UNIT III: SOCIAL WORK

LESSON 4:
SETTINGS, PROCESSES,
METHODS, AND TOOLS IN
SOCIAL WORK
 LEARING OUTCOMES:

The learners are expected to:

Demonstrate understanding about settings, processes,
methods, and tools in social work; and
Illustrate the different processes and methods involved in
undertaking social work.
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK

1. IN HOSPITALS:
…where social workers work
with patients and their families
to address issues such as
housing and welfare
entitlements, and grief and loss.
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK

2. IN COMMUNITY
PROJECTS
…where social workers
work with people to
address issues of
common concern
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK
3. IN THE PROBATION AND
WELFARE SERVICE
…where their role can include
providing reports to the court
and supporting offenders
through counseling, advocacy,
and referral to other support
services
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK
4. IN FAMILY
SUPPORT
…working with children and
their families in different
settings including family
centers and child welfare and
protection services
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK
5. IN MENTAL
HEALTH CARE
SETTINGS
…working with service-users
and their families of mentally-
challenged individuals
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK

6. IN DISABILITY
SERVICES
…workingto
support the needs of
disabled people
 SETTINGS OF SOCIAL WORK

7. IN FOSTERING AND
ADOPTION
…providing support
to children in the
care of DSWD
 PROCESSES OF SOCIAL WORK
 The social work process comprises a sequence of actions or tasks
that draw on all of the components of practice discussed so far.
 Although its process is presented sequentially, it rarely follows a
clear linear route and is more often a fluid, circular cycle
whereby workers move from assessment through to
implementation and evaluation and back to assessment again.
 PROCESSES OF SOCIAL WORK
 Despite this fluidity, some parts of the process, such as
assessment, have clearly defined procedures guided by local or
national policy.
 Some tasks may be fairly short and discrete, but many are longer
term and more complex, such as assessments. You will also find
that tasks often overlap and are revisited over a period of
involvement with a service user.
The tasks or stages of the social work process are shown
in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1: The Social Work Process

 SOCIAL WORK PROCESS
 Developing an understanding and awareness of the social work process is one
of the prerequisites for becoming a ‘reflective’ practitioner. 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 particular tasks and to be able to justify their methods of working.
Interventions should be meaningful and fit within an overall plan or strategy.
 Awareness of the different stages of the social work process can assist social
workers to prepare for, carry out and evaluate their interventions in order to
both be accountable for, and reflect upon, their actions.
 METHODS OF SOCIAL
WORK
 Social work method is a comprehensive process. Generally
social work method means the scientific process that is applied
for the welfare of the society.
 So, social work method is the orderly application of social work
knowledge, philosophy, ethics and values for solving social
problems and overall welfare of the society. Through this social
workers can apply their professional knowledge.
 METHODS OF SOCIAL
WORK
 The six methods that are applied in social work are the following:
 1. Social Case Work
 2. Social Group Work
 3. Community Organization and Community Development
 4. Social Welfare Administration
 5. Social Action
 6. Social Work Research
 SOCIAL CASE WORK
 Characteristics:
1.It is a helping method.
2. It is based on scientific
knowledge, mutual
understanding and special
skills and techniques.
3.It is a scientific way of
solving problems.
4.It helps in the development
of talents and resources
mobilization.
5.It considers individuals and
the environment.
6.It has an individual identify.
 PRINCIPLES
 The principles of social Determination
casework are:  5.Principles of Confidentiality
 1.Principles of Acceptance  6.Principles
of
 2.Principles of Communication Individualization
 3.Principles of Participation  7.Principles of Self-awareness
 4.Principles of Self-
 TOOLS
OF SOCIAL
WORKERS
 1. CODE OF ETHICS

 The principles of social Determination

casework are:  5.Principles of Confidentiality
 1.Principles of Acceptance  6.Principles
of
 2.Principles of Communication Individualization
 3.Principles of Participation  7.Principles of Self-awareness
 4.Principles of Self-
 2. PROFESSIONALISM

Promote the profession by being a

consummate expert in the field.
Be a respectful and responsible social
worker, someone others can rely on.
 3. PROFESSIONAL
NETWORK
Many people who progress the most in their
careers over time were able to do so by being
well connected professionally in mutually
beneficial ways.
In other words, they maintain their networks.
 4. CONTINUING EDUCATION AND
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Regardless of licensure status, social workers

should never stop learning, growing, and
becoming more knowledgeable about their
profession, their client populations, and laws
and standards that affect their practice.
 5.
LICENSURE/CREDENTIALS/CERTIFICATIO
NS

Becoming licensed in the country a social worker works

is essential. Every state is different and has a different
set of licenses and licensure laws that can be hard to
navigate.
Credentials or certificates are likewise significant. A
certificate will make one a more knowledgeable
professional and more marketable.
 6. SUPERVISION
 Supervision is an essential and integral part of the training
and continuing education required for the skillful
development of professional social workers.
 Regardless of the licensure status or area of practice, seeking
and receiving good supervision is an incredibly important
tool in a social worker’s arsenal of resources to enable him
to become a competent professional social worker.