Comprehensive Social Work Practice and Human Behavior Theories

Unifying mission of social work

To enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to those who are vulnerable, oppressed, or living in poverty.

Person-in-environment (PIE) perspective

Emphasizes understanding individuals within the context of their environments, recognizing that behavior and experiences are shaped by interactions with various systems.

Enhancing Well-Being

Supporting individuals in achieving a better quality of life through personal and social development.

Social Justice

Advocating for the rights of marginalized and oppressed populations to ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities.

Empowerment

Enabling clients to gain control over their lives and make informed decisions.

Preventing and Addressing Social Problems

Identifying and intervening in social issues that affect individuals and communities, aiming for sustainable solutions.

Generalist social work

Involves a broad range of practices and skills that address the needs of clients across various systems.

Empowerment in social work

Refers to the process of helping clients gain control over their lives, make informed choices, and develop their capacities to advocate for themselves.

Ways social workers facilitate empowerment

Providing education and resources, encouraging self-advocacy and decision-making, and supporting clients in identifying and utilizing their strengths.

Advocacy

Representing clients' needs and rights to ensure they receive appropriate resources and support.

Intervention

Implementing strategies and programs to improve individual and community well-being.

Collaboration

Working with other professionals, organizations, and stakeholders to create comprehensive support networks.

Micro level of intervention

Focuses on individuals and families, with interventions that may include counseling, therapy, and direct support.

Mezzo level of intervention

Involves groups and communities, including facilitating group therapy, community organizing, and program development.

Macro level of intervention

Targets larger systems and policies, including advocacy for policy changes, social justice initiatives, and systemic reforms.

Phases of the planned change process

Engagement, Assessment, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, Termination.

Sanction

A penalty or reward that enforces compliance with rules, laws, or ethical standards.

Relationship between personal & professional values

Complex; personal values are shaped by life experiences, while professional values are shaped by ethical standards.

Service

Commitment to helping others and addressing their needs.

Social Justice (core value)

Promoting fairness and challenging social injustices and inequalities.

Dignity and Worth of the Person

Respecting each individual's inherent value and treating them with dignity.

Importance of Human Relationships

Recognizing the central role of relationships in fostering well-being and growth.

Integrity

Upholding honesty and ethical standards in all professional interactions.

Competence

Continuously developing professional skills and knowledge to provide effective services.

Individualization

Recognizing and respecting the unique circumstances, experiences, and needs of each client.

Role of the Code of Ethics

Provides guidelines for professional conduct and decision-making in resolving ethical dilemmas.

Broker role in social work

Connects clients to resources and services in the community.

Advocate role in social work

Promotes and protects clients' rights and interests.

Case Manager role in social work

Coordinates and oversees a client's care plan, ensuring all aspects of their needs are met.

Counselor

Counselors provide direct therapeutic support to clients, helping them navigate emotional and psychological challenges.

Mediator

Mediators facilitate communication and resolution between parties in conflict.

Educator

Educators provide information and training to clients, communities, or other professionals.

Researcher

Researchers gather and analyze data to inform practice and policy.

Community Organizer

Community organizers work to mobilize individuals and groups to advocate for social change.

Policy Analyst

Policy analysts assess and develop policies affecting social services and welfare systems.

Supervisor

Supervisors oversee social work staff and programs, providing guidance, support, and evaluation.

Group Work

Group Work is a social work practice method that involves a social worker facilitating a group of individuals to achieve shared goals.

Beginning Stage of Group Development

Characteristics: Group members get to know each other, establish trust, and clarify the group's purpose and goals.

Middle Stage of Group Development

Characteristics: The group delves deeper into issues, with members actively engaging in discussions.

End Stage of Group Development

Characteristics: The group reflects on accomplishments, evaluates experiences, and discusses feelings about the group's closure.

Task Group

Focuses on achieving specific objectives or completing tasks.

Support Group

Primarily aimed at providing emotional support and fostering shared experiences among members.

Permeable Boundaries

These allow for a free flow of information and interaction between family members and the outside world.

Semi-Permeable Boundaries

These strike a balance, allowing some interaction and openness while maintaining a degree of protection and privacy.

Boundaries

Boundaries are the defining lines that determine what is included or excluded within a system.

Network

A network refers to the interconnected relationships and resources within a system.

Feedback

Feedback is the process by which a system receives information about its performance or behavior.

Equilibrium/Homeostasis/Steady State

These terms refer to the state of balance or stability within a system.

Negative Entropy

Negative entropy is the process by which a system maintains order and organization by utilizing energy and resources.

Interdependence

Interdependence refers to the mutual reliance between different components within an ecological system.

Transactions

Transactions are the interactions between individuals and their environments that result in exchanges of resources.

Oral Stage

Focus: Pleasure centers on the mouth (sucking, biting).

Anal Stage

Pleasure centers on bowel and bladder control. Key Conflict: Toilet training; issues can lead to anal-retentive (orderly) or anal-expulsive (messy) personality traits.

Phallic Stage

Pleasure centers on the genitals; coping with incestuous feelings. Key Conflict: Oedipus/Electra complex; fixation can result in sexual dysfunction or identity issues.

