individuals needs.

    12. Johnson Gives a Breakdown of the Advocates/Proponents of the Various Theories That Have Shaped the Social Work Profession Pre 1920 Mary Richmond---developed the original framework for assessment. In her publication Social Diagnosis (1917) she spoke about diagnosis rather than assessment. She was heavily influenced overall by sociology and the social sciences. Her thrust was that the worker should engage in a wide study, she believed in cause and effect , the worker was to gather as much info as possible about the client who was in need of service to make a diagnosis and then treat.

    13. 1921-1930 ---- Sigmund Freud Emphasising the psychological aspects of social behaviour. Looking at early childhood experiences. Worker showed respect for the clients individuality. The influence on the Social Work profession is that they spoke about TREATMENT rather than intervention. This era was characterised by what Johnson referred to as a movement from DOING TO or DOING FOR to WORKING WITH.

    14. 1931-1945--Gordon Hamilton Spoke to the diagnostic approach

    15. Biesteks Principles He also identified seven principles which should inform the casework relationship (individualization, purposeful expression of feeling, controlled emotional environment, acceptance, non-judgemental, clients self-determination and confidentiality.

    16. 1960Helen Perlman Social Casework: A Problem Solving Process A new statement of casework came about near the end of 1960began to see the term diagnosis. Moving closer to what we consider to be assessment as we now use it in social work.

    17. 1976-1991

    18. Can you now make a case as to why Social Work is a Profession?

    19. Key Lessons No matter how fast-paced the world may seem and uncertain (9-11, Hurricanes, AIDS, Global Warming), people will always be at the centre. People will always have problems that require the skills of a professional equipped to help them: restore their social functioning provide them with social services prevent the problem from arising. (Farley, Smith & Boyle) THAT PROFESSIONAL IS YOU!!!

    20. Current evidence indicates that the profession of social work is here to stay and that in the years/decades to come it will continue to grow and expand its services and assist more individuals, families, groups and communities to solve their problems and restore their social functioning.

    21. See You Next Week !!! REFERENCES Farley O. William, Smith, Lorenzo & Boyle, Scott W. (2003). Introduction to Social Work. Pearson Education Johnson, Louise & Yanca, Stephen J. (2004) Social Work Practice. Pearson Education. Zastrow, Charles (2003). The Practice of Social Work. Brooks & Cole

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