Generalist Practice

Social Work
 What is Social Work?
• ?? Why do you want to be a social worker?
• !! Baby-snatcher!
 5 agreed upon dimensions:
1. Importance of multiple level interventions
– Individuals ---- micro
– Families ---- micro/mezzo
– Groups --- mezzo
– Organizations --- mezzo/macro
– Communities --- macro
micro
*Each is viewed as a system within
mezzo
its environment macro
 5 agreed upon dimensions:
2. Practitioners use a problem-solving, planned-
change approach to resolve issues
encountered by any of these systems.
Engagement

Assessment
• Generalist Intervention
Planning
Model (GIM)
Implementation

Evaluation

Termination

Follow-up
 5 agreed upon dimensions:

3. Ethical principles and social work values.

*Include a focus on private issues of human well-
being, social and economic justice, and appreciation
of human diversity.
 5 agreed upon dimensions:
4. Practitioners assume a wide range of roles:
• Counselor Educator
• Broker Case Manager
• Mobilizer Mediator
• Facilitator Integrator/Coordinator
• Manager Initiator
• Negotiator Spokesperson
• Organizer Consultant
• Advocate
 5 agreed upon dimensions:
5.Generalist social workers must have infinite flexibility, a
solid knowledge-base about many things, and a wide
range of skills at their disposal:
- Select effective strategies
- Evaluate results of practice
- Professional competence

Knowledge base chosen from a range of theories:

- Systems
- Ecological
- Structural functionalism
- Role theory
- Psycho-dynamic
- Learning Theory
- Erickson’s Psychosocial Development
- many more
 Generalist Practice Definition
• Generalist Practice is the application of an
eclectic knowledge-base, professional values,
and a wide range of skills to target systems of
any size for planned change within the context
of three primary principles, a context, and four
major processes
 Organizational structure

Supervision Cultural competency

YOU AS
GP
1.Knowledge
2. Values
3. Skills

Processes Application

Assuming a
Principles/Values
wide range of Emphasizing client empowerment
roles Human Diversity
Advocacy/Social and Economic
Using critical
thinking Justice

Following a
planned-change
TARGET SYSTEM
process
Macro System
Mezzo System
Micro
System
 MSUM School of Social Work’s Definition
of Generalist Practice Social Work

• Generalist practice is the critical application of

an eclectic knowledge base, professional
values, and a wide range of culturally
competent skills to a planned-changed
process at any system level.
 Generalist Intervention Model
Engagement
• Substantively and effectively prepare for action with Engagement
IFGOC
• Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
• Develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired Assessment
outcomes
Assessment
Planning
• Collect, organize, and interpret client data
• Assess client strengths and limitations
• Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and
objectives Implementation
• Select appropriate intervention strategies

Intervention
• Initiate actions to achieve organizational goals Evaluation
• Implement prevention interventions that enhance client
capacities
• Help clients resolve problems
• Negotiate, mediate, and advocate for clients
Termination
• Facilitate transitions and endings

Evaluation Follow-up
• Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions
Systems Theory
 Definition of Systems Theory
• System – a set of elements that are orderly and
interrelated to make a functional whole.
• Systems theory:
– Targets multiple systems of different size
– Focus on boundaries WITHIN a system
System Dynamic
Interact Homeostasis (equilibrium)
Input Output
Equifinality
 Ecological Theory
• Refers only to living dynamic interactions
• Focuses on transactions BETWEEN the
individual and environment at the interface
point.
Social Environment Person in Environment
Energy (input/output) Interface
Adaptation Coping
Interdepedence
 Ecological Theory
School
Friends/
Individual
Peers

Family

Dance
Spiritual Team
orientation