key social work terms

definitions from Apgar book

aberrant

markedly different from an accepted norm, deviant, atypical or nonconforming

abstinence

practice of not doing something; often used to describe an activity which may be enjoyable such as drinking alcohol or engaging in sexual activity

aberrant

markedly different from an accepted norm, deviant, atypical or nonconforming

abstinence

practice of not doing something; often used to describe an activity which may be enjoyable such as drinking alcohol or engaging in sexual activity

acculturation

process of individuals or groups acquiring or adopting the cultural traits, practices and values of another culture while maintaining their own cultural identity; does not restrict need to change to those in minority

act of commission

engaging in an act of malfeasance when knowing the action or omission is illegal

act of omission

failure to preform a legal duty, social task that is not done despite the need to do so according to established standard of care

active listening

technique that involves listening closely and asking questions as needed to fully understand latent and manifest communication, as well as feeling associated with content of message; critical to client-centered therapy

acuity

sharpness or ability, particularly of the mind, vision or hearing

acute

short or episodic, often characterized by high intensity and unanticipated (sudden onset); not chronic

ad hoc

created or done for a particular needed purpose; occurs temporarily to fulfill a given need

advance directive

written statement of wishes regarding medical treatment to ensure those wishes are honored in the event that they cannot be communicated to doctors; types of advance directives, include, but are not limited to, living wills, medical powers of attorney and do-not-resuscitate order (DNRs)

age of consent

legal age at which a minor can legally engage in a behavior without parental consent, varies by jurisdiction and type of activity; minors are granted right to confidentiality if they are over the age of consent as they are regarded in the same manner as adults.

ageism

stereotyping based on age; form of discrimination

amelioration

aimed at improving or making better; lessoning of symptoms or severity of disease, illness, or disorder; eradicating a social problem

antecedents

things or events that existed before or logically precede others, often identified as maladaptive behaviors

assent

agreement or approval by someone not able to give legal consent due to age or cognitive ability

assimilation

process of individuals or groups adopting the dominant cultural norms, practices and values, often leaning to the loss or suppression of their own cultural identity

atrophy

decreasing in size and function; shrinkage of muscle or nerve tissue; can be caused by aging, inactivity, malnutrition and other injuries, illness and conditions

aversion therapy

behavior therapy designed to make clients give up undesirable habits by causing them to associate these habits with unpleasant effects

bartering

acceptance of services, goods, and other non-monetary payments from clients in return for services; creates the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries in social workers’ relationships with clients, only permissible in very limited cultural contexts

baseline

functioning before the intervention occurs; intervention is often the service or treatment delivered by a social worker

beneficence

to act for the benefit of others; moral obligation of helping professionals to do no harm and act in the best interest of others

benign

not damaging or threatening of life, often used to describe growths that are not cancerous

boundary violation

harmful or potentially harmful deviation from established professional standards dictated by professional relationships; often involves exploitation

capacity building

intervention aimed at enhancing the abilities or resources of an individual, group, organization or community

capitation

payment structure used with insurance companies; provider or facility is paid a fixed amount for each person; risk is taken by entity to deliver services under cost of contract; incentive to provider or facility to promote wellness

catchment area

geographic area which defines who are eligible for a service or benefit if they meet additional admission requirements (if any established)

centralization

consolidation of power or functions w/in an organization, associated with bureaucracy and “top down” approach to operations

chronic

long standing, persisting for a long time or reoccurring; continual

civil disobedience

nonviolent opposition or protest aimed at making governmental change; can include refusing to obey certain laws

client self-monitoring

form of data-gathering in which clients are asked to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, emotions, body feelings, and behaviors, often used in cognitive behavioral therapy

close-ended questioning

soliciting information which requires choice from a limited number of options such as yes/no, used to structure assessment, beneficial when time is limited or specific information required

cognitive dissonance

holding two beliefs, values or attitudes that contradict each other, can cause mental discomfort and psychological stress

cognitive distortions

inaccurate, irrational views of reality which may serve to assist with coping from adverse events, unhealthy thoughts which are often addressed in cognitive behavioral therapy.

cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt)

therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing negative thoughts and behaviors to improve mental health

collateral information

records or documents associated w the clients that are used in the problem-solving process; may be used to corroborate information provided by the client

collective bargaining

the process by which unionized employees and their employers negotiate about working conditions, salaries, benefits, and so forth

community development

focus on enhancing social bonds between and increasing leadership skills of residents, as well as revitalizing local geographic areas

comorbidity

occurring at the same time, such as having a psychological and medical problem simultaneously; often referred to as co-occurring

compassion fatigue

stress resulting from working with those who have experienced trauma; symptoms include apathy, feeling overwhelmed, exhaustion, pessimism, and feelings of powerlessness; sometimes referred to as the “cost of caring”

conflict resolution

informal or formal process that two or more parties use to fund an acceptable solution to a dispute or disagreement

confrontation

therapeutic technique of calling attention to distorted thinking, behavioral patterns, or ineffective communication so that it can be addressed

congruent communication

verbal and nonverbal language and actions provide consistent messages; important for intimacy and emotional connection

conjoint therapy

partners in relationships or members in a family are treated together in joint sessions, instead of being treated separately; also called conjoint counseling

consent

legal permission for something to happen or agreement to do something; cannot be obtained from those not legally authorized to make decisions

consultation

usually time-limited work or guidance provided due to specialized expertise; advice does not have to be followed (non-binding)

continuity of care

ensuring that there are no gaps or duplication in service; often a focus when moving from one provider to another, or being discharged from a hospital or other inpatient setting

continuum of care

range of services geared to address varying levels of need from most to least severe; needed to appropriately address problems as they get better and/or worse

contradiction

reason for a person not to receive a medication, treatment, or intervention as it not appropriate and/or could be harmful

control group

group receives no intervention or treatment; compared to functioning of the experimental group

convalescence

time spent recovering from an illness, injury or other medical conditions; often referred to as “recuperation”

cooptation

strategy for reducing resistance by including opponents in decision making; aims to change viewpoints of those who are oppositional

cost-benefit analysis

examining the costs associated with service delivery in the light of financial benefits from program outcomes

countertransference

emotional reaction of helper which can be used to identify the reaction of others to the one being assisted; based on the helper’s own psychological needs which are revealed through conscious responses; historically seen as a hinderance, but now viewed as helpful to the therapeutic process

court-ordered treatment

assessment, intervention, or service that is mandated by a judge

custodial care

assisting others to meet their basic needs and w activities of daily living; no specialized treatment provided such as health or mental health care focused on rehabilitation

