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Specific role of social worker
Specific role of social worker
Understanding the social work role
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Social Workers are very important to everyday life. They are the ones that help people in need when they have nobody else to turn too. Also, they provide resources and better understanding of predicaments that you could be experiencing. I will reflect on how the class has affected me, my own experiences and how some theories have connected to my life experiences, and lastly, if the class helped toward my major. This class is important for someone that wants to become a social worker and wants to learn about the different theories used. Also, learning about me during this process of completing this class is fun and a way to see if the social work profession is right for me. There was many theories explained throughout this class but many will not be said because it wasn’t the main points that I was trying to get across. There are two tools that are used that can help a social worker organize a client’s life: Bubble map and Briefcase exercise. There are so many different ways a social worker can help a client deal with their problems and come up with a solution. It is up to that social worker to identify the client’s problem and see what theory fits. Keywords: Social Worker, Theory, Practice, Briefcase, Attachment theory, Psychoanalytic Theory, ID This class, Social Work Theory & Practice was made to be able to introduce me to social work theories, ideas, and skills needed to work in the social work profession. This class main tool used was a book called A Brief Introduction of Social Work Theory by David Howe which discusses social work theories in a compressive and explainable way. This class is important to my higher learning because it break down the theories that I will need to use during my practice and a... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.esourceresearch.org/tabid/724/default.aspx#. Floersch, J. (2008, June 2). Social Work Practice: Theoretical Base Encyclopedia of Social Work. Retrieved November 9, 2013, from http://socialwork.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.001.0001/acrefore-9780199975839-e-621?rskey=cE8vvG&result=45. Howe, D. (2009). A brief introduction to social work theory. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. O'Neil, L. (2012, August 3). Using theory in social work practice | Social Care Network | Guardian Professional. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/social-life-blog/2012/aug/03/using-theory-social-work-practice. Rengas, S. (2010, August 13). Theories of Social Work. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from http://www.slideshare.net/srengasamy/theories-of-social-work
Social Work is the study of people and how they interact with the systems in their environment and other people. Social Workers use theories, sets of ideas or concepts, of human behavior and apply them within their professional social work ethics to the problems facing clients in order to help them gain balance in the systems in their lives. Theories help to organize knowledge enabling social workers to help make sense of problems. There are many different theories. They have been grouped into broad categories called theoretical lenses (Rogers, A. 2013).
Sheafor, B. W., & Horejsi, C. R. (2012). Techniques and guidelines for social work practice (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Allyn & Bacon. (Sheafor & Horejsi, 2011)
Thompson, N (2005) Understanding Social Work: Preparing for Practice, Palgrave, MacMillan (Second Edition) Hampshire (Supplementary Course Reader)
Theory has been defined as, “an organized set of assumptions, beliefs, or ideas about particular phenomena in the world (Teater, 2015).” Theory is used to understand and explain possible and perceived instances, behaviors and outcomes (Teater, 2015). Social workers use theory in order to understand, as well as, introduce interventions and solutions to their client’s individual situation. It is important for students entering into the social work profession to have a base knowledge of theories, with basic understanding of their similarities and differences to appropriately apply theory in practice. The theories which will be focused on in this paper include Systems Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Theory.
Parker, J. and Bradley, G. (2003). Social Work Practice: Assessment, Planning, Intervention and Review. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd.
There are many theories and perspectives that go into the social work practice, many of which are used depending on the situation at hand. These theories along with views of systems help social workers better understand and work with their clients, as well as, work at an ecological approach to use interchangeably between different types of practice.
Glicken, Morley D.. Social work in the 21st century: an introduction to social welfare, social issues, and the profession. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE, 2011. Print.
Walsh, J. (2010). Behavior theory. In J. Walsh (2nd), Theories for direct social work practice (123-146). Belmont, California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Belmont, California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Walsh, J. (2010). The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. Cognitive theory. In J. Walsh (2nd), Theories of direct social work practice (147-176).
Wilson, K. et al. al., 2011 - p. 78. Social Work: 'Introduction to Contemporary Practice'. 2nd ed.
Miley, K, O'Melia, M, DuBois, B 2013, Generalist social work practice: an empowering approach, 7th edn, Pearson, USA.
Mullaly, B. (1997). Structural Social Work: Ideology, Theory and Practice. 2nd Ed. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
Over the course of the semester, I have learned a variety of many things regarding social work. These things vary from learning how to help oneself to understanding how to help others. Not only were the textbooks very useful, but also the materials that furthered this textbook learning. The in class presentation, activities, and guest speakers gave us insight and a different perspective on the material we were learning. I feel like this course has given me a good foundation and prepared me as a future social worker (1).
Adams, R. 2010. The short guide to social work. University of Bristol, UK: Brooks/ Cole
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen