Social Work Study Guide
Ethnocentrism: Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture, ethnic group, or nation is superior to others, and it often involves judging other cultures by the standards of one's own.
Six Core Values of Social Work:
Service: Commitment to helping individuals in need.
Social Justice: Advocacy for equity and fairness in society.
Dignity and Worth: Respect for individuals' intrinsic worth.
Importance of Human Relationships: Emphasizing connections as central to effective social work.
Integrity: Acting in a trustworthy manner.
Competence: Continuously developing skills and knowledge in practice.
Basic Needs Social Workers Try to Secure for Clients:
Food
Water
Shelter
Emotional support
Economic support
Social support
Hoefer’s Four Key Aspects of Social Justice: The note does not explicitly define Hoefer's specific aspects of social justice. Generally, social justice encompasses principles such as:
Equitable distribution of resources: Ensuring fair access to goods, services, and opportunities.
Participation: Empowering individuals and communities to have a voice in decisions that affect them.
Human rights: Upholding the fundamental rights of all people.
Recognition and respect for diversity: Valuing and affirming the different identities and experiences within a society.
Conservatives vs. Liberals Views on the Family:
Conservatives: Typically emphasize the traditional nuclear family structure with clear gender roles, often valuing self-sufficiency and moral responsibility. They may advocate for policies that support this structure and parental authority, with less emphasis on government intervention in family matters.
Liberals: Tend to have a broader definition of family, recognizing diverse structures (e.g., single-parent, blended, same-sex). They often advocate for government support programs (e.g., childcare, paid leave) to help all types of families thrive and promote gender equality.
Eligibility Criteria for Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans (WIC): The note does not explicitly detail the criteria for a program named "Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans." Assuming this refers to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC):
Categorical Eligibility: Pregnant women, breastfeeding women (up to one year postpartum), non-breastfeeding postpartum women (up to six months postpartum), and infants and children up to their fifth birthday.
Residential Eligibility: Must live in the state where they apply.
Income Eligibility: Must meet specific income guidelines, typically at or below 185\% of the federal poverty level. People already receiving SNAP, Medicaid, or TANF automatically meet the income requirements.
Nutritional Risk: Must be determined by a health professional to be at nutritional risk.
Advocacy Definition and Examples:
Definition: Actions directed towards helping individuals advance their rights while fostering legislative and systemic change; promoting social justice is central to this function.
Examples:
Case Advocacy: A social worker helping an individual navigate the healthcare system to receive necessary treatment or securing housing for a homeless family.
Cause Advocacy: A social worker lobbying for a bill to increase funding for mental health services or organizing a community campaign to address systemic discrimination.
How Social Workers Learn About People Experiencing Poverty:
Social workers learn about people experiencing poverty through:
Direct Engagement: Building rapport and conducting thorough assessments that involve active listening to clients' lived experiences, circumstances, and challenges.
Client Narratives: Understanding the personal stories, financial histories, and daily struggles shared by individuals and families.
Observation: Observing clients' living conditions and the broader community context.
Community-level Data: Utilizing statistical data, research, and reports on poverty rates, housing availability, food insecurity, and economic disparities in specific geographical areas.
Advocacy and Policy Work: Gaining insight through participation in advocacy efforts and policy development aimed at poverty reduction.
Definition of Intersectionality: Intersectionality is the concept that identities such as race, gender, and class create overlapping systems of privilege and discrimination.
Social Insurance and Its Intentions:
Definition: Social insurance refers to government programs that provide protection against economic risks and insecurities through mandatory contributions (e.g., taxes). Key examples include unemployment insurance and Social Security.
Intentions:
To provide a safety net for workers and their families in predictable life events such as retirement, disability, or unemployment.
To ensure collective responsibility and shared risk, contributing to societal stability.
To protect individuals from poverty and economic hardship that could result from factors beyond their control.
Skills Important for Social Workers in Crisis Situations:
Essential skills include:
Rapid Assessment: Quickly evaluating the immediate needs and risks of the client.
Active Listening and Empathy: Providing a non-judgmental space and understanding the client's emotional state.
