The Role of the Social Worker Helps Clients Improve Their Social Functioning

In this paper, the role of a social worker will be addressed. A Human Service professional has, in its hands, the responsibilities in the life of the clients and families they meet. The tremendous and arduous responsibilities they take on include, but are not limited to, the well-being and care of people and their communities. Such roles can be helping others manage the care of a family member, assisting individuals experiencing problems with family relations and conflicts, dealing with changes that come with growing old, aiding those suffering mental illness and or those individuals struggling with addictions. Briefly

I believe that the overall theme of this article was to show the different theories that are used by Social Workers on a daily basis. By understanding the different theories mentioned in this article you could better understand how to work through different cases. This article also showed that not all theories are helpful despite what one may believe. In this article, it also mentions that before using a specific theory/case management style you should be sure to evaluate the person of interest. I found this article to be very useful and it helped me better understand how each theory is supposed to work and how important it is to evaluate clients before choosing theories.

Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.

This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.

Social workers routinely find themselves making important decisions concerning their clients ethical issues or dilemmas. Sometimes the worker has time to weigh all possible problem-solving options available to them. However, most times the workers are on their own in finding the best solutions for their clients. No matter the situation, a worker should always do everything in their

Theories and research are thus responsible for distinguishing the professional practice of social work from any other informal ways of helping. The application of social work theories and research is imperative because it helps social workers to mitigate unfavorable situations in their practice. Through theory application, social work practitioners are actively involved in a quest of self-improvement and improving practice which is achieved by utilizing and replacing of well researched and adequately tested strategies (Osmond and O'Connor, 2014).

Social workers are knowledgeable, resourceful, intense in responding to evolving organizational, community, and societal contexts of all levels of practice. Recognize the context of the method is dynamic, use of knowledge and skill to respond to take charge. The final method ten, engage, assess, intervene and evaluate with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. A professional process involving the dynamic and collective processes of obligation, assessment, intervention, and evaluation at multiple levels. Some of the practices knowledge are, promoting social and economic justice, developing, analyzing, advocating, and leadership of policies and services.

Social work may not be the most respected profession but it’s a recognizable one. Social workers help people or groups identify their problems, determine their skills and capacities, what they are doing well, and how that was accomplished, and then analyze ways that those strengths might be applied to the identified problems. Social workers are helping professionals.

This paper is a reflection from the first two chapters from the text, Direct Social Practice: Theory and Skills and it will answer the questions: how do social working professionals differ from other helping professionals? What is the focus and scope of a social working profession? What are the strength and challenges of the social worker professions focus?

Chapter 2 in the Chang, Scott, and Decker textbooks talks about the strengths perspective and how we as social workers can apply this perspective in our practice. The article talks about how everyone has strengths, despite all of their problems. Our textbook talks about how we should always look for the strengths in our client; in addition, it is important that we build off of our clients strengths to help them achieve his or her goal. The article also talks about how social workers that help clients uncover their strengths, begin to see changes in the clients mood (positive changes). Our textbook talks about how focusing on what is going right in the clients life, can help make a client feel respected and acknowledge. If we focus on the problems

Social workers have three major aspects that they focus on. One of the aspects that social workers focus on is helping people find solutions to the problems that they are facing. The second thing social workers focus on is working with the systems to give the people that they are helping access to the services and resources that they need in their lives in order to solve the problems that they are facing. The third aspect that social worker is to link their clients to systems. Social work works with social functioning. Social work focuses on how people interact with other people that are around them, and how interacting with each other affects themselves. As a social work professional it is critical that you have accurate assessments on your

Social workers are professionals who promote social change through problem solving in human relationships. To ensure the wellbeing of clients they promote empowerment strategies and liberation tools. Social workers apply theories of human behavior and social systems development to support people’s positive interactions with the environment. Social workers play three major roles in working with children and their families. These three roles are key in the following practice arenas: case management, direct practice and advocacy for policy development. Case management is a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy, all necessary components to meeting families’ and children’s needs. For instance, case managers help locate resources for families in need. These resources may include low- income housing, grief counseling, health insurance and temporary placement of children in foster homes. Direct practice involves case managers working directly with families and individuals. Their work includes one-on-one contact with clients at the micro level. For example, vulnerable children cannot think like adults. Social workers use psychodynamic therapy or cognitive behavioral techniques to help them express their feelings. One technique employed in psychodynamic play therapy with children is the use of dolls or drawings to tell their story. Advocacy and policy building includes government development of plans and procedures

“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.” (1)

When it comes to social work many people just go to the obvious answer in defining it and that is, “they help people.” Sure that answer may be correct, but there are so many more things to social work then just helping people. Social workers make a difference in people’s lives. They are there to be a shoulder to cry, to lead you to be successful, to bring families together, to help families who are struggling and many, many other things. Karen K. Kirst-Ashman (2013) describes social work in her textbook, Introduction to Social Work & Social Welfare Critical Thinking Perspectives as, “helping people obtain tangible services, providing counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, families, and groups, help communities or groups provide or improve social and health services, and participation in relevant legislative processes” (p. 6). There are many definitions out there for social work because social work does not only do one thing in their field of work, they do multiple things in their profession. This paper will discuss the many different ways to think and act as a social worker, as well as the true meaning of social work.

Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. “Clients” is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and application, education, research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. They also seek to promote the