Key Social Work Terms Flashcards
aberrant
Markedly different from an accepted norm; deviant, atypical, or nonconforming
abstinence
practicing of not doing something; often used to describe an activity which may be enjoyable such as drinking alcohol or engaging in sexual activity
acculturation
process of individuals or groups acquiring or adopting the cultural traits, practices, and values of another culture while maintaining their own cultural identity; does not restrict the need to change those in minority
act of commission
engaging in an act of malfeasance when knowing the action or omission is illegal
act of omission
failure to perform a legal duty; social work task that is not done despite the need to do so according to established standards of care
active listening
a technique that involves listening closely and asking questions as needed to fully understand latent and manifest communication, as well as feeling associated with the content of the message; critical to client-centered therapy
acuity
sharpness or ability; particularly of the mind, vision, or hearing
acute
short or episodic; often characterized by high intensity and unanticipated (sudden onset), not chronic
ad hoc
created or done for a particular needed purpose; occurs temporarily to fulfill a given need
advance directive
written statement of wishes regarding medical treatment to ensure those wishes are honored in the event that they cannot be communicated to doctors; ex. living wills, power of attorney, health care proxy, do not resuscitate orders
age of consent
legal age at which a minor can legally engage in a behavior without parental consent; varies by jurisdiction and type of activity
minors are granted the right to confidentiality if they are over the age of consent as they are regarded in the same manner as adults
ageism
stereotyping based on age; a form of discrimination
amelioration
aimed at improving or making better; lessening of symptoms or severity of disease, illness, or disorderly eradicating a social problem
antecedents
things or events that existed before or logically precede others; often identified as causes of maladaptive behaviors
assent
agreement or approval by someone not able to give legal consent due to age or cognitive ability
assimilation
process of individuals adopting the dominant cultural norms, practices, and values, often leading to the loss of suppression of their own cultural identity
atrophy
decreasing in size and function; shrinkage of muscle or nerve tissue; can be caused by aging, inactivity, malnutrition, and other injuries, illnesses, and conditions
aversion therapy
a behavior therapy designed to make clients give up undesirable habits by causing them to associate these habits with unpleasant effects
bartering
acceptance of services, goods, or other non-monetary payments from the client in return for services
creates the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, and inappropriate boundaries in social workers’ relationships with clients; only permissible in very limited cultural contexts
baseline
functioning before the intervention occurs; intervention is often the service or treatment delivered by a social worker
beneficence
to act for the benefit of others; the moral obligation of helping professionals to do no harm and act in the best interest of others
benign
not damaging or threatening to life, often used to describe growths that are not cancerous
boundary violation
harmful or potentially harmful deviation from established professional standards dictated by professional relationships; often involves exploitation
capacity building
intervention aimed at enhancing the abilities or resources of an individual, group, organization, or community
capitation
payment structure used with insurance companies; provider or facility is paid a fixed amount for each person
risk is taken by the entity to deliver services under the cost of contract incentive to provider or facility to promote wellness
catchment area
geographical area which defines who is eligible for a service or benefit if they meet additional admission requirements (if any are established)
centralization
consolidation of power or functions within an organization; associated with bureaucracy and a “top down” approach to operations
chronic
long-standing; persisting for a long time or reoccurring; continual
civil disobedience
nonviolent opposition or protest aimed at making government change; can include refusing to obey certain laws
client self-monitoring
form of data gathering in which clients are asked to systematically observe and record specific targets such as their own thoughts, emotions, body feelings, and behaviors, often used in CBT
close-ended questioning
soliciting information which requires choice from a limited number of options (yes/no); used to structure assessment; beneficial when time is limited or specific information is required
cognitive dissonance
holding 2 beliefs, values, or attitudes that contradict each other; can cause mental discomfort and psychological stress
cognitive distortions
inaccurate, irrational, views of reality which may serve to assist with coping with adverse events; unhealthy thoughts which are often addressed in CBT
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
a therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing negative thoughts and behaviors to improve mental health
collateral information
records or documents associated with the client that are used in the problem-solving process; may be used to corroborate information provided by the client
collective bargaining
the process by which unionized employees and their employers negotiate about working conditions, salaries, benefits, and so forth
community development
focus on enhancing social bonds between and increasing leadership skills of residents as well as revitalizing local geographic areas
comorbidity
occurring at the same time, such as having a psychological and medical problem simultaneously; often referred to as co-occurring
compassion fatigue
stress resulting from working with those who have experienced trauma
symptoms include apathy, feeling overwhelmed, exhaustion, pessimism, and feeling powerlessness; sometimes referred to as the “cost of caring”
conflict resolution
informal or formal process that two or more parties use to find an acceptable solution to the dispute or disagreement
confrontation
therapeutic technique of calling attention to distorted thinking, behavioral patterns, or ineffective communication so that it can be addressed
congruent communication
verbal and nonverbal language and actions provide consistent messages; important for intimacy and emotional connection
conjoint therapy
partners in a relationship or members of a family are treated together in joint sessions, instead of being treated separately, also conjoint counseling
consent
legal permission for something to happen or agreement to do something; cannot be obtained from those not legally authorized to make decisions
consultation
usually time-limited work or guidance provided due to specialized expertise; advice does not have to be followed (non-binding)
continuity of care
ensuring that there are no gaps or duplications in service
often a focus when moving from one provider to another, or being discharged from a hospital or other inpatient setting
continuum of care
range of services geared to address varying levels of need from most to least severe; needed to appropriately address problems as they get better and or worse
contraindication
reason for a person not to receive a medication, treatment, or intervention as it is not appropriate and or could be harmful
control group
group that receives no intervention or treatment; compared to the functioning of the experimental group
convalescence
time spent recovering from an illness, injury, or other medical condition; often referred to as recuperation
cooptation
strategy for reducing resistance by including opponents in decision-making; aims to change the viewpoints of those who are oppositional
cost-benefit analysis
examining the costs associated with service delivery in light of the financial benefits from program outcomes
countertransference
emotional reaction of the helper which can be used to identify the reactions of others to the one being assisted
based on the helper’s own psychological needs which are revealed through conscious responses; historically seen as a hindrance but now viewed as helpful to the therapeutic process
court-ordered treatment
assessment, intervention, or service that is mandated by a judge
custodial care
assisting others to meet their basic needs and with activities of daily living specialized treatment provided such as health or mental health care focused on rehabilitation
DAP note
popular standardized format to write psychotherapy or progress notes (Data, Assessment, Plan)
decentralization
location of power and decision-making authority with those who are directly working on the frontlines instead of those in upper management positions
decompensation
loss of typical functioning; can relate to coherent thought, emotional regulation, activities of daily living, and or cognitive functioning
deductive reasoning
“top down” approach to understanding whether or not an assumption is true; making assumptions based on widely accepted facts or premises; drawing a conclusion based on reasoning
delirium
disordered thought can include changes in cognition (disorientation, memory impairment, or language disturbance), hallucinations, restlessness, and misinterpretation of sounds or sights
an acute state that develops quickly; can fluctuate over a short period; multiple etiologies; usually temporary and treatable
delusion
false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary; believing something that is not true
dementia
general term for loss of memory, language, problem-solving, and other thinking abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life
primarily impacts those of the age of 65; the likelihood of developing dementia significantly increases with age
descriptive statistics
summary data that provides information about a large sample or population; mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and so forth
desensitization
gradual reduction in adverse reaction to stimuli due to exposure or as a result of behavioral techniques aimed at reducing anxiety or fear
developmental disability
condition occurring before adulthood that results in life-long functional impairment
may be due to genetic or other disorders present at birth or an accident during childhood that causes significant difficulties with cognition, mobility, and/or other functional domains
differential diagnosis
process of distinguishing between mental, physical, or other problems that result in similar symptoms or might be causes for behavior
discharge plan
structured plan to ensure follow up, safety, and continuity of care after termination; often used when leaving inpatient and or medical facilities; focused on sustaining any progress made and ‘next steps’
double bind
contradictory messages or requests in which affirmatively responding to one negates the other; situation in which any choice results in unpleasant outcomes
dual relationship
having another association with a client, such as a friend, family member, intimate partner, coworker, and so forth; should be avoided due to boundary violations
duty to warn
obligation of mental health professionals to inform others of dangerous client behavior; exception to confidentiality to prevent injury to others
dysphoria
general sense of dissatisfaction
ecological perspective
focuses on the interrelationship between individuals and their environment; emphasis on the interactions between people and the large contexts in which they exist
ego dystonic
thoughts, impulses, or wishes that are repugnant or unacceptable to one’s sense of self; sometimes referred to as ‘ego alien’
ego strength
ability to effectively cope with stressors and challenges, maintain a sense of self, and make adaptive decisions
ego syntonic
thoughts, impulses, or wishes that are acceptable to self as they are compatible with one’s views and ways of thinking
encopresis
passage of feces which is involuntary, may be due to emotional or psychological problems; often treated with behavioral intervention; medical causes should be ruled out
endogenous depression
depression that cannot be linked to an external psychological stressor so it is assumed to be caused by a biological or genetic factor
enmeshed family
members have little to no autonomy or personal boundaries
entitlement
feeling that special consideration is deserved; right or benefit of a person or group; benefit program for which one has the legal right to receive
entropy
degree of chaos, randomness, disorganization, and disorder in a system or family
enuresis
urination that is involuntary; may be caused by a medical problem, which should first be ruled out, or psychological distress
equilibrium
state of balance or stability
equity
approach to resource allocation in which individuals receive their fair share of the goods and services in society
distinct from equality which provides each resource to all as quite sometimes requires treating people differently from others to compensate for lack of opportunities
ethical dilemma
situation in which two ethical values or standards conflict with one another
ethnocentrism
judging one’s own social, cultural, or racial group as superior to others; tendency to view and or judge others’ ethnicity in light of one’s own
etiology
cause of a behavior, disorder, or disease; root of the problem
exogenous depression
depression caused by a distressing event or situation; also called “reactive depression”
exploitation
taking unfair advantage of people, situations, and so forth for personal benefit
external locus of control
belief that outcomes are not under one’s control, but rather due to environmental factors, luck, chance, or randomness
external validity
event to which results are generalizable
extinction
falling and disappearance of behavior that was previously learned by association with another event; behavior eventually becomes extinct if reward no longer follows the behavior
extrinsic reward
a positive consequence for behavior or actions that is not natural
face validity
accepting the accuracy of a report, instrument, or document based on whether it appears to represent a construct or constructs
false negative
inaccurate test results indicating negative findings (or absence of a condition when they are really positive (or condition is present))
false positive
inaccurate test results indicating positive findings (or absence of a condition when they are really negative (or condition is present))
feasibility study
assessment to determine whether goals, objectives, or plans are achievable given available resources
fee splitting
receiving compensation for referrals made to other professionals; unethical in social work practice
fee-for-service
payment method for services in which providers set their own fees, that are paid in part or full by recipients and or insurance companies
flooding
behavioral technique in which stimuli that cause anxiety are presented with regularity and intensity so that they no longer produce an adverse response
formative evalutation
gathering and analyzing feedback during the development or implementation of a program, project, or product; often used to help improve processes
free association
process used in psychoanalysis which encourages client to verbalize whatever thoughts come to mind, no matter how embarrassing, illogical, or irrelevant, allows unconscious ideas and feelings to be revealed so they can be interpreted
gatekeeping
people, processes, or structures that limit or obstruct access; may be tied to perpetuating systems or rationing resources
generativity
orientation towards making the world a better place for others; benevolence, most commonly occurs during the middle adulthood according to Erickson
genogram
diagram illustrating a client’s family members, how they are related, and their medical history
used to see hereditary patterns of behavior and medical and psychological factors that are shared or influential
gentrification
making physical improvements to housing within a neighborhood that result in attracting wealthier individuals to the area
displaces long-term residents who cannot afford to live in the gentrified area due to increased property values
globalization
growing interdependence of the world’s economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by the cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information
grandiosity
exaggerated sense of self, importance, or ability; may be regarded as a delusion of grandeur when extreme
groupthink
when a group of individuals reaches a consensus without critical evaluation of the consequences or alternatives
hallucination
false sensory perception that is believed to be real though it is not; most common are auditory and visual; typically a symptom of a psychotic disorder, but can be caused by substance use, medical problem, or another condition
harm reduction
approach designed to reduce the negative effects of risky behaviors, rather than eliminate the behaviors altogether
hematuria
presence of blood in a person’s urine; characterized as “gross” when blood can easily be seen or “micro”when it cannot but it is visible under a microscope
histrionic behavior
manipulative behavior that is dramatic, demanding, self-indulgent, and attention seeking
human relations theory
school or organizational thought that emphasizes the importance of social and psychological factors in the workplace as a means of influencing employee productivity
hypomania
a milder version of mania that lasts for a short period (usually a few days) characterized by elevated mood, enhanced irritability, higher energy level, being more talkative, and or feeling more confident
does not cause significant distress or greatly impair functioning related to work, family, or social life like mania
id
part of the personality that contains the instinctual, biological drives; most primitive component of the personality; located in the unconscious; desire for immediate gratification begins in infancy until the ego begins to develop
ideas of reference
beliefs that irrelevant or benign things directly refer to self or have special personal significance; often referred to as “deleusions of reference”
ideation
formation of ideas or beliefs; suicidal ideation requires social workers to asses for harm
impaired colleague
a coworker whose functioning has deteriorated because of a physical or mental problem, including substance use, disability, death of family or friend, burnout, stress, illness, etc.
addressed by bringing to the attention of the person, when feasible so accommodations can be made to eliminate the impact on service delivery
in vivo
conditions that approximate real-life; often used to describe face-to-face encounters such as in-vivo supervision
incongruency
lack of consistency such as when a subjective assessment is at odds with reality; gap between real and ideal self
incontinence
inability to control urination or secretion of feces
inductive reasoning
making broad generalizations from specific observations; the opposite of deductive reasoning
inferential statistics
used to draw conclusions about a population based on sample data
informed consent
legal permission granted with full knowledge of the possible risks and benefits
interdisciplinary
analyzes, synthesizes and harmonizes links between disciplines into a coordinated and coherent whole; distinct from multidisciplinary
intermittent reinforcement
when only some responses are rewarded; operant behavior technique; difficult to extinguish behaviors that have been intermittently reinforced
internal locus of control
belief that things happen are greatly influenced by own abilities, actions, or mistakes
internal validity
confidence that independent variable causes the dependent variable (cause and effect)
intersectionality
interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, gender, and class, often refers to overlapping systems of discrimination and disadvantage
involuntary commitment
legal process that results in a person who is deemed a danger to self or others being confined to a hospital or facility without consent; length of stay varies depending on continued presence of dangerous behavior; reevaluation occurs regularly
latent content
symbolic or hidden meaning that is not overly expressed or evident, the focus of psychoanalysis as it repressed urges and desires
learned helplessness
feeling of no control over a situation which results in behavior in a dependent or powerless manner; leads to failure to engage in opportunities to change; prevents activity or action
least restrictive environment
conditions that have the fewest controls or those that approximate the settings that would naturally occur; often with people with disabilities to ensure inclusion in greater society or avoid segregation in education
lethality
ability to cause death or serious harm
level of care
degree of assistance needed by person seeking service; determination often needed to identify appropriate reimbursement for services; related to medical necessity in health care
living will
type of advance directive in which medical treatments, procedures, and medications desired and not desired are specified if patient can’t communicate their wishes
may be referred to as a medical directive or an advance healthcare directive
locus of control
influence over life conditions; external locus of control regards outcomes as arising from external or situational factors that cannot be influence while internal locus of control regards outcomes ns due to one’s own actions and abilities
longitudinal study
research using data that is gathered on the same subjects, cohort, or population repeatedly over time
magical thinking
belief that one’s own actions influence external events in the environment, often referred to as ‘superstitious thinking’
maleficence
act of committing harm or evil; prevented by using evidence-based interventions and adhering to accepted standards of care
malingering
exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty or work; motivation to engage in behavior is intentional with external gain
managed care
coordination of benefits by a third party (usually payers) to reduce the cost of providing health care and ensuring continuity of treatment
mandated clients
those who receive services involuntarily as they have been ordered by courts, legal entities, or government-sanctioned organizations such as child protective services
mandatory reporting
requirement by law to inform authorities of suspected abuse or neglect; many apply to the treatment of children, older adults, those with cognitive or other disabilities, etc. Social workers serve as mandatory reporters
mania
extreme state of excitement and overactivity; often accompanied by over-optimism, grandiosity, and impaired judgement
preoccupation with an activity or idea when used as a suffix, such as with the impulse control disorders of kleptomania and pyromania
manifest content
material that is overtly expressed or evident; the dreams thoughts or fantasies that are remembered in psychoanalysis
means test
method for determining financial eligibility for a benefit, service, or program; poverty line often used as a benchmark for eligibility; assessment based on income and assets
medical necessity
services or supplies that are deemed essential to diagnose or treat medical or behavioral conditions according to accepted standards of care
mental status exam
assessment of current mental capacity through evaluation of general appearance, behavior, beliefs, mood, and cognition (attention, memory, orientation, etc.)
microaggressions
prejudiced thoughts or discriminatory actions in indirect, subtle, or unintentional forms
mindfulness
practice of cultivating present-moment awareness and non-judgemental acceptance, often used as a therapeutic technique to reduce stress and promote well-being
modeling
effective teaching technique in which learning occurs through imitating the actions of others
morbidity
rate of disease in a group or population; presence of unhealthiness or psychological state marked by excessive gloom
mortality
state of being mortal (destined to die), used for the death rate or the number of deaths in a certain group of people in a certain period
motivational interviewing
counseling approach aimed at helping make changes; techniques focus on resolving ambivalence, eliciting change talk and behavior, and helping utilize internal motivation to make needed changes
mutual aid
reciprocal care; approach used with group of those with same problem or condition who provide peer assistance and support
needs assessment
identifying resources, opportunities, and challenges to address problem or wants
negative entropy
system becoming less disordered or more ordered; growing or developing
negligence
failure to use reasonable care or caution
nonverbal communication
information that is generated from gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, etc. may be congruent or incongruent with verbal communication
object permanence
understanding that something exists even if it cannot be seen due to the ability to form a mental representation of the object or person
ombudsman
an official who investigates, settles, and reports on complaints that can involve violations of human rights or systemic issues; often referred to as a ‘public advocate’ when working for a government authority
open-ended questions
inquiry that requires qualitative, more in-depth answers, not using pre-defined choices; useful in social work interview
overgeneralization
inappropriately applying conclusions based on one situation to others; falsely predicting outcomes based on past experiences that differ
overrepresentation
disproportionately higher incidence or greater presence of a characteristic than expected; may be desired to ensure inclusion of minority groups; impacts generalizability of findings as proportions do not match what would be found typically or generally
palliative care
medical care that focuses on comfort rather than providing a care; the goal is to reduce the severity of a disease or slow progress
paradoxical directive
prescribing the symptoms or behaviors that are targeted for change, referred to as “reverse psychology”
paraphrasing
therapeutic technique of using different words to re-state assertions to improve understanding and help with analyzing meaning
parity
equality between two or more constructs or policies; social workers often advocate that mental health care should be treated with the same care and funding as physical care
partialization
breaking down issues or processes into incremental steps or actions
peer support
guidance by individuals with lived experiences to others facing similar challenges, often through mutual sharing and understanding
permanency planning
assessing and preparing children for long-term care when in out-of-home placements such as with family, resource families, or residential facilities
person-in-environment perspective
professional view that examines the mutual interactions and fit between clients and their social environment
pluralism
system in which two or more states, groups, principles, and so forth coexist; a philosophy that society should contain those with diverse views that are promoted
positive regard
unconditional acceptance of others without judgment
power of attorney
legal authorization for a designated person to make decisions about another person’s property, finances, or medical care
privileged communication
legal right to keep professional interactions private; applies to doctor-patient and lawyer-client discussion
a psychotherapist-patient privilege was established in the Federal Rules of Evidence in 1996 with the Jaffee v Redmond case
pro bono
provisions of services free of charge, typically for individuals who cannot afford them
professional development
activities aimed at advancing skills, traits, and competencies that contribute to your success in the workplace
prognosis
prediction of the course, duration, severity, and outcome of a condition, disease or disorder, helps a client weigh the benefits of different treatment options
projective test
personality test designed to let a person respond to ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts of the person
proxy
someone who is authorized to act on behalf of another, used to describe a decision or vote made for another
psychoeducation
providing information to those seeking or receiving mental health services and or their families about the nature of disorders, treatment, and the skills needed to avoid relapse
psychopathology
scientific study of mental illness or disorders
psychopharmacology
use of medication to treat mental disorders; some disorders such as those characterized by psychosis require this approach
psychosis
incapacitating mental functioning characterized by impaired thinking, reasoning and reality testing; distorted perceptions, inappropriate affect or emotional reactions, ideas of reference, hallucinations and or delusions
quality improvement
an ongoing, systematic approach to identifying and addressing areas for improvement in delivery processes and outcomes
reality testing
assessing limitation in light of biological, physiological, social or environmental actualities; distinguishing between fantasy and real life
reasonable accommodation
adjustments to assure that an individual with a disability has rights and privileges equal to those without disabilities
recusal
remove from participation due to conflict or potential conflict of interest; used in law to disqualify a judge or jury because of prejudice or conflict of interest
referral
recommendation of a specialized service or practitioner; can involve the act of sending client
reinforcement
process in which the frequency or probability of a response is increased used in operant conditioning
relapse
deterioration after a period of improvement
reliability
consistency in measurement or findings
respite care
temporary assistance to persons who need ongoing help to provide relief for regular caregivers; essential to avoid caregiving burnout
restorative justice
approach with emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior, emphasizes that those most affected by criminal behavior should participate in the process and resolution
restricted funds
money or resources that can only be used for an intended purpose specified by the granted or funder
risk assessment
process of determining the danger that an individual would likely pose to self or others
role complementarity
acting expectedly; performing appropriately in assumed roles; opposite of role discomplementarity
role reversal
exchanging their duties and positions; can be used as a therapeutic technique in psychodrama to help increase understanding of other’s feelings and experiences
rumination
regurgitating food and then swallowing it; being preoccupied with certain obsessive thoughts
safety net
programs, services, and benefits that assist in meeting basic needs; intended as the last resort for families and individuals
scapegoat
person blamed for wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others; family role focused on creating other problems and concerns, often through misbehavior to deflect attention away from the real family issue
scientific management theory
analyzes work flows to improve economic efficiency, especially labor productivity; attempts to increase the productivity of workers through scientific study and analyzing their movements
secondary prevention
screening to identify diseases in the earliest stages, before the onset of signs and symptoms, through measures such as mammography and regular blood pressure testing
self-actualization
full realization of creative, intellectual, and social potential; results from internal drive and external reward
self-help
practice of taking personal responsibility and initiative to improve one’s mental and emotional health
separation anxiety
distress experienced when confronted with actual or imagined disconnection from another; typical part of child development, but may need intervention if prolonged or intense
serotonin
a neurotransmitter in the brain that is the key to mood regulation
shaping
reinforcing progressively closer approximations to the desired behaviors, behavior management technique
single-subject-design
using repeated measurements before and after the introduction of intervention to see variability in thoughts, feelings, and acting
a stable baseline is required before introduction of treatment; ethical issues associated with intervention withdrawal (reversal designs)
SMART goals
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
SOAP note
Subjective
Objective
Assessment
Plan
format used for reporting in records of those receiving services in healthcare settings
social control
process of restricting actions of others through policy or interventions, often done to promote public safety
social desirability bias
tendency to answer questions in a manner that looks favorable, results in overreporting of good positive answers and underreporting negative answers
social exchange theory
weighing potential benefits vs risks before taking action; change will only occur when benefits are perceived as being more salient than the risks
social role theory
considers most activity to be the acting out of socially defined categories that have rights, duties, expectations, norms, and acceptable behaviors
social work interview
purposeful conversations between practitioners and clients involving verbal and nonverbal communication
somatization
psychological distress that is unconsciously expressed as physical ailments, counseling can help to address; motivation is unconscious with no apparent gain for the illness or condition
specifier
extension to a formal diagnosis that specifies one or more particular features like onset or severity
splitting
failure to recognize positive and negative qualities as a cohesive whole; symptoms of BPD, cognitive distortion characterized by all or nothing thinking
standard of care
level and type of service that a reasonably competent and skilled professional with similar education and experience would have provided under the circumstances
strategic planning
in depth process to identify mission, vision, and goals, as well as resources needed to achieve desired outcomes; should include clients, employees, and stakeholders
stratification
arrangement or classification into different groups; often done based on power, prestige, or wealth
strengths perspective
focus on the resources of clients and client systems upon which to build interventions
summarizing
therapeutic technique of consolidating gains which often includes listing evidence of progress
summative evaluation
type of evaluation conducted at the end of a program or project with the goal of assessing its overall effectiveness
superego
part of the personality that represents internalized societal rules, morals, and values
system of care
collaborative approach that involves multiple service providers, agencies, and community stakeholders to provide coordinated and comprehensive support to individuals and families
systematic discrimination
rules, practices, policies, or laws that favor one group over another due to inherent prejudice or bias; results in perpetuating a lack of opportunities and disadvantage for some within society
systems theory
examines clients within the context of their relationships, social systems, and environments, emphasizing the interconnectedness and interdependence of various factors
Tarasoff decision
landmark California court decision that stipulates that those engaged in psychotherapy have a duty to protect or warn third parties if client poses an imminent and foreseeable threat to them
established “duty to warn” mandate
tardive dyskinesia
neurological syndrome that results in repetitive, involuntary, purposeless movements; caused by the long-term use of certain drugs that are used for the treatment of psychiatric and other conditions; usually treated by stopping or minimizing use of the offending drug
task group
group formed to solve a problem, provide a service, or create a product
task-centered treatment
short term intervention in which problems and goals/activities needed to address them are identified with clear timeframes for completion; highly structured; client responsible and highly involved in the change effort
tertiary prevention
intervention with those who are already affected; goals focused on improving quality of life by reducing limitations or delaying complications
third party payers
monetary reimbursement by insurance companies or government agencies for services provided to clients
token economy
behavior management strategy in which points to be used for a reward are awarded when desirably behavior is exhibited (positive reinforcement)
points are also removed in some plans when undesirable behavior occurs (negative reinforcement)
tolerance
capacity to endure continued use or exposure without adverse reaction; can increase over time, especially with regard to drug or alcohol use
transference
emotional reactions by clients in the therapeutic process due to unresolved experiences and unconscious thoughts; usually focused on the helper as a result of displacement or projection
triangulation
use of exclusion or threats in a 3 person relationship to maintain control, adding a 3rd person to a 2 person interaction or relationship to ease tension
often seen in dysfunctional families, use of different data sources in research to increase credibility and confidence in findings
unconditional positive regard
involves showing complete support and acceptance of a person no matter what that person says or does
uninvolved parenting
overall sense of indifference by caregivers; limited engagement with their children and rarely implement rules; not always intentional, as caregivers are often struggling with their own issues
utilization review
process to determine the level of care needed and whether services being delivered are justified; part of the quality assurance process; often conducted by 3rd party payers or insurers
validity
accuracy of measure or finding, the extent to which survey or interview appraises what it intends to assess; differs from reliability that is necessary
vicarious trauma
psychological and other distress based on interactions with those that have been traumatized; usually develops over time
voucher
certificate which allows a person to get a designated good or service, usually prescriptive in scope
withdrawal
physical and psychological removal from a situation, substance, or condition; symptoms may need immediate attention including medical monitoring
xenophobia
dislike or prejudice against people from other countries who are different from oneself generally
