Drill

Motivation
Lesson
Activity (
Recap
Quiz 20 items ( identification but situational)

Objectives: At the end of the lesson the students can:

a. discuss the roles and functions performed by social workers;
b. determine the fields where social workers play important roles;
c. identify the skills and the other qualifications required of social workers;
d. discuss the careers that social workers can pursue;
e. understand the rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities of social
workers; and
f. describe ethical and unethical behavior in social work.

ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL WORKERS.

Social workers provide a wide range of services to their clients. In doing so they
play a number of roles and perform the functions associated with them. Sheafor, et
al. (1994) listed the roles of social workers as human service broker, teacher,
counselor, case manager, workload manager, staff developer, administrator, social
change agent, professional, and researcher.

Human service broker. The social worker builds connections between his or her
client and organizations that provide access to necessary resources. The social
worker must know their actual needs and where to find the resources that would
respond to these needs.

Teacher. The social worker is expected to teach his/her clients the knowledge and
skills necessary to prevent problems, enhance their social functioning, and empower
them. The social worker can also be an academic, teaching in social work
institutions in colleges or universities.

Counsellor. The social worker serves as counsellor to clients faced with health or
me issues and other difficult situations. To be effective counsellor, the social
worker must have an understanding of human behavior and how it can be affected by
the environment.

Case manager. The social worker helps clients use services from various
institutions and organizations. This is particularly important to highly-dependent
and vulnerable sectors of the population like children, the seriously disabled, or
the elderly.

Workload manager. The social worker must balance the needs of his/her clients and
the agency he / she works for. Social workers should always be able to maximize
limited resources.

Staff developer. The social worker helps his/ her agency staff members to develop
professionally. The staff development role centers on maximizing the effectiveness
of professional helpers. Social workers serve either as coaches or mentors to their
colleagues in the organization or agency where they belong.

Administrator. The social worker also serves as administrator in both public and
private agencies. As administrators, social workers implement policies, programs,
and services in their respective organizations.
Agent of social change. As agent of social change, the social worker identifies
community issues and problems, assesses the needs of the community, and finds ways
to improve quality of life. He/ She also works to obtain and sustain resources for
the community.

Professional. The social worker is expected to engage in competent and ethical

practice of his/her profession. Active membership in local, national, or
international associations of social workers is an important part of being a social
work professional.

Researcher. The social worker needs to be up-to-date with the latest knowledge in
his/her discipline and contribute to its scholarly literature. By being active in
research, social workers help contribute to further progress in the field.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED OF SOCIAL WORKERS.

Social workers develop the foundation of their expertise by completing a four-year

degree program, after which they must also pass the licensure exam for social
workers. Aside from the necessary educational attainment, social workers must also
possess specific skills necessary in their practice. They should have good
communication, listening, interviewing, and writing skills to be able to interact
effectively with their clients.

In addition, social workers should have the knowledge and skills in assessing human
problems and locating, developing, or utilizing appropriate resources. They need to
be excellent in negotiating with others, mediating or managing conflicts, and
conducting research. Artistic skills can also help them become effective in their
practice. Depending on their specific work assignments, social workers may also
need to have skills and experience in management, education, research, policy
formulation, program implementation and evaluation, policy advocacy, and
organizing.

Competency.

The foremost ethical requirement for professional social workers is competency

(Hepworth and Larsen, 1986) as seen in the knowledge, values, skills, and attitudes
essential for them to fulfill their professional roles effectively. Social workers
may be competent in specific fields but not in others, For instance, a practitioner
may be competent in marital or family therapy, but not in protecting abused or
neglected children.

The elements of competent practice in the different areas are constantly changing
due to expanding knowledge, emerging skills, and the changing demands of the
practice. Competency should therefore be viewed within a temporary context and
competency embodies much more than knowledge of practice theory.

Conversely, possessing skills alone does not ensure competence. Without an

underlying knowledge base, a practitioner is nothing more than a technician. An
adequate grasp of practice theory and knowledge about human behavior in the social
environment is important in analyzing problems, persons, and situations; planning
remedial interventions; and implementing appropriate social work techniques.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION IN SOCIAL WORK.

Social workers often choose to increase their competency in a particular field of

specialization. The areas of specialization in social work include child and family
social work, school social work, gerontological social work, clinical social work,
community social work, and gender development social work.

