SWRK 1000H - Lecture notes 1-12 PDF

Preview

Summary

LEC 01INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORKAccording to Heinonen & Spearmen, social work is:● helping people solve personal social problems ● concerned with social change: ○ locates personal problems within social structures ○ focus on social justice and tackling oppressionSocial work is a range of se...

Description

LEC 01 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK According to Heinonen & Spearmen, social work is: ● ●

helping people solve personal social problems concerned with social change: ○ locates personal problems within social structures ○ focus on social justice and tackling oppression

Social work is a range of settings:

● ● ● ●

○ public agencies: benefits & services ○ private - NGO’s, for-profit a range of fields: populations, clients, problems a range of targets: micro - mezzo - macro a range of methods, approaches and ideologies but: one particular set of principles, values, knowledge

Generalized practice: ● ● ● ●

underpins and is the foundation of social work and is part of all accredited canadian entry-level social work programs. most often associated with undergraduate social work education. the most important characteristic of generalist social work is that while the concept refers to the ability to practice in a wide range of settings. it also refers to incorporating and understanding a particular set of principles, values, and knowledge.

Specialized practice: ● ● ● ● ●

means that one’s practice is essentially driven by the application of a set of a specific helping techniques the primary domain of graduate work. most specialized practice, as required by the accreditation standards of the CASWE (2008), is built upon a generalist base. practice may be specialized according to the method of practice, the field of practice, the system size, the level of position held, or a combination of these features. some specializations include: ○ solution-focused therapy ○ mediation and conflict negotiation ○ community development

○

many, if not most, social workers specialize within a field of practice.

[read textbook]

LEC 02 THE EMERGENCE OF SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA The History of Social Work in Canada History of SW profession starts with the industrial revolution: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

● ● ● ● ●

● ● ● ●

agrarian to industrial work, growth of capitalism move from country to city; urban crowding - disease, poverty (workers were needed for factories). labour struggles - exploitation of workers, incl. children social institutions changing: family, church, education extended family, village, church no longer same support earlier ‘poor laws’ seen as ineffective "the phrase ‘industrial revolution’ refers to the replacement of craftsmen by the factory, handicraft operations by power-driven machinery, the local market by one that was distant and impersonal” (Lieby, 1978, p. 71). life changed drastically as people began to harness technology. the church was no longer the centre of the community but merely part of a much larger system. agrarian life gave way to industrial, urban centres. in the cities, slums emerged and crime increased. the education of children changed: the one-room schoolhouse gave way to a much more impersonal and formal system. ○ children who were used as labourers were often not educated and almost always exploited. it was these gaps left by social institutions that set the stage for the emergence of social work. urban charities appeared to help the poor, child welfare agencies replaced some of the functions of family and church. ‘philanthropy' became common, and settlement houses were started that addressed life in the urban slums. there is no doubt that social work is the product of industrialization and urbanization.

●

the predecessors of social work in canada emerged at the end of the 19th century, later than in both britain and the united states because urbanization and industrialization occurred later in canada.

The charity and settlement house movements, 1850-1930: ●

● ● ● ● ●

●

early social work was influenced most by two social movements that originated in the last half of the 19th century: the charity movement, epitomized by the charity organization society, and the settlement house movement. these two movements occurred during approx. the same time period, initiating first in england and then to the united states and canada. both social movements were responses to industrialization and urbanization. the charity movement, based on religion and religious thought, was the product of a belief that it is better to help or treat people with problems than to banish them. unlike present-day structural social workers, others viewed the industrial system as badly flawed. these were settlement workers and other reformers who saw such problems as poverty, poor working conditions, and unhealthy living environments in industrial parts of cities as products of the capitalistic industrial system. these reformers and social activists generated and promoted new ideas, such as workers’ compensation, unions, social insurance, and public + universal health insurance.

Victorian charity movement: ● ● ● ●

rise of rationalist efforts to understand poverty and victorian charity approach ‘deserving and undeserving poor’ (almshouses, workhouses); poverty seen as rooted in bad character, sin, lack of industry and thrift focused on uncivilized, unreligious, uncanadian ‘foreigners’ in practice, the COS involved: ○ charity ‘friendly’ visitors assessing the poor in their homes ○ visitors often upper class women ○ focus on moral character, deserving-ness, normative views ○ advice based on assessment (precursor of casework)

The charity workers: ● ● ●

the first charity organization society (COS) was established in britain in 1869. leading spokesperson: Thomas Chalmers the first north america COS opened in buffalo, new york, 1877.

● ● ●

at first the charity workers - almost always women, and from the middle and upper classes - were volunteers called “friendly visitors.” while still called “friendly visitors,” these volunteer workers became paid staff (poorly paid). by 1910, many called these visitors caseworkers. they were beginning to be viewed as professionals, and some were taking leadership roles in society.

The settlement house workers: ● ● ● ●

began in the late 1800’s settlement house workers saw the charities as a form of social control. reforms and services were said to be needed in order to help the poor shake the bonds of poverty and industrialization so that they could enjoy a better quality of life. in canada and the united states, settlements focused much of their work on immigrant populations.

