Introduction to Social Work Second Edition

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Introduction to Social Work Second Edition

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Introduction to Social Work An Advocacy-Based Profession

Second Edition

Lisa E. Cox Stockton University

Carolyn J. Tice University of Maryland

Dennis D. Long Xavier University

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Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Cox, Lisa E., author. | Tice, Carolyn J., author. | Long, Dennis D., author.

Title: Introduction to social work : an advocacy-based profession / Lisa E. Cox, Stockton University, Carolyn J. Tice, University of Maryland, Dennis D. Long, Xavier University.

Description: Second edition. | Los Angeles : SAGE, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017030913 | ISBN 9781506394534 (hardcover : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Social service.

Classification: LCC HV40 .C69 2019 | DDC 361.3—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017030913

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Acquisitions Editor: Joshua Perigo

Editorial Assistant: Alexandra Randall

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Copy Editor: Cate Huisman

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Brief Contents 1. Preface 2. Acknowledgments 3. About the Authors 4. Part 1 Understanding Social Work

1. 1. The Social Work Profession 2. 2. The History of Social Work 3. 3. Generalist Social Work Practice 4. 4. Advocacy in Social Work

5. Part 2 Responding to Need 1. 5. Poverty and Inequality 2. 6. Family and Child Welfare 3. 7. Health Care and Health Challenges 4. 8. Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges 5. 9. Mental Health 6. 10. Substance Use and Addiction 7. 11. Helping Older Adults 8. 12. Criminal Justice

6. Part 3 Working in Changing Contexts 1. 13. Communities at Risk and Housing 2. 14. The Changing Workplace 3. 15. Veterans, Their Families, and Military Social Work 4. 16. Environmentalism 5. 17. International Social Work

7. Epilogue: Social Work and Self-Care 8. Appendix: Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social

Workers: Summary of Major Principles 9. Glossary

10. References 11. Index

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Detailed contents Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Part 1 Understanding Social Work

1: The Social Work Profession Learning Objectives Mary Considers Social Work The Professional Social Worker

Social Work’s Unique Purpose and Goals Social Work and Human Diversity

Diversity and Social Justice Intersections of Diversity

Theory and Practice Social Work Values

The NASW Code of Ethics Professionalism Advocacy

Social Work Education Social Work Degrees

Bachelor of Social Work Master of Social Work Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work or Doctor of Social Work

Field Education Certificates and Certifications

Social Work Practice Social Work Roles and Settings Levels of Practice Social Work as a Career Opportunity

Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

2: The History of Social Work Learning Objectives

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Brian Organizes Farmworkers Social Welfare

Social Welfare Policy Conservative and Liberal Ideologies Social Control Social Justice

The Intertwined History of Social Welfare Policy and Social Work

Colonial America: 1607 to 1783 Nineteenth Century America: 1784 to 1890 The Progressive Era: 1890 to 1920 World War I: 1914 to 1918 The Great Depression: 1929 to Early 1940s Rank and File Movement World War II: 1939 to 1945 America’s War on Poverty: 1960 to 1967 Reaganomics: 1981 to 1989 Partisan Gridlock

The Limitations of Social Welfare Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

3: Generalist Social Work Practice Learning Objectives Layla Intervenes at All Levels to Help People Who Are Homeless Knowledge Base for Generalist Social Workers Theoretical Foundations of Generalist Practice

Systems Theory Ecological Perspective Empowerment Theory Strengths Perspective Evidence-Based Practice

Roles for Generalist Social Workers Levels of Generalist Practice

Social Work With Individuals (Micro Level) Social Work With Families and Groups (Mezzo or Meso Level)

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Social Work With Organizations, Communities, and Society (Macro Level)

The Change Process Engagement Assessment Planning Implementation Evaluation

Advocates for Change Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

4: Advocacy in Social Work Learning Objectives Nancy Advocates to Professionalize Social Work in Her State The Need for Professional Advocates

Power and Social Inequality The Ethics of Advocacy

Client Self-Determination Self-Interest and Advocacy Individual Benefit Versus Community Benefit Pathways to Community Benefit

Human Aspects of Helping Social Workers and Social Change

Cause and Function Responses to Hard Times Cause Advocacy Today

The Cost of Advocacy A Model for Dynamic Advocacy

The Cycle of Advocacy The Advocacy Model in Action

Tenets of Advocacy Practice and Policy Model Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Summary

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Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

