Generalist Practice and Introductory Theory Chapter 4 Generalist Practice and Introductory Theory

Introduction Social work is founded on the generalist premise of the individual and environment Holistic and comprehensive knowledge base Honors diverse value systems and a wide range of professional skills Generalist principles and “direct practice” © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction The Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) suggests that programs: Teach a strong generalist practice core (undergraduate) Teach a generalist perspective with advanced concentration (graduate) Generalist conceptualization © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) Social worker involved in four systems Client system Change agent system Action sytem Target system © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction Roles social workers can take, such as: Enabler Mediator Integrator/coordinator General manager Educator Analyst/evaluator © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction Empowerment and strengths perspective Broker Facilitator Initiator Negotiator Mobilizer Advocate Empowerment and strengths perspective © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Need for a Theoretical Framework CSWE has required social work schools to Teach Human Behavior and Social Environment classes Focus on people and the context in which they live How individuals grow and develop socially, biologically, emotionally, & spiritualistically Charity Organization Societies © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Need for a Theoretical Framework Settlement House Movement Since the 1970s, the profession has added the systems and ecological models Definition of a system © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Need for a Theoretical Framework Ecological theory Micro Mezzo Macro © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introductory Inner and Outer Forces Paradigm Attempt to explain why people seem to at at times in strange and unpredictable ways There are forces developed within the person & the person’s environment Cause him/her to behave in certain ways Social worker reduces negative outer forces and increases positive inner forces © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Introductory Inner and Outer Forces Paradigm Prevention Creating a classification system for the new theories in human behavior Sociology, psychology, social work, psychiatry, and anthropology © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Life Cycle and the Inner and Outer Forces Model Erik Erikson Eight stage classification of life crises Trust Autonomy Initiative Industry © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Life Cycle and the Inner and Outer Forces Model Intimacy Caring Integrity Questions social workers can ask based on the individual’s life stage © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Functioning Intervention and social work are needed when people cannot cope With social obligations and commitments When problems interfere with relationships within the family, school, job, etc. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Levels of Social Functioning The wholeness of individuals Education is focused on teaching methods, learning theory, motivation, etc. The individual’s relationships with others Social work doesn’t make people free from stress-producing problems Adaptive behavior © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

A Base for Generalist Social Work Practice Requires the worker to explain human behavior and decide on intervention Must work with the micro, mezzo, and macro systems Methodology of administration © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary Emphasizing the generalist perspective Inner and outer forces Deal with multiperson systems Inner and outer forces Social functioning Administration and research © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.