The early settlement house worker: ● ● ● ● ●

early settlement house workers were activists and service providers. others tried to understand and study the nature of the slums, poverty, and the effects of industrialization. many of the early workers were women, and some were the daughters and wives of industrialists. historical literature portray them as idealists. two general functions: 1. some settlement houses had strong reform agendas and were heavily involved in social and political action. 2. provide services to people who lived in the poor areas of cities.

Social gospel: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

protestants seeking to improve social conditions as religious practice social justice and action around poverty seen as christian ethic located poverty and personal problems in social ills ‘canadianize and christianize’ immigrants tied to union movement and socialism J.S Woodsworth forerunners to modern NDP party

Social reformers:

● ● ● ●

response to COS critical of charity workers - saw as moralistic viewed social conditions as harmful, poverty caused by social structures sought reform through activist around issues such as child labour

Social reformers: Settlement house movement: ●

informed by social gospel

Rise of professionalization: private - public responsibility social work as occupation, profession: ● ● ● ● ●

‘on the job’ training - university education ad hoc intervention - systems for diagnosing, responding friendly helper - trained worker focus on micro practice, casework (Richmond) with professionalization has come managerialism

Sixties scoop: The apprehension and adopting out tens and thousands of indigenous children. Child welfare workers assessing based on, and seeking to instil own values of: white, middle class homes in middle class neighbourhoods; ● ●

indigenous parenting itself as ‘unfit’ called unsystematic process of colonialism and racism, cultural genocide

[Gov’t apology and truth & reconciliation commission] [read chapter two summary]

LEC 03 IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS AND VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK social work (noun): a common set of values and principles and a common knowledge base. the former is represented (or determined) by the CASW code of ethics - a sort of social work ideology.

CASW Values and Principles: CASW: core SW values 1. ● 1. ● ● ● 1. ● ●

respect for inherent dignity and worth of persons respect the unique worth and inherent dignity of all people and uphold human rights. pursuit of social justice uphold the right of people to have access to resources to meet basic human needs. advocate for fair and equitable access to public services + benefits. advocate for equal treatment and protection under the law and challenge injustices. service to humanity place the needs of others above self-interest when acting in a professional capacity. promote individual development and pursuit of individuals goals, as well as the development of a just society. 1. integrity in professional practice ● demonstrate and promote the qualities of honesty, reliability, impartiality and diligence in their professional practice. ● establish appropriate boundaries in relationships with clients and ensure that the relationship serves the needs of clients. 1. confidentiality in professional practice ● respect the importance of the trust and confidence placed in the professional relationship by clients and members of the public. ● respect client’s right to confidentiality with the informed consent of the client or permission of client’s legal representative. ● demonstrate transparency with respect to limits to confidentiality that apply to their professional practice by clearly communicating these limitations to clients early in their relationship. 1. competence in professional practice ● uphold the right of clients to be offered the highest quality service possible. ● strive to maintain + increase their professional knowledge and skill.

CASW values: thinking critically ● ● ● ●

who developed these values? what were their social location? interests? experiences? what kinds of power is support or disrupted by this ideology? by this set of value statements? which groups of people gain, lose, are missing from this ideology? this set of values? which cultural norms, way of knowing are centred, privileged by these values?

SW ethics and personal values: The worker’s own value base

● ● ●

personal beliefs (assumptions, biases, fears, etc), moral standpoints, ideology (including our own ideas about human welfare), even our ‘gut reactions.’ risk of unconsciously enacting normative, oppressive, moral values. importance of careful self reflection - to identify, explore and contextualize their own value base. ○ CASW code of ethics recognizes role diversity in workers’ values - they are part of our identity and can’t simply be ‘set aside.’

Social work ethics vs agency values: An agency may have values, ideological approaches or demands which a worker finds incompatible with professional values and personal values. an example; dr R Wong and the college of physicians. Eg. Dr R Wong: ●

●

●

“a doctor is there to be a doctor, not to advocate for the poor, or to be the official opposition in government through taxpayers’ money,” ford told the canadian medical association journal in 2010. the college committee struck to determine wong’s penalties saying it took into account the fact that wong’’s “primary purpose was helping patients,” though it called his efforts “misguided.” the six-month license suspension, which begins in two weeks, “is a significant sanction which should give dr. wong, the profession as a whole, and the public at large a clear message that maintenance of integrity and public trust is of paramount importance,” the committee wrote in its penalty report (Toronto star 2014).

Ethical dilemmas (one definition for social work): ● ● ●

situations of needing to choose between available courses of action, and any action will cause the compromising of professional ethics or standards. vs. tension or discomfort about applying professional standard, or between personal and professional values. the order of screening items to consider in ethical decision-making (top - bottom): ○ the protection of life ○ equality and inequality ○ autonomy and freedom ○ least harm; quality of life ○ privacy and confidentiality ○ truthfulness and full disclosure

Resolving dilemmas: ● ● ●

value of safety prevails CASW advises to seek to resolve in ways that are consistent with code, then seek consultation. several models for ranking values, assessing dilemmas: eg. the four-step model. ○ 4 step framework: (1) clarify the problem, (2) describe ethical considerations, (3) choose a solution, (4) implement & evaluate

[read chapter 3 summary]

LEC 04 SOCIAL WORK ROLES ● ● ● ●

some social work roles specific to field of practice, practice settings. generic roles span all types of SW practice; all generic roles are crucial to generalist practice. generic social work roles span all levels of SW practice: ○ micro - mezzo - macro roles are neither unique to SW, however together they reflect and form the SW orientation.

Generic and generalist roles: ● ● ● ●

●

generic roles = flow out of the purpose, values, ideology, and theories adopted by the profession. generalist roles = expected to attain competency in a wide range of diverse generic roles. a social worker needs skills in generic practice roles, such as counselling and advocacy, in order to perform specialized functions that are required in specific fields of practice. the roles to learn and hone depend on the interests of the individual, the fields in which the social worker will practice, the requirements of unique client situations, relevant social and agency policies, and factors such as the social, cultural, economic, and political contexts of practice. generalist social work practice is too fluid and broad to definitively circumscribe or define its functions.

[read the story of Kim and Ann] Generic social work roles: ●

micro and mezzo systems: work with individuals, families and groups

○

●

case manager ■ very common in general social work practice and is often referred to in the social work literature. ■ the fundamental purpose of case management is to provide supports and resources to clients so that they can maximize the use of these services and, to the extent possible, mobilize their own resources, skills and capabilities. ■ it ensures that clients are able to access + benefit from appropriate resources and services. ■ case managers work with clients who are very vulnerable and have to overcome significant challenges. they often require coordinated services that meet several areas of need; physical care, counselling, financial assistance, and home-based support. ■ a good case manager, educated as a social worker, can provide immediate, on-the-spot crisis counselling and help to mobilize the man’s social support network ■ they are able to assess the need for longer-term counselling and decide whether referral to other services is best or whether the case manager should undertake the counselling. ■ eg. a registered nurse (professionals) ○ counsellor ■ the purpose of counsellors is to help individuals and families change, maintain, or stabilize their social and psychological well-being. ■ it is a common direct practice role (clinical practice). ■ requires that the social worker must be able to apply basic, generic skills such as interviewing, communication, and relationship skills. ■ eg. solution-focused therapy, feminist therapy, and family therapies (cognitive therapies) micro, mezzo, and macro systems: work at all levels of practice ○ advocate ■ social workers act on behalf of others primarily to improve social conditions and promote social justice. ■ case advocate refers to action undertaken on behalf of individual clients. ■ is directed toward a bureaucracy that the client needs to access. ■ one of the goals can be to use advocacy to help create better conditions for the client to take further action by him or herself. in this limited sense. advocacy has an empowering function. ■ class advocacy is direct action taken by a social worker on behalf of a group of people. it is aimed at the policies of social institutions or legislation. ■ more than case advocacy, class advocacy is a political process that takes place in the public arena. ■ eg. capacity and initiative

○

enabler or facilitator ■ enabling is doing “with” a client rather than “for” the client. the focus of enabling is to help clients empower themselves. ■ two different purposes: 1. to achieve goals agreed upon by the worker and client. 2. to use the process of meeting these goals to promote a client’s growth and development. ○ is not always possible. the social worker must make the judgement call that the client has the capacity to achieve agreed-upon goals. ○ requires that the client wants help form the worker. when the client is not voluntary (does not want the worker’s help), enabling is usually not possible. ○ eg. coaching, teaching, and modelling ● group worker ○ help individuals within the group. group therapy, support groups, and self-help groups are often used in direct practice as a process to counsel, provide emotional support, and/or educate. ○

●

●

●

important when working with interdisciplinary professional teams, task committees, boards of directors in organizations, workplace peers, and many more. ○ goals of groups are wide-ranging and may include goals that vary from anger management to improved parenting to group discussion skills, to learning english as a second language, etc. ○ eg. the enabler role educator, teacher, or coach ○ an empowering and enabling role that has a number of functions. ○ teaching involved a number of functions that range from micro to macro practice. ○ eg. modelling, public education, teaching daily living skills, coaching and role-playing. ○ these examples assume empowerment - that the teaching is provided so clients can take effective action by themselves. mediator ○ a direct practice role that is used to help people solve disputes and negotiate conflicts. the intent is to resolve conflicts by having parties to the dispute address the blocks to settlement. ○ eg. family mediation - a common skill required of social workers in child welfare practice. outreach worker ○ attempts to extend services to people in the community by defining who is in need and then offering services or referrals. ○ the attempt is often to provide a service to people who are not clients. ○ educates community members

○

●

●

●

social workers who work as case managers also are often required to perform outreach. ○ eg. community outreach - the social worker would likely need community development skills (community and outreach often overlap). social broker ○ a major function of case managers is to act as a social broker. ○ main goal is to connect clients with needed resources. ○ ensure that the client has a good understanding of the resources that are available and, to the best of the workers ability, an understanding of the quality of these services. ○ the goal of the social worker is to enable the client to access t...