MODULE 6 : CLIENTELE ,

AUDIENCES ,SETTINGS ,
PROCESSES , METHODS
AND TOOLS IN SOCIAL
WORK
 LESSONS
Clientele and Processes
Audiences in and Methods
Social Work in Social Work
LESSON 1 LESSON 2
LESSON 1:
CLIENTELE OF SOCIAL WORK

What is a clientele?
• The clientele and audience of a social worker are
those that need assistance through the services
that are offered through social work.
 Individual Clients
• These clients experience distress, and physical or
mental health issues.

• These individuals can be academically delinquent

students, abused children, the elderly, indigent patients
who need medical assistance, and victims of rape,
maltreatment , bullying, sexual harassment, failed
marriages, and disasters.
 Group or Organizational Clients
• Groups are people existing with similar or common
identity. We classify them as groups because they form
collectivities in terms of level of services they have to
receive.
• Gay men and lesbians, migrants, women, abused or
neglected children, elderly, pensioners, veterans, military
service men and women, people in conflict with the law,
unemployed, people with substance abuse and addiction
represent groups that social work may focus its services
on.
 01

Communities 02

• These clients may include informal settlers , 03

town , city or barangay which are victims of 04

calamities, disasters, and displaced settlers
05
and indigenous people.
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 SERVICES OF SOCIAL WORK
To address society’s needs, a social worker may perform the
following services:

1. Case Work means that social workers deal with individuals

who are struggling to adjust in life situations and needing
outside support to achieve full recovery and productive
members of society. Case work services may include financial
and material assistance, giving informed advice, securing
shelter and care, improving life conditions, and securing
information for professionals from other fields.
2. Social Group Work is concerned with the development of
better human relations particularly focused on group
experience. Group work also aims to foster greater community
involvement and camaraderie; and bring forth growth among
community members with activities like the development of
reading writing, and computer skills.
3. Community Welfare Organization focuses on the
establishment of relationship between two or more
groups to improve the community. This involves planning
and coordination with public and private agencies to
ensure the successful implementation of community
welfare projects (vegetable planting, basket weaving) for
sustainable development of the community.
4. Social Research is performed in case work, group work, and
community welfare organization. Findings of research will be
used to better understand clients and services. This research
could be qualitative or quantitative in nature using tools and
methods from social sciences (psychology, sociology, or
anthropology).

5. Social Action is the concrete action or lobbying done by social

workers to gain support for their advocacies from communication
media, policymakers or lawmakers, and government officials.
LESSON 2:
PROCESSES AND METHODS OF
SOCIAL WORK
The continued growth of the social work field provides
increased opportunities for social workers and human
service professionals to improve self before entering the field
of social work, it is important to consider these core skills
that are essential for successful career as a social worker.
 10 Core Skills of Social Work
1. Assessment Skills. The assessment process reveals which clients
need assistance obtaining resources, and it also allows a social worker
to re_x0002_evaluate clients periodically to make sure whether services
remain effective and necessary.

2. Communication Skills. Communication in social work involves written

and verbal correspondence with clients and other professionals.
Effective communication helps a professional advocate appropriately,
remain clear and concise, appear professional and avoid or overcome
crisis situations.
3. Advocacy and Leadership. Well-developed advocacy skills allow social
workers to properly represent their clients and obtain the services the
communities need. Excellent advocacy skills lead to positive change,
and this helps clients to live empowered lives. These skills are used on
the local and national level to fight for existing programs, create new
programs and remove or revise outdated policies.

4. Problem-Solving Skills. Excellent problem-solving skills are crucial in

finding solutions for individuals and communities. Problem solving skills
are essential if one hopes to overcome budgetary obstacles and
monetary constraints.
5. Critical-Thinking Skills. Applying social work theories and making
informed decisions helps professionals to best serve client needs.
Critical thinking involves searching for answers with an open mind
and using information to best serve the present situation. When used
correctly, these skills empower an individual during crisis situations
and assist a social worker in best utilizing available resources.

6. Respect for Diversity. Social workers serve a diverse array of

clients in many different sectors of society. Diversity offers many
challenges, but it also offers strengths that can be utilized to
overcome obstacles. A social worker who understands this can
effectively serve clients, and this increases opportunities to improve
communities.
7. Intervention Skills. Social workers regularly intervene in
emergency situations to benefit the lives of their clients.
Interventions are best offered in a way that empowers clients and
draws on their available strengths. This allows clients to develop
their own strengths and utilize them when future
problems arise, so they can independently manage their lives.

