ROLES and FUNCTIONS

of SOCIAL WORK
For Individuals and Families
 Their role is that of an enabler – helping
people find solutions
 They are broker or advocates in case
management, and they are teachers in
terms of information processing.
For Formal Groups and Organization

 Their role is that of a facilitator – in aid

of organizational development.
 They are convener or mediator in aid of creating
networks, and they are trainer for professional
development.
For Community and Society

 Their role is that of a planner –

facilitating research and planning.
 They are activist in aid of social action, and
they, and they conduct outreach in aid of
community education.
Within the Social Work Profession

 Their role is that of a colleague and a

monitor.
 They are catalysts for community service, and
they are researcher-scholars in aid of knowledge
development and capacity building.
Today, the roles of Social Workers are
group into three:
 Case Management
 Direct Practice
 Advocacy and Policy Building
FUNCTIONS of SOCIAL
WORK
Main Professional Activities performed by
Social Workers
 Counsel with individuals, facilitate groups, work
with families, refine agency procedures, initiate
new programs, lobby for legislative changes,
organize community action, educate the public,
conduct needs assessments, and evaluate practice
and programs at various system levels and targets
of change or social transformation.
 Enhance social functioning of individuals,
families, groups, organizations, and communities.
 Link clients systems with needed resources.
 Improve the operations of the social service
delivery network
 Promote social justice through development of
social policy.
Dubois and Miley (2008) provide a typology to
these by grouping them into:

 Consultancy - refers to the professional

activities through which social workers and
their clients plan, initiate and pursue
actions toward desired change.
Dubois and Miley (2008) provide a typology to
these by grouping them into:

 Resource Management - refers to the act

of coordinating, systematizing, and
integrating resources and services needed
to support social functioning, meeting
needs and resolving problems.
Dubois and Miley (2008) provide a typology to
these by grouping them into:

 Education - refers to the provision of

knowledge and critical information
necessary for empowerment practice that
facilitates informed decision-making,
increased abilities, and gain access to
opportunities and resources for client.
COMPETENCIES of
SOCIAL WORK
Social Work requires the following abilities and
skills (Dubois and Miley 2008):
 Think critically
 Build and sustain relationships
 Execute empowering processes
 Use practical methods
 Analyze policies
 Communication effectively
 Strong cultural and intercultural competence
Social Work requires the following abilities and
skills (Dubois and Miley 2008):

 Good computer literacy

 Conduct research
 Do social planning
 Perform crisis intervention
 Sound time management
On the other hand, Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner (2005)
suggest that social workers should be capable of:

 Handle case management with various clients and

population groups.
 Perform direct practice depending on the needs of
the client and the environment in which the social
worker operate
 conduct mediations among parties especially
where one party is socially disadvantaged.
 Make referrals to appropriate agencies and
service sectors needed by client.
 In gerontological context, perform program
planning and administration in numerous settings.
 In mental health setting, function as case
managers, advocates, administrators, therapist,
and use research as basis for problem-solving and
choice of intervention in empirically based
practice.
 In school system, analyze the transactions
between students, teachers, parents, and school
systems.
 In the judicial system, make the system more
fair and beneficial to convicted criminals and
their victim.
 Pursue social change on behalf of vulnerable
and oppressed individuals, eliminating
economic inequality and poverty.
 In school system, analyze the transactions
between students, teachers, parents, and school
systems.
 In the judicial system, make the system more
fair and beneficial to convicted criminals and
their victim.
 Pursue social change on behalf of vulnerable
and oppressed individuals, eliminating
economic inequality and poverty.
Areas of Specialization of Social Work

 Family and Child Welfare

 Health
 Mental Health
 Corrections
 Schools