Child and family social work. This area focuses on the welfare and security of
families, children, and adolescents. Child and family social workers are often in
government agencies that attend to the needs of children and their families.

Gerontological social work. This is carried out in social welfare institutions that
take care of the elderly, especially those separated from their families. Social
workers make sure that the elderly are given adequate care and live comfortable
lives.

Clinical Social Work. Those who perform clinical social work are usually found in
public and private hospitals, clinics, and rehabilitation centers. They attend to
physical and mental health issues of patients and look for possible donors for
their medical needs.

Community Social Work. Social workers based in local communities create a

demographic profile of the community and assess the needs of its residents. They
contact donor agencies and apply for grants to help implement projects and
facilitate access to resource

Gender Development Social Work. This area aims to promote equal rights and
opportunities for men and women in both public and private agencies. Social workers
in this area are employed as advocates of change by both government and private
agencies.

CAREER OPPURTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

Social workers take on a broad range of careers. Those who work in the academe
serve as instructors teaching social work in colleges or universities. They may
also be employed as researchers in universities and private and civil society
agencies.

As government workers, social workers may be involved in providing services to

children, delinquent youth, families, the community, and the elderly. In the
Philippines, social workers are also involved in the creation of government
policies in agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) and the Philippine Red Cross.

Health social workers provide health care services to individuals and their
families and promote health awareness in communities. A social health worker does
not only possess knowledge about health conditions, but is also aware of their
social impact on different people. Health social workers help the elderly, mothers,
severely ill individuals, and victims of accidents.

Social workers also work in prisons as corrections staff members. They help a
released offender address the possible roots of the committed crime, support
his/her family, and update courts about his/her progress after release from prison.

Youth workers often provide assistance to youth dealing with substance and alcohol
abuse as well as homelessness and other family problems. Youth workers coordinate
with schools or work in counselling centers.

In nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), social workers perform research work,

conceptualize policies, and give direct services to potential clients. These
clients include those experiencing mental health issues linked to various social
problems, including unemployment and poverty. They also help people going through
dysfunctional relationships and those who have physical disabilities.

Social workers also apply their knowledge in private managerial positions and
organizational consulting. Some social workers work in international volunteer
organizations. They may also pursue specialized occupations as community
organizers, community development Workers, program managers, project officers,
human resource development managers and specialists, cultural development officers,
recreation officers, residential care workers, grant writers, organization
development specialists, rehabilitation and consultants. Meanwhile, certain areas
of specialization in social work may require a specific educational attainment. For
example, child and family social workers only need a Bachelor’s degree in social
work, while school and clinical social workers should have graduate degrees.

THE REGULATION OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Republic Act No. 4373 regulates the practice of social work and the operation of
social work agencies in the Philippines. This law sets the standards for the
quality of service provided by social workers The Philippine Association of Social
Workers Inc. (PASW) also helps in monitoring the social work in the country. The
association aims to uphold fairness and compassion and puts a premium on the rights
and responsibilities of the clientele of social work.

THE SOCIAL WORKER’S CODE OF ETHICS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Social worker are expected to balance the needs of their clients and their
families, and those of other people involved in the profession. In order for social
workers to perform this responsibility well, social work agencies need to create
policies which consider both the needs of the clients and the concerns of social
workers such as those relating to management as well as economic, political, and
other social factors.

Effective and ethical working environments value moral practices, adherence to

standards, good quality services, and professionalism. These environments also
practice consistency between the principles valued by both social workers and their
managers. Dual accountability is also considered important; policies and
arrangements must reflect the roles and responsibilities of social workers and
their employers. Most of all, ethical and effective working environments place
prime importance on respecting and supporting clients.

A framework is necessary in elaborating the specific policies for effective and

ethical social work environments. This framework encompasses training and
supervision, workload management, and professional 1mprovement it also requires
both social workers and their employers to collaborate in upholding ethical
practices. The specific elements of this framework are as follows:

• Agencies must ensure the protection of clients, social workers, and their
employers. Social workers must also avoid situations where they may fail to uphold
ethical standards. Thus, agencies must create policies promoting equal
opportunities tor social workers, protecting confidential matters, and managing
possible risks.
• Social workers must always consider previous research and experience in their
practice.
• Social workers and their agencies need to uphold transparency. They must inform
their clients and the general public about the ethical standards, policies, and
procedures in the profession. Social workers must also encourage their clients and
the general public to raise their concerns about these standards and procedures.
• Agencies must create policies that prevent threats, violence, and other forms of
abuse toward clients, social workers, and stat members. Policies must also be
created against exploitation, discrimination, and other issues.
• Social work agencies must protect those who raise their concerns about unethical
and unsafe practices. These agencies need to make sure that the complainants are
not harassed or attacked for their opinions.
• Social workers must uphold human rights and social justice at all times. Social
not only be academically qualified for their profession; they also need to be fully
aware of their professional and ethical roles and responsibilities.
• Agencies also need to create policies ensuring the health and occupational safety
of social workers. This is to address work-related and burnout that social workers
may violence, trauma, stress, experience.

THE SOCIAL WORKER'S CODE OF ETHICS

An important Code of Ethics in social work is that of the National Association of

Social Workers (NASW). The NASW Code of Ethics is meant to guide social workers in
their practice and help them act on violations of ethical principles in the
profession. Following the Code of Ethics also ensures that social workers embody
the ideals and values of their profession.

The provisions in the Code of Ethics encompass the relationships that social
workers have at different levels- be it with their clients, colleagues, employers,
individuals from other professions, large communities, and other members of
society. The significant parts of the Social Code of Ethics according to the NASW
are discussed below.

The social workers conduct and comportment. This highlights the values that
social workers are expected to uphold. Service should always be the primary focus
of the social worker. He or she is also expected to practice propriety, or
maintaining proper. He or She should always practice with utmost integrity.
Finally, his or her work needs to be influenced by scholarship and research.

The social worker's ethical responsibility to clients. The social worker

is primarily accountable to his or her clients. He or she should not only look
after the welfare of bis or her clients, but also encourage them to utilize self-
determination. The privacy of clients should also be respected. Information about
clients should be held in strictest confidentiality. Finally, social workers must
set fees that are reasonable, just, considerate, and should match the services they
offered and their clients' financial capabilities.

The social worker's ethical responsibility to colleagues. The social worker needs
to practice respect, fairness, politeness, honesty, and sincerity when interacting
with colleagues. The social worker should observe and honor his/her commitments to
his/her employers. When he/she volunteers for tasks, he/she must accomplish these
to the best of his/her abilities. The social worker must avoid committing to
responsibilities for which he/she has limited capabilities and resources.

The social worker's ethical responsibility to the social work profession. The
social worker should always promote the values, objectives, ethical practices, and
knowledge of the profession. The social worker must not only use the knowledge in
the profession; he or she must also identify and address areas of concern in the
discipline.

THE SOCIAL WORKER'S CODE OF ETHICS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Social Workers Code of Ethics in the Philippines can be considered parallel to
the NASW Code of Ethics. It was promulgated by the Philippine Association of Social
Workers, Inc. (PASWI) and highlights the following values and principles:
• an individual’s dignity and worth
• a person’s ability and right to maximize his or her potentials
• man’s ability to recognize the importance of respecting differences among
individuals.
• the acknowledgment ot poverty as condition that needs to be alleviated
• the recognition of the family as an essential player in further developing
individuals and the community
• the need to practice professionalism and R accountability the values and
characteristics of Filipino culture as the foundation of social work practice

The Code also makes the following declarations:

Relative to Self and the Profession

• to embody the values and principles practiced in the social work profession
• to practice honesty and transparency
• to continue developing professional expertise, and, in the process, advance
the practice of social work
• to help promote the discipline and encourage others to regard the profession
with respect
• to impart one’s knowledge with fellow social workers and professionals from
other fields
• to help prevent cases of unauthorized and Incompetent social work practice
• to support the professional organization that regulate the practice of and
uphold the welfare of social workers
• to volunteer and help during emergencies to uphold cultural values that will
help improve the profession

Relative to Clients

• to respect human rights and prevent discriminatory practices

• to be responsible for the welfare of clients and protect confidential
information, but also to let clients make their own decisions
• to help everyone, especially he marginalized, gain access to resources and
opportunities that they need
• to assist people, especially the disadvantaged and abused, in finding more
options and opportunities

Relative to Colleagues
• to recognize the importance of knowledge and skills from other disciplines in
developing the social work profession
• to report unethical practices in the profession to the authorities to work
with legislators in upholding the welfare of social work practitioners.