De-escalation: Calming heightened emotions and stressful situations.
Problem-Solving: Collaborating with clients to identify immediate, actionable solutions.
Resource Connection: Quickly linking clients to emergency services, shelters, mental health support, or other critical resources.
Clear Communication: Giving concise instructions and information.
Remaining Calm and Composed: Maintaining professional composure under pressure.
Causes of Increased and Worsened Homelessness:
The note mentions the impact of poverty, but other causes of increased and worsened homelessness include:
Lack of Affordable Housing: A critical shortage of housing units that low-income individuals and families can afford.
Poverty and Unemployment: Economic hardship, job loss, and stagnant wages failing to keep pace with the cost of living.
Mental Health Issues: Undiagnosed or untreated mental illnesses, which can make it difficult to maintain employment and stable housing.
Substance Abuse: Addiction can lead to job loss, family breakdown, and financial instability.
Domestic Violence: Individuals fleeing abusive situations often find themselves without a safe home.
Lack of Adequate Social Safety Nets: Reductions in welfare programs and support services.
Foreclosures and Evictions: Economic crises or personal financial hardships leading to loss of housing.
Empowerment Theory: Empowerment theory offers clients the means to achieve their goals by enhancing their sense of control and agency. It involves collaboration with individuals and groups towards outward and inward changes, highly linked to advocacy efforts.
Social Welfare: Social welfare refers to a nation's efforts to ensure the basic well-being of its citizens. This includes a broad range of government and non-governmental programs, services, and policies designed to address issues like poverty, healthcare, education, and housing, with the goal of promoting social and economic security and maintaining a stable society.
Child Welfare: Child welfare encompasses services and systems designed to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children. This includes addressing concerns like child physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and psychological maltreatment, and providing interventions and prevention measures.
The Code of Ethics: The NASW Code of Ethics serves as a guide for the professional conduct of social workers. It outlines core values, ethical principles, and specific ethical standards to which social workers are expected to adhere. It helps social workers make ethical decisions, addresses dilemmas, and upholds the integrity of the profession while protecting clients.
Effect of the Great Depression on Social Policy:
The Great Depression, with its 25\% unemployment rate and disproportionate job loss for Black Americans, caused a significant shift in social policy. It led social workers to lobby actively for government relief initiatives, resulting in the New Deal Programs. These programs included unemployment insurance and the Social Security Act (1935), which established retirement, survivor, and disability benefits. This period marked a shift back to a "cause" orientation, emphasizing government responsibility for social welfare.
Generalist Social Work vs. Clinical Social Work:
Generalist Social Work:
Description: A broad-based practice that deals with direct client service and community outreach, focusing on understanding individuals within various systems (micro, mezzo, macro). It aims to help clients enhance their coping and problem-solving capacities and connect them with resources.
Degree/License: Typically requires a BSW (Bachelor of Social Work) for generalist practice. Licensure (e.g., LSW in some states) may be required for certain direct service roles, which varies by state.
Clinical Social Work:
Description: Focused on advanced practice, often involving direct clinical therapy, mental health assessment, and intervention with individuals, families, and groups. It requires a deeper theoretical understanding and specialized skills.
Degree/License: Typically requires an MSW (Master of Social Work) for advanced or clinical practice. Licensure (e.g., LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker) is almost always required for independent clinical practice and therapy, involving specific post-graduate supervised hours and exams.
Different Types of Child Maltreatment:
Child physical abuse
Child sexual abuse
Neglect
Psychological maltreatment
Child trafficking (often considered a severe form of exploitation/maltreatment)
Absolute vs. Relative Poverty:
Absolute Poverty: Establishes a poverty line (e.g., the current federal poverty level for 2023 is 30,000 for a family of four) for comparisons across economic standards. It refers to a condition where people lack the minimum amount of income needed to maintain the average standard of living in their society.
Relative Poverty: Compares poverty across different contexts involving means testing principles. It refers to a condition where people lack the minimum amount of income needed to maintain the average standard of living in their society.