Part 2 Responding to Need 5: Poverty and Inequality

Learning Objectives Steve Sees the Face of Poverty Poverty

Measures of Poverty Poverty and Inequality The Face of Poverty

Women People of Color Children People Who Are Homeless

Social Service Programs for The Those Who Are Poor Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Medicaid Supplemental Security Income Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Earned-Income Tax Credit Public Housing

Diversity and Poverty Advocacy on Behalf of the People Living in Poverty

Current Trends in Advocacy With People Who Are Poor Dynamic Advocacy and Poverty

Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

The Cycle of Advocacy Your Career and Poverty Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

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6: Family and Child Welfare Learning Objectives Rosa Works to Strengthen Families for the Sake of Children Today’s Families

Diverse Family Forms Divorce Separation Blended Families Single-Parent Households Same-Sex Marriage and Parenting Marriage Equality Cohabitation

Family Problems Domestic Violence Child Maltreatment

Child Welfare Services History of Child and Family Services Parental Versus Child Rights A Global Context for Child Protection Key Child and Family Services

Social Policy and Legislation Supporting Child and Family Services Public Attitudes Toward Services for Children and Families Social Workers’ Attitudes Toward Child and Family Services

Social Work in Schools Challenges Facing School Social Workers

Violence and Bullying Economically Disadvantaged and Homeless Students Students With Physical and Mental Challenges Teen Pregnancy

Improvements in Education to Help Parents and Children

Diversity and Family and Child Welfare Advocacy on Behalf of Families and Children

Current Trends in Advocacy for Child and Family Services

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Dynamic Advocacy and Family and Child Welfare Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Family and Child Welfare Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

7: Health Care and Health Challenges Learning Objectives Gayle Practices Social Work in a Teaching Hospital Health Challenges and the American Health Care System

Threats to Americans’ Health Chronic Illness Heart Disease Stress

Health Disparities and the Uninsured Health Care Policy in the United States

Health Insurance Affordable Care Act

Health Care Trends Integrative Medicine Slow Medicine Prevention and Wellness Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Resilience Inflammation Managed Care Electronic Medical Records

Health Care and Social Work History of Health Social Work Social Workers’ Roles in Health Care Practice Health Care Settings

Emergency Rooms and Trauma and Urgent Care Centers Hospitals and Acute Care Veterans Affairs Hospitals Home Health Care

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Long-Term Care Hospice, End-of-Life, and Palliative Care Rehabilitation Services Clinics Public Health Services

Diversity and Health Care Advocacy on Behalf of People With Health Care Challenges

Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Health Care Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

8: Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges Learning Objectives Joe Advocates for People With Intellectual Challenges Definitions of Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges Types of Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges

Developmental Challenges Physical or Mobility Challenges Mental/Cognitive Challenges

Stigma and Discrimination Against People With Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges Social Work With People Living With Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges

Historical Background of Services for People Living With Physical, Cognitive, or Developmental Challenges Deinstitutionalization Americans With Disabilities Act Social Work Practice With Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges

Person-First Language

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Services for Persons With Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges

Diversity and Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges Advocacy on Behalf of People With Physical, Cognitive, or Developmental Challenges

Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career Working With People Who Have Physical, Cognitive, and Developmental Challenges Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

9: Mental Health Learning Objectives Joyce Seeks Knowledge to Help With Her Broad Caseload at a Mental Health Center Mental Health and Mental Illness

Definitions of Mental Health Status Normal Versus Abnormal Mental Health Mental Health Disorders and the DSM

Evolution of the Mental Health System Institutionalization and Deinstitutionalization Medicalization of Mental Illness Social Work Perspectives Mental Deficits Versus Personal Assets Mental Health Parity and the Affordable Care Act

Social Work Practice in Mental Health Social Work Roles in Mental Health Services Mental Health Literacy Mental Health Settings Digital Mental Health Information and Therapy

Diversity and Mental Health Advocacy on Behalf of People With Mental Health Issues

Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment

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Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Mental Health Social Work Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

10: Substance Use and Addiction Learning Objectives Clayton Uses His Addiction Experience in Community Outreach Substance Use as a Mental Disorder

Causes of Substance Use Codependency Addictive Substances and Behaviors

Alcohol Prescription Drugs Illegal Drugs and Marijuana Anabolic Steroids Tobacco and Nicotine Food and Caffeine Gambling Sex Addiction

Policies Related to Substance Use Social Work Practice in Substance Use and Addiction