8. Documentation Skills. Social workers document assessment

information, crisis interventions and any correspondence with
their clients or other professionals. Documentation must be
thorough, accurate, and timely to benefit both the client and the
organization offering services for tasks to be possible.
9. Organizational Skills. Social workers must keep resources
organized, remain diligent in maintaining thorough and accurate
records, and utilize effective time management skills. Organization
requires simplifying a work environment, prioritize tasks, use good
decision-making practices, and keep a calendar of important events
or projects.

10.Understanding of Human Relationships. Social workers must

understand that this field is about human relationships. Couples,
families, friends, and communities are all part of the support system
an individual turns to in time of crises. If a social worker does not
embrace relationship-based practice, resources will be missed, and
problems often become impossible to resolve. Understanding this is
key in becoming a competent social work professional.
PROCESSES, METHODS, AND TOOLS IN
SOCIAL WORK
Social work follows a sequential process in a clear linear route
and is more often fluid and follows a cycle. Some parts of the
process, such as assessment, can clearly define procedures
guided by local or national policy.To become a reflective
practitioner, developing an understanding and awareness of the
social work process is very important. Reflection refers to the
ability to work in a thoughtful and systematic way. Practitioners
need to be aware (and inform service users) of why they are
engaged in tasks and to be able to justify their methods of
working.
 Processes in Social Work
1. ASSESSMENT is a process and a product of understanding on
which action is based. It involves collection of necessary
information and its analysis and interpretation to reach an
understanding of the client, the problem, and the social context in
which it exists. The ultimate purpose is to provide understanding
necessary for appropriate planning. Major social work tasks
involved in assessment are: information or data gathering,
problem definition based on an agreement between client and
worker.
 Characteristics of Assessment
1. It is ongoing.
2. It focuses on understanding the client.
3. It is a mutual process.
4. There is movement within the assessment process.
5. Both horizontal and vertical explorations are
important.
6. Assessment identifies needs in life situations,
defines problems and
explains their meanings.
7. Assessment is individualized.
8. Judgment is important because decisions must be
made.
9. No assessment is ever complete.
 Information or Data Gathering
1.Primary source of information is the client
2.Secondary source is the significant others in the client’s life
3.Existing data are records and reports from other professionals
4.Worker’s own observation

Initial Contact(s) with Client or Intake

1. Client initiates contact by seeking help in an agency (i.e.
DSWD, NGOs).
2. Client is referred to the worker or agency by some concerned
party.
3. An agency, through the social worker, reaches out to the
(potential) client and offers help.
Intake Process is the initial process by which a potential client
achieves the status of a client and may be accomplished in one
session with the client.

Presenting Problems may be stated as symptoms (anxiety, lack of

motivation), as behavioral configurations (marital discord, poor
school performance, unemployment), or as needs (housing, money).

Problem Definition is the problem or part of the problem that the

client system feels is most important; the problem or part of the
problem that in the worker's judgment is most critical; the problem or
part of the problem that in the worker's judgment can most readily be
helped; and the problem or part of problem that falls within the action
parameters of the helping system.
Partialization is the process of separating from so many problems
identified by the client and/or worker the specific problem or problems
which are to be addressed first.

Prioritizing is considering the most important problem over other

problems.

Deciding for an Outcome must be agreed and is a mutual process.

2. PLANNING is the link between assessment and intervention
that translates the content of assessment into goal statement that
describes the desired results. It is concerned with identifying the
means to reach the goals and allows the worker with the client's
participation, to move from problem definition to problem solution.
The end goal of planning is planned change.

