Chapter Seven: Introduction and Social Workers Flashcards
Why did the view on volunteers change in the 1980s?
Governments cut back social welfare spending.
How did the view on volunteers change in the 1980s?
It was assumed volunteers would fill any service gaps that resulted from cuts.
What are professional helpers?
They are people who are paid, provide knowledge, have training and relevant experience.
What do professional helpers use?
Planned, systematic, measurable, and scientific methods.
What are professional helpers guided by?
A specific code of ethics.
What are the titles of professional helpers?
Social workers and social service workers
What are the titles of non-professional helpers?
Lay helpers, volunteers, self-help groups, family caregivers, peer counselors, friends, and any informal helper.
What are non-professional helpers?
They are people who receive little to basic training and are recognized for their natural helping skills.
What do care team meetings do for the tension between professional and non-professional helpers?
They bring professionals and non-professionals together.
What are care team meetings?
When agency workers form to coordinate services for clients with a variety of needs.
Why might someone invite a volunteer, family member, or friend to a care team meeting?
For moral support or practical assistance.
How did social workers educate the public about poverty?
Through social reform movements.
Who do social workers work alongside?
Psychologists, child-care workers, and guidance counsellors.
Social workers make up the _______ in the Canadian social welfare system.
Largest single occupational group.
Who do social workers work directly with?
People who are disadvantaged.
What do social workers provide?
Input on the development and delivery of income security programs and social services, alongside material aid and counselling.
Where are social workers employed?
Hospitals, private practice, religious organizations, voluntary agencies, etc..
What are the social workers core values?
Respect for persons, social justice, and service to humanity.
What guides professional practice?
Confidentiality, integrity, and competence.
Where does knowledge come from for social workers?
The shared experience of workers, individual professional experiences, applied research, and different fields.
What does the crossover between different fields and social work provide?
A highly interdisciplinary knowledge base.
How many social workers work in healthcare and social service agencies?
More than three-quarters.
What is the dominant scope of practice for social workers?
Person-in-environment.
What is person-in-environment?
When you look at how external factors can help or hinder individual well-being.
What do social workers need to learn about to practice person-in-environment?
Clients’ level of functioning, how external forces can affect that functioning, and how a client interacts with their environment.
What skills are required to some degree for most activities involving social workers?
Assessment, intervention, and evaluation.
Who is being helped at the micro level?
Individuals, families, and small groups.
Who is being helped at the mezzo level?
Social welfare organizations.
Who is being helped at the macro level?
Social problems and political issues.
What did Anne Westhues find regarding social work education?
Gender and racism are the most covered topics.
What topics are increasing in coverage in the classroom?
Sexual orientation, aboriginal issues, and older adults.
How have social work educational programs responded to the constant changes in our diverse culture?
Attracting more visible minorities and making changes to the CASW’s code of ethics.
What do social workers need to learn to do in terms of their practice?
Address client’s needs, meet demands for services, take social action, and provide effective service.
Why might it be difficult for social workers to learn these things in terms of their practice?
Needs are becoming increasingly complex, social welfare services are shrinking, and social problems are more widespread.
What is the CASW and what does it do?
A federation that plays a leadership role in advancing the social work profession and creating national standards.
How do legislation and regulation limit what social workers can and can not do?
Through social work acts, scope of practice statements, and documents that specify qualifications.
How have policies to save money affected social work in terms of healthcare?
Social workers may be supervised by non social workers in healthcare settings because workers from various disciplines are grouped under generic titles.
How have policies to save money affected social work in terms of social agencies?
They are hiring more people with fewer credentials or little to no training.
Why has the social work identity been redefined over the past couple of years?
The regulation of restricted practice activities: practices that only certain groups or professionals can carry out.
What are some challenges for social workers and social service workers?
Work overload, job insecurity, lower pay, fewer benefits, stress and burnout, work-life conflicts, and general dissatisfaction with work.
Why are people attracted to this field of work?
People think the work is meaningful, flexible schedules, promotion of teamwork, and dynamic work environments.