Prevention of Substance Use Disorder Treatments and Interventions for Substance Use and Addiction

Detoxification and Recovery Motivational Interviewing Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous Needle-Exchange Programs Methadone Treatment Programs

Diversity and Substance Use and Treatment Advocacy and Substance Use Disorder

Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

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Your Career in Substance Use and Addictions Certifications in Substance use: cadc and ladc

Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

11: Helping Older Adults Learning Objectives Emilee Adores Gerontological Social Work Aging and Older Adults

Meanings of “Aging” and “Old” Stages of Older Adulthood Longevity An Aging Populace

Gerontological Social Work Practice Evolution of Gerontological Practice Social Work Roles in Gerontology and Geriatrics Resources for Successful Aging

Living Options Day Programs Benefit Programs Culturally Competent Care of Older Adults

Issues of Aging and Old Age Biological and Physiological Aspects of Aging Cognitive and Psychological Aspects of Aging

Neurocognitive Disorders (Dementias) Depression, Mental Health, and Other Emotional Problems Substance Use/Addictions Sexual Activity Loneliness Suicide

Social Aspects of Aging Ageism Aging in Place Caregiving Long-Term Care Elder Abuse

Spiritual Aspects of Aging

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Benefits of Spirituality and Religion in Old Age Illness, Death, and Faith

Policies Affecting Older Adults Diversity and Aging

Age Class Ethnicity and Race Gender Sexual Orientation Ability Intersections of Diversity

Advocacy and Aging Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Gerontology Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

12: Criminal Justice Learning Objectives Michelle Combats Racial and Ethnic Imbalances in the Juvenile Justice System Central Concepts in Criminal Justice and Crime

Types of Crimes The Contextual Nature of Crime The Correctional System Juvenile Justice and Corrections

Conflicting Attitudes About Those Who Commit Crimes Attitudes Toward Punishment Attitudes Toward Rehabilitation

Social Workers and the Criminal Justice System Forensic Social Work Social Work Values Regarding Criminal Justice Interactions With the Criminal Justice System

Police Courts

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Attorneys Corrections Officers

Victim Assistance Programs Deviant Behavior and Social Status Mental Health and Criminal Justice Issues Affecting Children and Youth

Exposure and Desensitization to Violent Behavior Parental Imprisonment

Diversity and Criminal Justice Specific Disparities in the Criminal Justice System

Racial Women

Advocacy and Criminal Justice Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Criminal Justice Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

Part 3 Working in Changing Contexts 13: Communities at Risk and Housing

Learning Objectives Tonya Supports Residents of Federally Subsidized Housing Central Concepts Regarding Communities and Housing

Community Practice At-Risk Communities Housing

Homeownership Rental Housing Subsidized Housing Shared Housing Halfway Houses Shelters Residential Treatment Centers and Hospitalization

Social Work Practice in Housing and Communities

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Clients’ Housing Issues Foreclosure Landlords Eviction Substandard Housing

Social Work With At-Risk Communities Segregated Communities Equal Opportunities for Housing Transportation and Connectivity Community Development and Resources

Policy Issues Related to Communities and Housing Homelessness Affordable Housing Community Asset Building Segregation

Diversity and Housing Advocacy and Housing

Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Housing Services and Community Practice Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

14: The Changing Workplace Learning Objectives Deidre Experiences Firsthand the Realities of the Contemporary Workplace The History of Work

Traditional Societies Agricultural Era: 1630 to 1760 Industrial Revolution: 1760 to 1840 Urbanization: 1860 to 1950 Information Age: 1960 to Present

Current Social Trends Related to Work Work-Related Issues

Unemployment

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Underemployment Minimum Wage Gender Inequality Harassment Lack of Union Participation Occupational Health Hazards

Social Welfare and the Changing Workplace Social Insurance Programs

Unemployment Insurance Workers’ Compensation Social Security

Social Welfare Policies Affirmative Action Americans With Disabilities Act

Diversity and the Changing Workplace Age Class Gender Sexual Orientation Intersections of Diversity

Advocacy and the Changing Workplace Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in the World of Work Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

15: Veterans, Their Families, and Military Social Work Learning Objectives Veteran Javier Experienced Military Life and Now Counsels Families The Armed Services and Military Culture

What It Means to Be a Soldier How War Affects Soldiers How the Military Takes Care of Its Own

Social Work With the Military and Veterans

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A History of Military Social Work Behavioral Health Problems of Service Members and Veterans

Traumatic Brain Injury Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Substance Use Disorders Suicide

Issues Affecting Wounded Military Veterans Issues Affecting Military Families Programs and Policies for Military Personnel, Veterans, and Their Families Social Work Assessment and Intervention Skills

Common Types of Therapy Multidisciplinary Team Approach

Diversity and Military Social Work Age Class Ethnicity/Race Gender Sexual Orientation Intersections of Diversity

Advocacy for Veterans and Members of the Military Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Military Social Work Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

16: Environmentalism Learning Objectives Betty Confronts a Natural Disaster Environmentalism and Social Work

Social Work Leadership in Environmentalism Mary Richmond Jane Addams National Association of Social Workers

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Council on Social Work Education Ecological Social Welfare and Practice

Sustainability Ecological Justice Ecological Ethics

Environmental Issues Overpopulation Pollutants Climate Change Environmental Disasters

Flooding Drought Hurricanes Famine

Diversity and Environmentalism Age Class Gender Sexual Orientation Intersections of Diversity

Advocacy and Environmentalism Economic and Social Justice Supportive Environment Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in Environmentalism Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

17: International Social Work Learning Objectives Teresa Applies Her Multicultural Background to Social Work International Social Work

Level of National Development Social Work Principles for International Practice

Transnational Identities Cultural Competence

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Bilingualism and Multilingualism Comparative Social Policy Principles of Ethics Charity and Empowerment Social Development

Current Issues Facing International Social Workers HIV/AIDS Child Welfare Poverty Refugees Safety and Self-Care

Diversity and International Practice Age Class Ethnicity Race Gender Sexual Orientation Intersections of Diversity

Advocacy and International Social Work Economic and Social Justice Environmental Justice Human Needs and Rights Political Access

Your Career in International Social Work International Job Opportunities Volunteering, Experiential Learning, and Field Education

Summary Top 10 Key Concepts Discussion Questions Exercises Online Resources

Epilogue: Social Work and Self-Care Appendix: Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers: Summary of Major Principles Glossary References Index

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Preface

When the idea of writing a book was first proposed, our thoughts turned to those people with whom we wanted to work over a long period of time. Said another way, we recognized that successful writing partnerships are built on trust, honesty, and commitment. We feel fortunate that those essential elements culminated not only in lasting friendships but in dedication to a profession that is very much part of our lives. The completion of this second edition of our book further confirms the worth of highly valued relationships, lasting friendships, and collective professional commitment.

Our Impetus for Writing This Book We think the second edition of Introduction to Social Work continues to be a timely new text for adoption in introductory social work courses. Why? Because our book has been crafted to align with the profession’s historical roots of advocacy for human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice. We know through our practice and community involvement with social service agencies that many social workers have been urging and taking a much more active approach in client and community-based advocacy. Throughout our book, advocacy is described at a clinical/client level and also at organizational, community, national, and international levels. We encourage readers to connect the needs of individuals with those of society by linking direct practice to policy development. Engaging in such analytical thinking integrates micro and macro practice into a holistic perspective of practice underpinned by human needs and rights.

A unique aspect of Introduction to Social Work continues to be its advocacy framework for understanding the historical development of social work, important figures influencing social work history, multiple practice settings, and the types of practice performed. The advocacy practice and policy model comprising four interlocking components— economic and social justice, supportive environment, human needs and rights, and political access—provides a lens for viewing social issues of the day. Additionally, the model serves as a vehicle to place special

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emphasis on human diversity, cultural competence, and intersections of diversity.

Pertinent information is provided regarding professional use of self and contemporary applications to practice settings to adapt to a changing digital workplace and world. These applications view social workers as professional practitioners and client and community advocates, thereby offering a clear alternative to the perspectives of competing books. Features such as Time to Think boxes, Social Work in Action, Spotlight on Advocacy, and Current Trends provide examples of social work’s dynamic force and contribution to confronting complicated life situations on individual, group, local, state, national, and international levels. Vignettes appear across all chapters and are modeled after real-life situations faced by professional social workers. Perhaps more important, the book’s features prompt readers to pause in thought and consider their opinions, perspectives, reactions, and strategies related to events often far from their own reality. Our book encourages readers to stretch and think beyond, to connect the dots, and to critically analyze issues, beliefs, concepts, and environments. These aspects of cognitive discourse set our book apart from other introductory textbooks.

In this second edition of our book, special attention was given to feedback from readers and reviewers of our first edition. Noteworthy changes contained in our second edition are captured below:

Areas for advocacy in social work shift over time. With the election of President Trump and a republican Senate and House of Representatives, contemporary topics involving social work advocacy and political action at the federal level have been added and updated, especially in the area of health care reform. Increased attention has been given to ethics and the need to apply ethical considerations in social work practice. A concerted effort has been made to include additional person-first language throughout the text. Content involving the intersections of diversity and multicultural practice has been enriched. Additional attention has been given to substance use and addiction services.

Structure of the Book 28

Introduction to Social Work is organized into three parts. Part I introduces readers to a definition of social work, reviews the history of the profession, and describes advocacy as a major aspect of social work. In this section of the book, the advocacy practice and policy model is defined through examples and applications. Throughout the book, the elements of the model serve as themes for exploring practice and policy content areas and connecting them to vignettes that highlight critical features of each chapter.

In Part II, the chapters examine how social workers respond to human needs—poverty and inequality, family and child welfare, health care and health challenges, physical and mental challenges, mental health, substance use and addiction, helping older adults, and criminal justice. The chapters in this section assess the strengths of people and communities in support of possible advocacy strategies. At every juncture, social workers are seen as leaders, experts, cofacilitators, and innovators who understand complexities, value diversity, appreciate the role of culture, and address ethical dilemmas.

We are pleased to write that Part III of Introduction to Social Work goes beyond the standard text coverage by including chapters on communities at risk and housing; the changing workplace; veterans, their families, and military social work; environmentalism; and international social work. Each of these chapters introduces material especially selected to stimulate intellectual curiosity about current topics of relevance, such as climate change and posttraumatic stress disorder. Additionally, the role of housing is examined in reference to quality of life and opportunity, the culture of the military is defined so as to better frame the needs of service personnel and their families, and environmental issues are described innovatively to encourage social work professionals to be more involved in all forms of life and service.

Each chapter ends with a list of online resources that correspond to the chapter’s content and offer readers the option to explore multiple topics in more detail. Discussion questions and key concepts are also provided to support class discussions and possible in-class and out-of-class assignments. A high-interest end-of-chapter feature titled “Your Career . . .” introduces possible career paths in social work related to the chapter content, along with thought-provoking questions and/or applications.

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Making Course Content Come Alive Although we now primarily identify as educators, we have been molded by our social work practice experiences, current service endeavors, and the evolving world around us. No matter our work responsibilities, the classroom remains our playing field where we hope to convey the important role social workers play in society and people’s lives. We contend that advocacy is critical to teaching, research, and service. Consequently, Introduction to Social Work is designed to generate critical thinking and discussion, encourage interactive learning and reflective thinking, and expand horizons. The text will be in e-book format, and ancillaries are also available. In other words, we took a multisensory approach to teaching and learning that extends the walls of the classroom to the community and well beyond.

To facilitate teaching, Introduction to Social Work is closely aligned with the Council on Social Work Education’s new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards and incorporates reflective practice, encouraging students to engage in critical thought and reflection and to contemplate a professional social work career. As suggested by the butterfly on the cover, life is precious, colorful, fragile, and ever changing. We hope this book will contribute to each reader’s transformation as a person and aspiring professional.

SAGE edge SAGE edge offers a robust online environment featuring an impressive array of tools and resources for review, study, and further exploration, keeping both instructors and students on the cutting edge of teaching and learning. SAGE edge content is open access and available on demand. Learning and teaching has never been easier!

SAGE edge for Students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment. Here is a list of features:

Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts. Mobile-friendly practice quizzes allow for independent assessment by

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students of their mastery of course material. Carefully selected chapter-by-chapter video links and multimedia content enhance classroom-based explorations of key topics. Interactive exercises and meaningful web links facilitate student use of Internet resources, further exploration of topics, and responses to critical thinking questions. EXCLUSIVE! SAGE edge for Students includes access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter.

SAGE edge for Instructors supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students. These features include the following:

Test banks provide a diverse range of prewritten options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding. Sample course syllabi for semester and quarter courses provide suggested models for structuring one’s course. Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for the course. EXCLUSIVE! Access is provided to full-text SAGE journal articles have been carefully selected to support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter to encourage students to think critically. Multimedia content includes original SAGE videos that appeal to students with different learning styles. Lecture notes summarize key concepts by chapter to ease preparation for lectures and class discussions.

