Generalist Social Work Practice

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions from the lecture on social work practice.

Generalist Social Work Practice

A flexible, holistic approach that applies multiple skills and theories to work with individuals, families, groups, and communities while focusing on person-in-environment and problem-solving.

Roles of Social Workers

Includes providing emotional support, teaching skills, connecting resources, resolving conflicts, and advocating for client rights, often performing several functions at once.

Protestant Work Ethic

Belief that hard work leads to moral worth and success, shaping policies that emphasize personal responsibility and limit assistance.

Elizabethan Poor Laws

Early system that categorized those in need into groups based on perceived deservingness and provided local, tax-supported assistance.

Medical Model (Social Work)

Focuses on internal causes of problems, emphasizing diagnosis and treatment of the individual.

Systems/Ecological Model

Views challenges as the result of interactions between individuals and their environments, including family, community, and larger systems.

Micro Practice

Work focused on helping individuals directly, often through counseling or one-on-one support.

Mezzo Practice

Work with small groups such as families or community groups to address shared concerns.

Macro Practice

Efforts aimed at large-scale change through policy development, advocacy, and community organizing.

Goals of Social Work

Enhancing well-being, meeting basic needs, promoting justice, and supporting vulnerable populations.

Strengths Perspective

Focuses on abilities, resources, and resilience rather than deficits or problems.

Empowerment

Process of helping individuals gain control, confidence, and influence over their lives.

Settlement House Movement

A reform effort where workers lived in underserved communities to provide services and improve social conditions.

Institutional Welfare

Provides ongoing, universal support as a normal function of society.

Residual Welfare

Offers temporary assistance only when individuals cannot meet needs through other means.

Poverty Threshold

An income-based measure used to determine who qualifies for assistance, though it does not fully reflect actual living costs.

Culture of Poverty Theory

Suggests that patterns of behavior and values contribute to ongoing economic hardship; often criticized for blaming individuals instead of systems.

Institutional Oppression/Discrimination

Inequality embedded in policies, laws, and structures that systematically disadvantage certain groups.

Strategies for Social & Economic Justice

Includes advocacy, policy reform, community organizing, and culturally responsive practices to address inequality.

Prejudice

Negative attitudes or beliefs about a group.

Discrimination

Actions or behaviors that treat people unfairly based on group membership.

Oppression

Widespread, systemic inequality maintained by social institutions and power structures.

Power and Control Wheel

A framework showing different tactics used to maintain control in abusive relationships.

Cycle of Violence

A repeating pattern involving tension building, harmful incident, and reconciliation.

Child Neglect

Failure to provide basic needs such as food, shelter, supervision, or medical care.

Child Physical Abuse

Intentional use of physical force that results in injury or harm.

Systems Approach to Family Well-being

Examines relationships, roles, and interactions within a household and how external factors influence functioning.

Stigma (Mental Health)

Negative beliefs and attitudes that operate at individual, community, and societal levels, affecting self-image and access to care.

Medical Model (Mental Health)

Focuses on biological causes and treatment of mental conditions.

Interactional Model (Mental Health)

Emphasizes the role of social interactions and environment in shaping mental health.

Social Workers & Law Enforcement Collaboration

Can improve crisis response and safety but may also create risks such as mistrust or over-criminalization.

Treatment Approaches (Corrections)

Focus on rehabilitation, support, and reducing future offending.

Punitive Approaches (Corrections)

Emphasize punishment, control, and deterrence.

Sociological Theories of Crime

Explain behavior through factors like social pressure, learned behavior, weakened social bonds, and the impact of labeling.