SOCIAL WORK is a profession concerned with helping SOCIAL WORK SETTINGS

individuals, families, groups, and communities to

enhance their individual and collective well-being. SOCIAL WORK is performed and exercised in different
settings, including but not limited to government
CLIENTELE AND AUDIENCES IN SOCIAL WORK departments, such as mental health hospitals social
welfare units, institutions for the aged, disabled, youth,
1. WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS and correctional private institutions such as family and
In the CASEWORK PROCESS, the aim of the intervention marriage, offenders outside of prison, early childhood
is to facilitate the individual's social adaptation, to development, and social work in corporate and
restore, reshape, or reinforce her/his functioning as a educational institutions (SACSSP, 2016).
social being.
SOCIAL WORK IS PRACTICED EITHER IN A PRIMARY OR
2. WORKING WITH GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS A SECONDARY SETTING.
SOCIAL GROUP WORK a process and method rooted on 1. PRIMARY SETTINGS - are those agencies whose
the sociological concept that a person is a social being programs and services are direct purview of social work.
who has the inclination and need to associate with Examples of which are: Christian Children's Fund, Save
other human beings. the Children, Hospicio de San Jose, Department of Social
Welfare and Development, among others.
3. WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES 2. SECONDARY SETTINGS - are agencies, institutions, or
COMMUNITY as a group of people gathered together in organizations whose primary function is not to provide
a geographic area, large or small, who have common social welfare services but employ social workers to
interests, actual or potentially recognized in the social support, strengthen, complement their own services.
welfare field. Examples of which are: hospitals, family courts,
nutrition centers, schools, corporations, etc.
The two concepts of a community were developed by
Roland Warren:
GEOGRAPHIC COMMUNITY refers to the people in a
specific geographic area like village, barangay, sitio,
district, municipality, city, province, region, nation, or
the world.
FUNCTIONAL COMMUNITY, on the other hand, is
composed of the people who hold common values,
share some common functions or express some
common interest such as education, health, livelihood,
labor, welfare or recreation.
 SOCIAL WORK PROCESSES b. REFERRAL - The client is referred to the worker or a
social welfare agency by an interested or concerned
FIVE BASIC STEPS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS party or entity (i.e., a relative, neighbor, teacher, school,
(ASSESSMENT, PLANNING, INTERVENTION, church, barangay council, or another social welfare
EVALUATION, TERMINATION) agency) with the hope that the client can avail of any
services on the worker and/or the agency in addressing
1. ASSESSMENT the client's problem concern.
- a process and a product of understanding on which c. OUTREACH - The agency, through its social worker/s,
action is based. This involves the collection of necessary reaches out to the prospective clients to offer help and
information and interpretation to reach an eventually arrives at an agreement of engaging into a
understanding of the client, the analysis problem and helping relationship after intake.
the social context in which it exists.
2. PLANNING
DATA GATHERING SOURCE/S: - the link between assessment and intervention and its
a. PRIMARY SOURCE - the client (whether an individual, process translates the content of assessment into a goal
group, or a community) is the primary source of data. statement that describes the desired results and is
Data are gathered through intake procedures. concerned with identifying the means to reach the
b. SECONDARY SOURCE – the significant others with goals. It allows the worker, with the participation of the
whom the client has personal relationships. These client, to move from problem definition to problem
include the parents, siblings, relatives, and friends in solution towards achieving a planned change as end
case the client is an individual. In case of communities, goal (Johnson, 1986, 283).
this may be staff or consultants who are previously or
currently involved in the said community. 3. INTERVENTION
c. EXISTING DATA - these can be records or reports from - is concerned with the action that would solve the
other Pr0fessionals (e.g., physicians, teachers, client's problem. It involves rendering of all the specific
psychologists, etc.) or d0cuments from other agencies and interrelated services that are deemed appropriate
such as census data, researches, evaluation reports, to address or respond the client's problem. It includes
among others. series of activities that the client and worker will
d. WORKER'S OBSERVATION - the use of observation is undertake following an agreement forged between
very helpful in gathering, supplementing, and validating them based on the problem that they need to be
information about the client. The worker has the addressed and the plan of action they will pursue.
opportunity to observe the client through the latter's
interaction and relationship with others. In case of 4. EVALUATION
communities, observation through seeing and - is defined as the collection of data about outcomes of
experiencing the physical condition, economic activities; the program of action relative to goals and objectives
community interaction, resources, culture, and set in advance of the implementation of that program
traditions are very essential in identifying the problem. (Johnson, 1986, 385),
- it is a continuous process of gathering information
THE INITIAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND THE which can be utilized in an ongoing reassessment of
WORKER COMES IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS: objectives, intervention plans, and even the problem
a. WALK-IN - The client (an individual, a group, or a definition which is referred to as ongoing evaluation.
community) initiates the Contact and seek the Nevertheless, the worker also undertakes terminal
assistance of the agency social worker about a particular evaluation when s/he is about to end a helping
concern or problem with the belief that the worker is in relationship.
the position to provide help,
5. TERMINATION increasing the ego's ability to see external realities more
The helping process has a time limit therefore a social clearly to understand the client's own feelings and
worker is expected to discuss with the client the behavior.
expected duration of the helping relationship. Also, the d. INSIGHT DEVELOPMENT—involves carrying
client should be made aware that the client-worker understanding to a deeper level than that described in
