Introduction to

Social Work
Practice
GENERALIST APPROACH
Essential Elements in Social
Work Practice
 CLIENT
 WORKER
 PROBLEM
 PROCESS
5 agreed upon dimensions:

1. Importance of multiple level interventions

 Individuals ---- micro
 Families ---- micro/mezzo
 Groups --- mezzo
 Organizations --- mezzo/macro
 Communities --- macro
*Each is viewed as a system within
micro
its environment
mezzo
macro
5 agreed upon dimensions:

2. Practitioners use a problem-solving, planned- change

approach to resolve issues encountered by any of these
systems.
Engagement
•Generalist Intervention
Assessment
Model (GIM)
Planning

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
•Manager
•Negotiator
•Advocate
5 agreed upon dimensions:
Generalist social workers must have infinite flexibility, a solid knowledge-
5.

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
 Organizational structure
Cultural
Supervision
competency
YOU
AS GP
1.Knowledge
2. Values
3. Skills

Application
Processes
Principles/Values
Assuming a
wide range of Emphasizing client
roles empowerment
Human Diversity
Using critical Advocacy/Social and Economic
thinking
Justice
Following a
planned-change TARGET SYSTEM
process
Macro System
Mezzo System
Micro
System
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 IFGOC
 Use empathy and other interpersonal skills
 Develop a mutually agreed-on focus of work and desired outcomes Engagement

 Assessment
Collect, organize, and interpret client data Assessment
 Assess client strengths and limitations
 Develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives
Planning
 Select appropriate intervention strategies

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

Termination
 Critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate interventions
Evaluation
Follow-up
 Systems theory states that behavior is influenced
by a variety of factors that work together as
a system. ... In systems theory, a social
worker must observe and analyze all of
the systems that contribute to an individual's
behavior and welfare, and work to strengthen
those systems.
 The ecological perspective suggests that
emotional disturbances, for example, are
disturbances resulting from a pattern of
maladaptive trans- actions between the organism
and the environment through which
environmental activity shapes the person and the
person's social functioning influences the
environment.
 The structural-functional approach is a
perspective in sociology that sees society as a
complex system whose parts work together to
promote solidarity and stability. ... Each social
structure has social functions, or consequences
for the operation of society as a whole.
 Role theory is a perspective in sociology and
in social psychology that considers most of
everyday activity to be the acting out of socially
defined categories (e.g., mother, manager,
teacher). Each role is a set of rights, duties,
expectations, norms and behaviors that a person
has to face and fulfill.
 Psychodynamic perspectives in social
work focus on the individuality of each human
being and the unique way in which internal
emotions and drives create each individual's
behavior. This view respects human beings by
helping them to make sense of their experiences
and the present strains and stresses.
 Originating in 1977 with psychologist Albert
Bandura, social learning theory explains that
human behavior is learned through observation
and imitation. ... According to the theory,
the learning process involves observing and
experiencing new behaviors that are reinforced
through other people — or models.
 Psychosocial development theory is an eight-
stage theory of identity and psychosocial
development articulated by
Erik Erikson. Erikson believed everyone must
pass through eight stages of development over the
life cycle: hope, will, purpose, competence,
fidelity, love, care, and wisdom.
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

Individual

Dance
Team