Different Roles in Child Welfare:
Social workers in child welfare may take on various roles, including:
Child Protective Services (CPS) Worker: Investigating reports of child abuse and neglect.
Case Manager: Developing and implementing service plans for children and families, connecting them to resources, and monitoring progress.
Reunification Specialist: Working to safely reunite children with their biological families when appropriate.
Adoption Worker: Facilitating adoptions and supporting adoptive families.
Foster Care Worker: Licensing and supporting foster parents, and ensuring the well-being of children in foster care.
Advocate: Championing the rights and needs of children within the legal and social systems.
Managed Care: Managed care refers to healthcare delivery systems that aim to control costs while monitoring the quality and access to services. These systems often involve primary care physicians acting as gatekeepers, preferred provider networks, and pre-authorization requirements for certain treatments.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are employer-sponsored programs designed to help employees deal with personal problems that might adversely affect their work performance, health, and well-being. These programs typically offer free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services for issues such as substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems, and psychological disorders.
Direct Practice in Social Work: Direct practice in social work refers to working one-on-one with clients (micro-level) or with small groups and families (mezzo-level) to provide counseling, crisis intervention, resource linkage, and advocacy. It focuses on facilitating planned change at the individual or group level, rather than working to write social policy (which is macro-level practice).
How Bureaucracy Has Affected Healthcare:
Bureaucracy has significantly affected healthcare, often leading to:
Increased Costs: Complex administrative procedures, extensive paperwork, and multiple layers of management contribute to rising healthcare expenses.
Inequitable Access: Bureaucratic hurdles can create barriers to accessing services, particularly for vulnerable populations, due to complex eligibility requirements or referral processes.
Resource Shortages: Inefficient allocation of resources and rigid protocols can exacerbate shortages of staff, equipment, or beds.
Delays in Care: Patients may experience delays in receiving necessary treatments or diagnoses due to lengthy approval processes, administrative backlogs, or difficulties navigating the system.
Reduced Flexibility: Standardized procedures, while aiming for consistency, can limit the tailored care needed for diverse client needs, potentially hindering patient-centered approaches.
Orphan Trains of the 1850s-Early 1900s as a Change in Aid Provision:
The orphan trains represented a significant shift in how aid was provided to orphaned, abandoned, or destitute children in the Eastern U.S. from the 1850s to the early 1900s. Instead of large, institutional orphanages, children were sent by train to rural areas in the Midwest and West to be placed with families. This was a change because it:
Decentralized care: Moved away from institutional care towards family-based placements, often as indentured labor or adopted children.
Expanded geographical reach: Sought solutions beyond crowded urban centers.
Emphasized self-sufficiency: Aimed to provide children with a chance for a new life, often framed as an opportunity for labor and moral upbringing, rather than simply providing basic shelter.
Introduced a new method of placement: While controversial and sometimes exploitative, it was a pioneering effort in large-scale child relocation for welfare purposes.
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):
Definition: Evidence-Based Practice features key elements: the client’s unique situation and expressed goals, values, and preferences, alongside clinical expertise and external scientific evidence.
Example: A social worker is treating a client with anxiety. Instead of solely relying on their personal experience, they research therapeutic interventions (external scientific evidence) that have been proven effective for anxiety in similar populations. They then apply a scientifically supported cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) technique (clinical expertise), tailoring it to the client's specific cultural background and personal goals (client's unique situation, values, and preferences).
Who is Involved: The client, the social worker (clinical expertise), and scientific research/evidence.
True or False: Some people believe social welfare policies are harmful, keep people impoverished, and prevent the poor from helping themselves.
True. This aligns with conservative viewpoints, which often advocate for individual responsibility and limited government intervention, believing that extensive welfare programs can create dependency rather than foster self-sufficiency.
Political Differences Between Conservatives and Liberals in Relation to Social Work/Policy:
Conservatives:
Focus: Emphasize individual responsibility, self-reliance, and traditional values.
Government Role: Advocate for limited government intervention and often support scaling back social welfare programs, believing they can create dependency.