DAP note

popular standardized format to write psychotherapy or progress notes (acronym for data, assessment and plan)

decentralization

location of power and decision-making authority w those who are directly working on the frotnlines instead of those in upper management positions

decompensation

loss of typical functioning; can relate to coherent thought, emotional regulation, activities of daily living, and/or cognitive functioning

deductive reasoning

“top down” approach to understanding whether or not an assumption is true; making an assumption based on widely accepted facts or premises; drawing a conclusion based on reasoning

delirium

disordered thought that can include changes in cognition (disorientation, memory impairment, or language disturbance), hallucinations, restlessness, and misinterpretation of sounds or sights; acute state which develops quickly; can fluctuate over a short period; multiple etiologies, usually temporarily and treatable

delusion

false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary; believing something that is not true

dementia

general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere w daily life; primarily impacts those over the age of 65; likelihood of developing dementia significantly increases w age

descriptive statistics

summary data that provides info about a larger sample or population; mean, median, mode, standard deviation, etc.

desensitization

gradual reduction in adverse reaction to stimuli due to exposure or as a result of behavioral techniques aimed at reducing anxiety or fear

developmental disability

condition occurring before adulthood that results in life-long functional impairment; may be due to genetic or other disorder present at birth or an accident during childhood that causes significant difficulties w cognition, mobility and/or other functional domains

differential diagnosis

process of distinguishing between mental, physical, or other problems that result in similar symptoms or might be causes for behavior

discharge plan

structured plan to ensure follow up, safety and continuity of care after termination, often used when leaving inpatient and/or medical facilities; focused on sustaining any progress made and “next steps”

double blind

contradictory messages or requests in which affirmatively responding to one negates the other; situation in which any choice results in unpleasant outcome

dual relationship

having another association w a client, such as friend, family member, intimate partner, coworker and so forth; should be avoided due to boundary violations

duty to warn

obligation of mental health professionals to inform others of dangerous client behavior; exception to confidentiality to prevent injury to others

dysphoria

general sense of dissatisfaction

ecological perspective

focuses on the interrelationship between individuals and their environment; emphasis on the interactions between people and the larger contexts in which they exist

ego dystonic

thoughts, impulses, or wishes that are repugnant or unacceptable to one’s sense of self; sometimes referred to as “ego alien”

ego strength

ability to effectively cope w stressors and challenges, maintain a sense of self, and make adaptive decisions

ego systonic

thoughts, impulses, or wishes that are acceptable to one’s sense of self as they are compatible w one’s views and ways of thinking

encopresis

passage of feces which is involuntary; may be due to emotional or psychological problems; often treated w behavioral intervention; medical causes should be ruled out

endogenous depression

depression that cannot be linked to an external psychological stressor, so it is assumed to be caused by a biological or genetic factor

enmeshed family

members have little to no autonomy or personal boundaries

entitlement

feeling that special consideration is deserved; right or benefit of a person or group; benefit program for which one has the legal right to receive

entropy

degree of chaos, randomness, disorganization and disorder in a system or family

enuresis

urination that is involuntary; may be caused by medical problems, which should first be ruled out, or psychological distress

equilibrium

state of balance or stability

equity

approach to resource allocation in which individuals receive their fair share of the goods and services in society; distinct from equality which provides each resources to all as equity sometimes required treating people differently from others to compensate to lack of opportunities

ethical dilemma

situation in which two ethical values or standards conflict with one another

ethnocentrism

judging one’s own social, cultural, or racial group as superior to others; tendency to view and/or judge others’ ethnicity in light of one’s own

etiology

cause of a behavior, disorder, or disease; root of the problem

exogenous depression

caused by distressing even or situation; also called “reactive depression”

exploitation

taking unfair advantage of people, situations, and so forth for personal benefit

external locus of control

belief that outcomes are not under one’s control, but rather due to environmental factors, luck, chance, or randomness

external validity

extent to which results are generalizable

extinction

fading and disappearance of behavior that was previously learned by association with another event; behavior eventually becomes extinct if reward no longer follows the behavior

extrinsic reward

positive consequences for behavior or action that is not natural

face validity

accepting the accuracy of a report, instrument, or document based on whether it appears to represent a construct or constructs

false negative

inaccurate test results indicating negative feelings (or absence of a condition) when are are really positive (condition is present)

false positive

inaccurate test results indicating positive feelings (or presence of a condition) when are are really negative (condition is absent)

feasibility study

assessment to determine whether goals, objectives, or plans are achievable given available resources

fee splitting

receiving compensation for referrals made to other professionals; unethical in social work practice

fee-for-service

payment method for services, in which providers set their own fees, that are paid in part or full by recipients and/or insurance companies

flooding

behavioral technique in which stimuli that cause anxiety are presented with regularity and intensity so that they no longer produce the adverse response

formative evaluation

gathering and analyzing feedback during the development or implementation of a program, project or product; often used to help improve processes