GOALS ~To understand the purpose of social work ~To articulate what is meant by “human behavior in the social environment” ~To understand why we should “bother” with theory ~To identify credible, useful theories

What is the purpose of social work? ~Effective problem solving and skill building ~Work with systems to get needs met ~Link people with systems What are the functions and processes of social work? ~Assessment ~Planning ~Intervention ~Evaluation ~Termination ~Follow-up USE THEORY TO INFORM EACH OF THESE

What is meant by “human behavior in the social environment”? IndividualFamily & small groups Society & larger forces

Why bother with theory? ~Helps you organize a lot of information ~Keeps you from operating on faulty information ~Helps to keep programs running What’s the debate about theory in social work? ~Different camps see the use of theory in different ways

How do we know that a theory is credible or useful? ~Different ways of knowing ~Issues to consider with regard to where you get your knowledge ~Be cognizant of pitfalls ~Know how to evaluate research and knowledge