Social Issues: May attribute poverty and social problems to individual failings or moral issues.
Economy: Favor market-based solutions and trickle-down economic policies.
Liberals:
Focus: Emphasize social responsibility, collective well-being, and social justice.
Government Role: Advocate for robust government-funded social welfare programs and interventions to address systemic inequalities and protect vulnerable populations.
Social Issues: View poverty and social problems as results of systemic factors, discrimination, and economic inequality.
Economy: Support wealth redistribution, social safety nets, and government regulation to ensure fairness.
How were the orphan trains of the 1850s-early 1900s a change in how people provided aid?
(Duplicate of question 26. See above for answer.)
The “Deserving” Poor vs. the “Undeserving” Poor:
Deserving Poor: Historically, these were individuals considered worthy of receiving aid, typically due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g., widows, orphans, disabled individuals, or the elderly). They were often seen as having suffered misfortune rather than being responsible for their poverty.
Undeserving Poor: These were individuals deemed unworthy of aid, often perceived as lazy, immoral, or responsible for their own poverty (e.g., able-bodied adults unwilling to work, or those seen as having made poor life choices). This distinction has historically influenced who received social welfare benefits and who was stigmatized.
Differences Between Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Levels of Social Work with Examples:
Micro-level: Individual-focused social work.
Example: Providing one-on-one counseling to a client experiencing depression, helping an individual secure housing, or assisting a person with substance abuse recovery.
Mezzo/Meso-level: Social work with families and groups.
Example: Facilitating a support group for survivors of domestic violence, mediating family conflicts, leading a therapy group for adolescents, or coordinating services for residents in a small community.
Macro-level: Social work engaging with large organizations, communities, and sociopolitical systems.
Example: Advocating for policy changes at the legislative level (e.g., funding for mental health), organizing community-wide initiatives, developing new social programs, or working as an administrator in a social service agency to improve service delivery.
True or False? Social workers balance the use of closed- and open-ended questions.
True. Balancing both types of questions is a key communication skill. Open-ended questions encourage clients to elaborate and share more information, while closed-ended questions are useful for gathering specific facts or confirming information.
Compare and Contrast Child Welfare Agencies and Family Services Agencies:
Similarities:
Both aim to promote the well-being of individuals and families.
Often provide counseling, support, and resource linkage.
May work with vulnerable populations and address issues like poverty, neglect, or abuse.
Employ social workers and other helping professionals.
Differences:
Child Welfare Agencies: Primarily focused on the safety, permanency, and well-being of children. They intervene when child maltreatment is suspected, manage foster care, adoptions, and child protective services.
Family Services Agencies: Have a broader mandate, focusing on strengthening and supporting families as a whole. They may offer a wider range of services such as family counseling, parenting classes, financial literacy, domestic violence support, and general family support, often before a crisis involving child protection.
Strengths-Based Perspective Definition and Example:
Definition: The strengths perspective recognizes that all clients have strengths, fostering mutual assessments between social workers and clients. Clients are viewed as possessing the ability to influence their situations and deserve empowerment.
Example: A social worker is working with a homeless client who expresses feelings of hopelessness. Instead of dwelling solely on the client's problems (e.g., lack of housing, unemployment), the social worker asks about times the client has overcome challenges in the past, their hobbies, skills, or positive relationships. They identify that the client is very resilient, resourceful in navigating public transport, and has a strong artistic talent. The intervention then focuses on leveraging these existing strengths to find housing and potentially connect with artistic communities, rather than just addressing deficits.
Does the Code of Ethics compel social workers to be advocates? Yes or No
Yes. The NASW Code of Ethics, particularly the value of Social Justice, compels social workers to challenge social injustice and advocate for vulnerable populations, fair distribution of resources, and systemic change.
How Can Social Workers Align Their Work with Empowerment Theory?
Social workers can align their work with empowerment theory by:
Collaborating with Clients: Working with clients rather than for them, ensuring clients are active participants in goal setting and decision-making.
Enhancing Agency and Control: Helping clients identify and develop their own capabilities and resources, fostering their sense of power over their lives.