relationship will not last long and that the interventions clarification wherein current and past experiences must
and services will not stay for them forever. It should be be re-lived in a therapeutic atmosphere in order to bring
made clear with the client that disengagement is the irrationalities clearly into the surface and they can be
natural conclusion to such a relationship. recognized from the safety of the treatment situation to
the real life later on.
METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK
2. SOCIAL GROUP WORK
TRADITIONAL METHODS - is a process and method through which group life is
(SOCIAL CASE WORK, SOCIAL GROUP WORK, & affected by a worker who consciously guides the
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION) interaction process toward the accomplishment of goals
which are conceived in a democratic frame of reference.
1. SOCIAL CASEWORK - a method by which members in many groups in various
- is a helping process that consists of a variety of community agency settings are helped by a worker who
activities that may include the giving of material guides their interaction in program activities designed
assistance, referrals to other community facilities, for them to relate themselves to others and experience
rendering emotional and psychological support through growth opportunities in accordance with the needs and
sensitive listening, expressions of acceptance and capabilities toward individual, group, and community
reassurance; making suggestions, appropriately development.
advising, and setting limits, encouraging the individual
to express or suppress her/his feelings, likewise 3. COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
encouraging her/him to affect her/his plans, assisting - is a process by which a community identifies its needs
the individual to narrate and examine her/his situation, or objectives; orders (or ranks) these needs or
and/ or working out with her/him a consideration and objectives; finds the internal or external resources to
better understanding of the causal connections between deal with those needs or objectives, and takes actions in
her/his present attitudes and mode of adjustment with respect to them; and in so doing extends and develops
past experiences. cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in
the community.
FOUR MAJOR CASEWORK PROCESSES OR TECHNIQUES
NAMELY: CONSCIOUS PROCESS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION AND A
a. ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION - the steps taken METHOD OF SOCIAL WORK CONCERNED WITH THE
by a caseworker to change the environment in the FOLLOWING:
client's favor through the direct action of the worker (a) meeting of broad needs and bringing about and
b. PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT—this is demonstrated maintaining adjustment between needs and resources
through the caseworker's acceptance, confidence, and in a community or other area;
interest in the client by way of motivating the client to (b) assisting people in effectively dealing with their
freely express her/his feelings and thoughts problems by helping them develop, strengthen, and
c. CLARIFICATION—usually this goes along with maintain qualities of participation, self-direction, and;
psychological support and the dominant tone is (c) bringing changes in community and group
understanding by the client of her/himself, her/his relationships and in the distribution of decision-making
environment, and/or people with whom s/he is power.
associated. More significantly, it is directed toward
 the "group of ultimate control," such as the members of
THREE MODELS OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION a private family welfare agency, of the “governing
PRACTICE: board,” of the executive and of the staff.
1. LOCALITY DEVELOPMENT 3. STAFFING - This refers to the human resources or
2. COMMUNITY PLANNING personnel administration, which includes the realization
3. SOCIAL ACTION of the agency's tenure, salaries, vacations, and working
conditions, and the evaluation of the performance of
SECONDARY SOCIAL WORK METHODS/AUXILIARY the members of the staff to ensure efficient service and
METHODS fair treatment.
(SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL REFORM, SOCIAL WORK 4. DIRECTING - This is the function of the executive
RESEARCH, & SOCIAL WELFARE ORGANIZATION) involving the responsibility for final decisions and for the
supervision of the administrative process of the agency.
1. SOCIAL ACTION/SOCIAL REFORM e. Coordination - This is the distinct determination of
-is an organized effort with the aim of securing social each staff member's assignment and the establishment
progress and solving mass social problems by of lines of responsibility and authority.
influencing legislation or the administration of social 5. REPORTING - This is the administrative function of
services. This involves public pressure by public opinion rendering to the governing board, to the membership or
through information or educational publicity in legislative body, and to the public an account of the
newspapers, pamphlets, lectures, radio broadcasts, agency's work. This requires a system of recording and
television, or public meetings. A concrete form of social accounting, statistics, and research upon which the
action is the promotion of social legislation by pressure reports are based.
upon the legislators. This involves social research in 6. BUDGETING - This is the mobilization, disbursement,
order to present a more reliable and objective facts and control of the financial resources of the agency. This
about certain issues and prepares a plan for social also involves the setting up of proper accounts, fiscal
legislation. records, and controls to guarantee that the received
2. SOCIAL WORK RESEARCH money is spent wisely and in accordance with the
- involves a critical inquiry and the scientific testing of policies and rules governing the agency
the validity of social work organization, function, and
methods in order to verify, generalize, and extend social
work knowledge and skill.
3. SOCIAL WELFARE ADMINISTRATION
- is the administration of public and private social
agencies designed and organized to achieve the full
effect of the services for which they have been
established. Management of social agencies is oriented
to aid people more efficiently.

SEVEN FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL WELFARE

ADMINISTRATION
1. PLANNING - This is the process of envisioning the
future structure and operation of the social agency
including the determination and clarification of the
agency's objectives, functions, and policies to be
pursued.
2. ORGANIZING - This provides the administrative
structure of the agency and determines the functions of