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Acknowledgments

Despite our being experienced social workers, educators, and writers, publishing an introductory textbook has been a unique and demanding endeavor! The transition in writing style from journal articles and higher- level textbooks to an introductory book required patience and assistance from the SAGE team. Kassie Graves, followed by Nathan Davidson and then Joshua Perigo deserve much credit for their contributions to our writing and for surrounding us with highly talented and dedicated professionals, beginning with, the series editor, and later copy editor Becky Smith, Abbie Rickard, Libby Larson, Carrie Montoya, and Mary Ann Vail. For the second edition, Adeline, Alexandra, Andrew, and copy editor Cate Huisman were supportive. Each of our SAGE colleagues extended professionalism, tenacity, fortitude, and faith in our abilities. Our sincere gratitude and appreciation go to everyone at SAGE!

Life passes quickly, and we are ever cognizant of the influence and importance of the positive attitudes and demeanor of colleagues, family members, and friends who have been in our midst and part of our lives. Many of our thoughts and ideas were stimulated by people close to us. This was especially true of Joan H. Long, whose excellence in everyday practice as a social worker often served as an inspiration and valuable point of reflection. Karyn and Judy were inspiring models, and Joey and Mary were consummate cheerleaders. Graduate assistant Felicia Mainiero, MSW, enthusiastically shared her love for social work practice and research as she located research articles and compiled references.

Dennis has appreciated having support from his university and colleagues, who have been understanding, supportive, and tolerant throughout his writing endeavors. He was encouraged by the words of interest extended to him by faculty, staff members, and professional friends. He is also grateful for mentorship from noteworthy role models and guides—Fr. Joseph Bracken S. J., Roger Fortin, Neil Heighberger, Tom Meenaghan, P. Neal Ritchey, Cynthia Geer, Brenda Levya-Gardner, and Teresa Young. Their modeling of respect, a strong work ethic, time management, humility, balance in life, and grace represent values that educators try to “pass forward.”

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For all of us, as professors, our students play a primary role in our lives. We learn from and with them, and our thinking and abilities are influenced and shaped by their mere presence. Professionally, there is little more rewarding than having former students return to campus, call, or send a message to provide an update and share their life experiences. Students in introductory classes are especially interesting and formidable. Our deep gratitude goes to our many students and alumni, who have provided us with inspiration and encouragement throughout our days in higher education.

Finally, a number of experienced educators and seasoned reviewers provided valuable and detailed feedback for our book. From the very beginning of the review process, they seemed to recognize and appreciate the advocacy direction we had taken, and diligently sought ways to enhance and improve our work.

Melissa Bird, Portland State University Brad Cavanagh, Loras College Mickey Correa, City College of the City of New York (CUNY) Sarah V. Curtis, University of Tennessee Liz Fisher, Shippensburg University Samuel W. Gioia, Portland State University Dianne Greene-Smith, Grand Valley State Carol Jabs, Concordia University Chicago Enos G. Massie, Eastern Michigan University Kenya McKinley, Mississippi State University Janella Melius, Winston Salem State University Diane McDaniel Rhodes, University of Texas at Austin Joy Shytle, Ohio University – Southern Halaevalu Vakalahi, Morgan State University Victoria Verano, Florida State University Melissa Villareal, Grand Valley State Shane Whalley, University of Texas at Austin Delories Williams, University of Southern Mississippi Javonda Williams, University of Alabama Sheri Zampelli, Long Beach City College