Advocacy: Engaging in advocacy efforts at micro, mezzo, and macro levels to remove systemic barriers that disempower clients.
Identifying Strengths: Utilizing a strengths-based approach to recognize and build upon clients' existing abilities, knowledge, and resilience.
Fostering Critical Consciousness: Helping clients understand how societal structures and power dynamics impact their lives, encouraging them to challenge injustice.
Different Types of Poverty and the Poverty Line:
Types of Poverty:
Absolute Poverty: Establishes a poverty line for comparisons across economic standards. It refers to a condition where people lack the minimum amount of income needed to maintain the average standard of living in their society.
Relative Poverty: Compares poverty across different contexts involving means testing principles. It refers to a condition where people lack the minimum amount of income needed to maintain the average standard of living in their society.
Poverty Line: The poverty line (or Federal Poverty Level, FPL) is an income threshold below which individuals or families are considered to be in poverty. It is used to determine eligibility for many federal assistance programs. For 2023, the federal poverty level for a family of four was 30,000. It varies based on family size and composition and is updated annually.
How Can Social Workers Align Their Work with Empowerment Theory?
(Duplicate of question 37. See above for answer.)
Difference Between Medicaid and Medicare:
Medicaid: A joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to low-income individuals and families, including eligible pregnant women, children, adults, and individuals with disabilities. It is a needs-based program.
Medicare: A federal health insurance program primarily for individuals aged 65 or older, some younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant). It is an entitlement program based on contributions through taxes.
How Social Workers Show Dignity and Worth of the Person:
Social workers demonstrate dignity and worth of the person by:
Respectful Communication: Using person-first language, active listening, and a non-judgmental stance.
Promoting Self-Determination: Empowering clients to make their own choices and decisions, even if those choices differ from the social worker's advice, while ensuring client safety.
Valuing Diversity: Acknowledging and celebrating the unique backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and identities of each client.
Confidentiality: Upholding privacy and trust in professional relationships.
Empathy: Striving to understand and share the feelings of another.
Respecting Autonomy: Honoring clients' right to direct their own lives.
Characteristics of Child Neglect:
Child neglect is the failure of a parent or caregiver to provide for a child's basic needs, which can include:
Physical Needs: Inadequate food, clothing, shelter, or supervision.
Medical Needs: Failure to provide necessary medical or dental care.
Educational Needs: Failure to ensure regular school attendance or provide necessary educational support.
Emotional Needs: Failure to provide adequate affection, attention, or emotional stimulation, leading to developmental delays or psychological harm.
Safety: Placing a child in dangerous situations or failing to protect them from harm.
MSW Advanced Standing Program:
An MSW Advanced Standing program is an accelerated Master of Social Work program designed for students who have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree from an accredited program (CSWE-accredited). These programs allow eligible students to bypass some of the foundational coursework of a traditional two-year MSW program, typically completing their master's degree in a shorter timeframe (often one year instead of two), as their BSW is recognized as fulfilling the initial curriculum requirements.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA):
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law in 2010, is a comprehensive healthcare reform law that aimed to expand health insurance accessibility. Key provisions included:
Medicaid Expansion: Allowed states to expand Medicaid eligibility to cover more low-income adults.
Health Insurance Marketplaces: Created online marketplaces where individuals and small businesses could shop for health insurance plans.
Subsidies: Provided financial assistance (subsidies) to help make insurance more affordable for low- and middle-income individuals.
Consumer Protections: Prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more based on pre-existing conditions and eliminated lifetime caps on benefits.
Essential Health Benefits: Mandated that most health plans cover a core set of essential health benefits, including mental and behavioral health coverage.
Individual Mandate: Required most Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty (this penalty was later reduced to 0).
Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS):
The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) are a set of standards developed and enforced by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States. EPAS outlines the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affective processes that students are expected to achieve in accredited BSW and MSW programs. These standards ensure the quality and uniformity of social work education, preparing students for ethical and competent practice, and ensuring programs meet professional benchmarks.