Social Work Module 3

Social Work

Professional activity of helping individuals (micro), groups (mezzo), and communities (macro) to enhance or restore their capacity for social function and to create societal conditions favorable to their goals.

Social Welfare

Is a national system of programs, benefits, and services to help people meet those social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society.

What are the three categories of relief recipients of the Elizabethan Poor Laws?

1. Able-bodied poor

2. Impotent poor

3. Dependent children

Able-bodied poor

No apparent reason for circumstance, given low-grade employment, citizens prohibited from offering financial help, those who refused work were put in stocks or jail.

Impotent poor

People who were unable to work ie. elderly, blind and deaf, mothers with young children, widows, physical or mental disability. Usually housed in an “Almshouse”

Dependent Children

Children whose parents were unable to support - they were apprenticed out. Boys were taught the trade of their master and served until they were 24 years old. Girls were domestic servants until 21 or married.

Residual social welfare

Gap-filling or first-aid role, social welfare should be provided only when individual needs are not met by family and other social institutions. Services are short-term characterized as “charity for the unfortunates”

Institutional social welfare

Viewed as accepted, legitimate function to help individuals achieve self-fulfillment. No stigma attached. Recipients are entitled to help.

Generalist social work

Work with individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations in a variety of social work and host settings.

Family

An interacting, interdependent system of individual members (who may or may not be biologically related).

In-home services

Usually preventative in nature, not all are offered literally within the home itself, they are specifically designed to help families stay together.

Out-of-home services

Services that must be operationalized when the family can no longer remain in the same home.

Group

Two or more individuals in face-to-face interaction, each aware of his or her membership in the group, each aware of the others who belong to the group and each aware of their positive interdependence as they strive to achieve mutual goals.

Social conversation groups

Conversation in these groups is often loose and tends to drift aimlessly. No formal agenda. If one topic is not interesting to the group, the subject is likely to change.

Recreation groups

Objective of these groups is to provide activities for enjoyment and exercise. Usually leaderless.

Recreation-skill groups

Objective is to improve a set of skills while at the same time providing enjoyment. An adviser, coach, recreational therapist, or instructor is generally present, and there is more of a task orientation.

Education groups

Focus of such groups is for members to acquire knowledge and learn more complex skills. The leader generally is a professional with considerable training and expertise in the topic area.

Task groups

Exist to achieve a specific set of tasks or objectives.

Problem-solving and decision-making groups

Both providers and consumers of social services may become involved in these groups. There is considerable overlap between these. Useful in creating a treatment plan for a client or group of clients.

Focus groups

Formed for a variety of purposes, identify needs or issues, generate proposals to resolved identified issues, etc.

Self-Help groups

Very popular, voluntary, small group structures for mutual aid, and the accomplishment of a special purpose. Usually formed by peers who have come together for mutual assistance in satisfying a common need.

Therapy groups

Generally composed of members with emotional or personal problems. Leaders must be highly skilled (Masters in social work is preferred) and they need to be perceptive to behavior.