2 Major Tasks in Planning

1. Formulating goals and goals must be specific, feasible,
concrete, and measurable
2. Defining specific actions
3. INTERVENTION is a process needed after the necessary
relevant information pertaining to the client and the problem
have been obtained, these information are organized and
synthesize, and the worker prepares a Case Study. A case
study includes identifying information, background
information, assessment/problem definition, helping goals,
and helping plans. Interventions must be meaningful and
must fit in an overall plan or strategy.
4. EVALUATION is process of making sure all
assessment, planning, and intervention are carefully
carried out or a new plan or intervention is needed.
Awareness of the different stages of the social work
process can assist social workers to prepare for, carry out
and evaluate their interventions to become an accountable
and a reflective practitioner.
 Methods in Social Work
The methods used to practice social work to help people may include the
following:

1. Social Case Work. As a social work service, the objective of case work
is to administer practical services, offer counseling, and apply activities
to involve the client in the use of the service towards the solution of their
problem.
Tools in Case Work may include:

• listening that is done in a purposeful,active, and attentive way

• observation by noticing features about people, things or situations,
and in the context of casework used for understanding the client’s
situation;
• interview is a face to-face conversation and professional activity
geared to specific or general purposes;
• home visit is the social worker's indication of interest for the client’s
welfare; and relationship is a positive condition of being connected in a
significant waymarked by affection.
2. Social Group Work. As a social work service, the group worker
enables various types of grops to function in such a manner that
both group interaction and group activities contribute to the growth
of the individual and the activities contribute to the growth of the
individual and the achievement of desirable social goals.

3. Community Organization is the process of planning and

developing social services to meet the health and welfare needs of
a community or larger unit. It is the process of creating and
maintaining a progressively more effective adjustment between
community resources and community welfare needs through
community or organizational development.
 Roles of Social Worker as Community Organizer
1. Communicator – shares, transfers, or transmits information, thought,
and knowledge to the members of the community to be better prepared
and empowered with information.
2. Enabler – facilitates the process in the community for a change and
create independency among the people by which avoid the dependency
syndrome.
3. Animator – encourages, provides direction and guidelines to proceed
in carrying out the different activities and eliciting the active participation
of the people from planning to evaluation.
4. Guide – guides the members of the community in the process of
community organization and help make the people respond while dealing
with the community problems.
5. Counselor – understands the community and enables the community
to understand the need and difficulty of the individuals or the groups to
proceed in the correct direction.
6. Collaborator – joins hands in performing task with colleagues with
other like-minded people or organizations and needs to create network of
similar and like-minded organizations and efforts for a common cause.
7. Consultant – enjoys the confidence of the people, knowledgeable,
andadvises people in matters of vital interest, and makes oneself
available to the people who are in need.
8. Innovator – innovates, performs, and improves the techniques, content
in the process of community organization to enable people to try new
ways and means to find solutions to the needs and problems.
9. Model – may commands perfection and serves as a source of
inspirationand an example while working with the people in the problem-
solving process, proper planning, and execution of plans.
10. Motivator – stimulates, encourages, and sustains active interest
among the people for reaching a solution to the needs and problems
while takingup a minor task and complete it successfully for a difficult
task.
11. Catalyst – retains identity at the same time enables the people to be
empowered and able to increase the response level of the people,
become independent and expert in responding to needs.
12. Advocate – represents the members of the community and prepares
to be a representative to present the issues to the concerned body to
bring a solution to the unmet needs and gain access to services or
improve the quality of services which may be hampered by other forces.
13. Facilitator – helps the community to articulate needs, clarify and
identify problems, explore resolution strategies, select, and apply
intervention strategies, and develop capacities to deal with their own
problems more effectively.
14. Mediator – creates intervention to settle or resolves disputes
between parties to help find compromises, reconcile differences, or
reach mutually satisfying agreements for better relationships.
15. Educator – conveys and provides correct information to the
community necessary for coping with problem situations, assists the
community in practicing new behaviors or skills, and teaches through
modelling. The community organizer provides information necessary
for decision making.
4. Social Action is an organized group process solving general social
problems and furthering social welfare objectives by legislative, social,
health or economic progress. It refers to organized and legally permitted
activities designed to mobilize public opinion, legislation, and public
administration in favor of objectives believed to be socially desirable.
5. Social Welfare Research is a systematic and critical investigation of
questions in the social welfare field with the purpose of yielding answers to
problems of social work and of extending general social work concept
applying methods in sociology, social psychology, history, and
anthropology.
6. Social Welfare Administration is to organize and to direct a social
agency by doing general administrative relationships among units of the
same organization, personal problems, questions of finance, and others.
FIVE MAJOR THEORIES
USED AS TOOL IN
SOCIAL WORK
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Thank you
Do you have any question ?
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