SOWK 370 Social Welfare Policy Midterm Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical milestones, policy frameworks, and practice concepts for the SOWK 370 Social Welfare Policy midterm examination.

Social welfare program

A program that puts social welfare policy into action by providing benefits or services, such as food assistance or health coverage, that help people meet their needs.

Policy

A rule that guides decisions, behavior, and the operation of an organization or government by stating what is expected or required.

Procedure

The specific steps used to carry out a policy; while policy dictates what must happen, procedure dictates how it happens.

Medicare

Federal health insurance designed primarily for people age 65 or older and certain younger individuals with disabilities or qualifying conditions, not primarily determined by low income.

Medicaid

A joint federal and state program providing health coverage to eligible individuals with limited income and resources, with eligibility and benefits varying by state.

Private sector

For-profit organizations that provide services while pursuing a profit, which may be distributed to owners or shareholders.

Public sector

Government agencies and programs that provide services under statutory laws and government regulations, primarily funded by public tax dollars.

Nonprofit organization

An organization established to deliver services in support of its mission rather than distributing profit to owners, reinvesting any surplus revenue directly into its work.

NASW

National Association of Social Workers; a professional organization formed in 1955 by the merger of seven groups that supports social workers, promotes ethical practice, and advocates for the profession.

CSWE

Council on Social Work Education; an organization formed in 1952 that establishes educational standards and accredits social work education programs.

Begging

The act of asking others for money, food, or assistance due to unmet basic needs, historically evaluated based on whether the petitioner was deemed deserving or able to work.

Social work

A profession dedicated to helping individuals, groups, and communities enhance or restore their social functioning, obtain vital resources, and improve broader social conditions.

Economic Opportunity Act of 1964

A central piece of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty that supported job training, education, and community action initiatives to alleviate poverty.

PPO

Preferred Provider Organization; a managed care health plan utilizing a provider network offering agreed-upon rates that permits out-of-network care at an increased cost to the member.

HMO

Health Maintenance Organization; a health plan relying on a specific provider network and a primary care provider to coordinate care and referrals, usually with lower premiums and fewer provider choices.

Social work practice

The professional application of social work values, principles, knowledge, and skills to assist people via service linkages, counseling, community development, and policy advocacy.

Five themes in social work practice

The foundational areas of practice consisting of Helping, Values and principles, Knowledge and skill base, Services, and Legislative process.

English Poor Law of 1601

A foundational statute that established local tax-funded relief and created the formal distinction between the 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor.

Charity organization movement

An early root of the social work profession that emphasized organized relief, thorough investigation of individual circumstances, coordinated aid, and personal responsibility.

Settlement house movement

A historical root of social work that focused on challenging environmental living and working conditions by providing neighborhood-based services, education, and social reform advocacy.

Social Security Act of 1935

Federal legislation enacted in 1935 that fundamentally expanded the federal government's responsibility for individual and family economic security.

Culture of poverty

A controversial cultural theory proposing that learned intergenerational behaviors and expectations perpetuate poverty, often critiqued for blaming individuals while overlooking systemic barriers.

Residual perspective

A framework viewing social welfare as an emergency safety net supplied only after personal resources fail, often associated with a negative view that faults individuals for needing aid.

Institutional perspective

A framework viewing social welfare as an ongoing, standard societal function that supports all citizens because needing assistance is considered a normal aspect of life.

Two dimensions of social welfare

The core components of social welfare: what people receive (programs, benefits, and services) and how effectively their social, economic, educational, and health needs are fulfilled.

Third-party payment

A reimbursement mechanism where an entity other than the client or provider, such as an insurance carrier, pays for received services.

Per diem payment

A flat reimbursement rate calculated and paid on a per-day basis for services rendered.

Micro social work

Direct social work practice that assists individual clients and families through clinical services, counseling, and case management.

Macro social work

Indirect social work practice that targets organizations, communities, and policies to achieve broad-scale improvements for large population groups.

Managed care

An administrative healthcare framework designed to balance quality of care with cost control via network management, fee negotiation, and treatment authorization.

Poverty

A condition characterized by having insufficient economic resources to acquire the goods and standards considered necessary and desirable within a given society.

Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

Federal income thresholds used for assistance eligibility, historically derived by calculating the cost of an economy food diet multiplied by three and adjusted for household size.

Ageism

Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination directed against individuals purely on the basis of chronological age.

Gerontology

The scientific study of aging, older adults, and the biological, psychological, and social processes associated with later life.

Long-term care

A continuum of health, personal, and social support services provided over extended durations to people who cannot independently carry out daily living activities.

Assisted living

A housing arrangement that provides supportive assistance with daily personal routines, medication management, and meals without intensive skilled nursing care.

Hospice

Compassionate palliative care and supportive services focused on comfort and quality of life for terminally ill individuals and their families at the end of life.

Discharge planning

The systematic coordination of resources, housing, medical equipment, transportation, and follow-up care to ensure a safe transition out of a clinical care facility.