Human Services, part 2

Allied professions

Related or connected services in areas of human services in health, educational, and community settings.

Caseworker

Traditional notion of the social worker with the sole function of applying the practice of casework.

Direct social work

Involves working directly with people as individuals, in families or households and communities in a direct face-to-face way (e.g., in a counselling role).

Human Services

Meets human needs through problem remediation using interdisciplinary approaches.

Income Security

Income support in the form of demogrants, social insurance, social assistance, and income supplementation that can be unconditional or based on an income or needs tests; it can also be provided through the tax system.

Indirect Social Work

Social work of benefit to those in need, but with organizations that advocate, research, plan, and implement social service and income security programs. Most often those who do indirect social work will be working with government, social service agencies, or advocacy or research groups, and organizations whose purpose is to advocate for and with people in need.

Institutional View

This view of social welfare calls for a publicly funded and organized system of programs and institutions, because the market will not, and cannot, meet the needs and aspirations of all people, the optimal distribution of welfare can only be achieved by such an organized system.

Person-in-the-environment

An approach that goes beyond internal or psychological factors to examine the relationship between individuals and their environment. This is partly what distinguishes social work practice from other helping professions. The environment in question extends beyond the immediate family and includes interactions with friends, neighbourhoods, schools, religious groups, laws and legislation, other agencies or organizations, places of employment, and the economic system.

Private Welfare

Social welfare programs funded by voluntary charitable contributions of individuals and private organizations, by fees people pay for the services they receive, or which are provided by funds spent by corporations to provide social welfare services for their employees.

Problem-Solving Process

Identifies a problem, identifies possible options, evaluates options, followed by implementation, and evaluation.

Public Provision

Supply of resources from public sources.

Public Welfare

The provision of welfare services at the three levels of government: the federal or national government, the provincial and territorial governments, and the regional and municipal governments.

Residual View

This view of social welfare asserts that governments should play only a limited role in the distribution of social welfare. The state should step in only when normal sources of support fail and the individual is unable to help himself or herself. This is in contrast to the institutional view.

Social change/ social justice system mandate

Calls for social workers to work in solidarity with those who are disadvantaged or excluded from society so as to eliminate the barriers, inequities, and injustices that exist in society.

Social Policies

The rules and regulations, laws, and other administrative directives that set the framework for state social welfare activity.

Social Programs

The specific initiatives that implement social policy. A social program outlines the funds to be spent and the purposes for which they will be spent.

Social Safety Net

The network of laws, policies, and programs currently in place around the country through which the Canadian state creates opportunities for individuals experiencing difficulties in their lives and helps them get back on their feet. In countries where the social safety net is weak or non- existent, there is little or no protection of this kind and individuals are often left to fend for themselves.

Social Services

Non-monetary personal or community services, such as daycare, housing, crisis intervention, and support groups, provided by the state and non-profit organizations for community members.

Social welfare

Including both social services and income security, social welfare refers to the way people, communities, and institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum standards and opportunities, and to help people face contingencies.

Social well-being

The meeting of basic human needs for food, shelter, health, and education under conditions of peace.

Structural approach

An approach to practice that focuses on the impact of wider social structures on personal problems and involves critical analysis of socio- economic structures that oppress and exploit people, whether based on class, race, age, gender, ability, or sexuality.

Welfare State

A system whereby the state ostensibly undertakes to protect the health and well-being of its citizens, especially those in financial need.