Latency Stage

Dormant sexual feelings; emphasis on social skills and relationships. Key Conflict: Development of communication and social skills; typically, no major conflicts.

Genital Stage

Maturation of sexual interests. Key Conflict: Establishing intimate relationships; success leads to well-balanced, warm relationships.

Trust vs. Mistrust

0-1 year. Key Task: Developing trust when caregivers provide reliability, care, and affection.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

1-3 years. Key Task: Developing a sense of personal control over physical skills and independence.

Initiative vs. Guilt

3-6 years. Key Task: Asserting control and power over the environment; success leads to initiative, failure results in guilt.

Industry vs. Inferiority

6-12 years. Key Task: Coping with new social and academic demands; success leads to a sense of competence.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

12-18 years. Key Task: Developing a sense of self and personal identity; success leads to a strong sense of self.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Young adulthood. Key Task: Forming intimate, loving relationships; success leads to strong relationships.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Middle adulthood. Key Task: Contributing to society and helping to guide the next generation; success leads to feelings of usefulness.

Integrity vs. Despair

Late adulthood. Key Task: Reflecting on life and feeling a sense of fulfillment; success leads to feelings of wisdom.

Sensorimotor Stage

0-2 years. Focus: Learning through sensory experiences and manipulating objects. Key Achievement: Object permanence.

Preoperational Stage

2-7 years. Focus: Development of language and symbolic thinking; egocentrism. Key Achievement: Intuitive thought, but logical reasoning is not yet developed.

Concrete Operational Stage

7-11 years. Focus: Logical thinking about concrete objects; understanding conservation. Key Achievement: Mastery of operations with tangible objects.

Formal Operational Stage

12 years and up. Focus: Abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning. Key Achievement: Problem-solving with abstract concepts and logical thought processes.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious psychological strategies used to cope with anxiety, conflict, and stress by protecting the individual's ego from negative emotions.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or motives to another person. For example, someone who is angry may accuse others of being hostile.

Id

The primal, instinctual part of the mind that contains basic drives and desires. It operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification without consideration for reality or consequences.

Ego

The rational part of the psyche that mediates between the id and the external world. It operates on the reality principle, seeking realistic ways to satisfy the id's desires while considering social norms and constraints.

Super Ego

The moral component of the psyche that internalizes societal and parental standards of right and wrong. It aims for perfection and judges actions, leading to feelings of pride or guilt.

Systems Theory

Views individuals as part of larger interconnected systems, such as families, communities, or organizations. It emphasizes the relationships and interactions between components of the system.

Conflict Perspective

Views social life as a competition for limited resources, emphasizing power dynamics and inequalities within society. It focuses on how social structures create conflict and how this conflict can lead to social change.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A psychological theory that categorizes human needs into a five-tier pyramid, where lower-level needs must be satisfied before individuals can address higher-level needs.

Classical Conditioning Theory

A learning theory proposed by Ivan Pavlov, which suggests that behavior is learned through the association of a conditioned stimulus (CS) with an unconditioned stimulus (US).

Operant conditioning theory

A theory in the social behavioral perspective that sees behavior as the result of reinforcement.

Stage 1: Intuitive-Projective Faith

Faith is shaped by imagination and the influence of caregivers. Children see faith as a collection of stories and symbols.

Stage 2: Mythic-Literal Faith

Individuals begin to take stories literally and interpret them as truth, understanding faith in a more concrete manner.

Stage 3: Synthetic-Conventional Faith

Faith becomes more personal but still largely shaped by community and tradition, with individuals often conforming to the beliefs of their social group.

Stage 4: Individuative-Reflective Faith

Individuals begin to critically evaluate their beliefs and may question previously accepted truths, emphasizing personal responsibility in faith.

Stage 5: Conjunctive Faith

Individuals acknowledge the complexity of faith and embrace paradoxes, seeking to integrate various perspectives and understandings.

Stage 6: Universalizing Faith

Individuals embody a deep commitment to justice and love, transcending specific religious beliefs and engaging in activism.

Religion

A structured system of beliefs, practices, and values often centered around a higher power or deity, involving communal practices and rituals.

Spirituality

A broader, more personal exploration of meaning, purpose, and connection, which may or may not involve religious beliefs.

Prejudice

Internal attitudes or beliefs.

Racism

Prejudice based on race, with both individual and systemic manifestations.

Classism

Discrimination based on social class or economic status.

Sexism

Discrimination based on gender.

Individual Discrimination

Personal, direct actions against individuals.

Institutional Discrimination

Practices and policies within organizations that lead to unequal treatment.

Structural Discrimination

Broad societal systems that perpetuate inequality across multiple domains.

Cultural pluralism

The coexistence of multiple distinct cultures within a society, where each culture retains its unique identity.

Homophobia

The irrational fear, prejudice, or discrimination against individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

Cultural gender norms

Societal expectations and beliefs about how individuals should behave based on their perceived gender.

Curative Approach to Poverty

Focuses on addressing the root causes of poverty through direct interventions, such as education and job training.

Deinstitutionalization

The process of closing large psychiatric hospitals and transferring care to community-based settings.

In-Kind Benefits

Non-cash goods or services provided to individuals or families, such as food stamps and housing assistance.

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

A federal assistance program that provides financial support and services to low-income families with children.