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About the Authors

Lisa E. Cox, PhD, LCSW, MSW, is professor of social work and gerontology and a former social work program coordinator at Stockton University. Prior to 1999, Dr. Cox held a joint faculty appointment at Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) School of Medicine (Richmond AIDS Consortium) and School of Social Work, where she taught MSW students and served as a pioneering AIDS clinical trial social worker with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease– funded Terry Beirn Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS. Dr. Cox received BA degrees in history/political science and Spanish from Bridgewater College, and her MSW and PhD degrees from VCU. Since 2007 she has served as research chair for The Stockton Center on Successful Aging. Dr. Cox teaches undergraduate- and graduate-level classes in social work practice, gerontology, HIV/AIDS, research, psychopathology, and cultural neuroscience, and she has co-led study tours to Costa Rica. She was a 2014 faculty scholar with the Geriatric Education Center Initiative and is a governor appointee to the New Jersey Board of Social Work Examiners. As a long-standing member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Dr. Cox has shared her vast practice experience by holding numerous leadership roles within NASW: National Advisory Board member to the Spectrum HIV/AIDS Project, chair of the Health Specialty Practice Section, Standards for Social Work Practice in Health Care Settings Task Force expert, long-term care liaison to The Joint Commission on Health Care, and unit chairperson. Dr. Cox has presented her scholarship nationally and internationally. She has authored several book chapters and numerous journal articles focused on health social work, gerontology, international social work, and social support. Copies of “Garment Workers of South Jersey: Nine Oral Histories” may be obtained on Amazon.com (ISBN-13: 978-0-9888731-8-6). For relaxation, Dr. Cox plays the piano and enjoys watching baseball. E-mail: lisa.cox@stockton.edu.

Carolyn J. Tice, DSW, ACSW, has been professor and associate dean of the Baccalaureate Social Work Program, School of Social Work,

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University of Maryland since July 2002. Her prior appointment was chair of the Department of Social Work, Ohio University, a position she held for 9 years. At Ohio University, she was the first recipient of the Presidential Teacher Award for outstanding teaching, advising, and mentoring. Currently, Dr. Tice teaches a first-year seminar and social welfare policy. She received her BSW from West Virginia University, her MSW from Temple University, and her DSW from the University of Pennsylvania, where she worked with Hmong refugees. The coauthor of four books, Dr. Tice focuses her scholarship primarily on the development of critical thinking skills and social work practice and policy from a strengths perspective. She was a site visitor for the Council on Social Work Education and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Teaching in Social Work. She serves as a book prospectus reviewer for Wadsworth Publishers and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dr. Tice was a nominee for the 2015 McGraw-Hill Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars Award. In 2008 she was named a Fulbright specialist and traveled to Mongolia to assist in the development of social work programs. Her other international social work experiences include program development in Portugal, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and Botswana. Dr. Tice is a member of the Council of Social Work Education, the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Social Welfare Action Alliance. For leisure, Dr. Tice operates Olde Friends, a booth in an antique store located on the southern New Jersey coastline, where she has a family home. E-mail: tice@umbc.edu.

Dennis D. Long, PhD, ACSW, is professor in and associate dean of the College of Professional Sciences, Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio). Dr. Long previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Social Work at Xavier University, and from 2006 to 2012 was a professor and chair of the Department of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He received his BA in sociology and psychology from Ohio Northern University, his MSW from The Ohio State University, and his PhD in sociology from the University of Cincinnati. The coauthor of four other books and numerous articles, Dr. Long has focused his scholarship and teaching in the area of macro social work, with special interests in community- based and international practice. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Teaching in Social Work and is a long-standing

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member of the National Association of Social Workers and Council on Social Work Education. Over the years, Dr. Long has provided leadership on numerous community and national boards, including the Butler County Mental Health Board, Oesterlen Services for Youth, Charlotte Family Housing, and the National Board of Examiners in Optometry. E-mail: longd3@xavier.edu.

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With gratitude and love to my mother Joyce, mon meilleur ami Jacques, and Joey and Mary Ruth.

LEC

In honor of my mother, Jeanne C. Tice, and William George “Liam” Tice, my mother’s third great grandchild.

CJT

With love to Hunter, Joanna, Griffin, and Kennedy—as you continue to be the sparkle in Papa’s eyes.

DDL

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Part 1 Understanding Social Work

Chapter 1: The Social Work Profession Chapter 2: The History of Social Work Chapter 3: Generalist Social Work Practice Chapter 4: Advocacy in Social Work

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Chapter 1: The Social Work Profession

Source: iStock Photo / Alina555

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Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you should be able to

1. Describe the work, goals, and values of social workers. 2. Explain the importance of diversity and advocacy in social work. 3. Appreciate the dynamic nature and roles of the social work profession. 4. Understand educational and practice options for social workers. 5. Compare a social work career to other human services occupations.

Mary Considers Social Work

While in high school, Mary volunteered at a vibrant day care center and a state-of-the-art long-term care facility. She loved working with the diverse people in both facilities and realized that she was a good listener, doer, and advocate for them. Mary’s school counselor told her that she might make use of her newly discovered skills by becoming a social worker, a versatile “helping” career.

Mary has begun surfing the Internet and checking other resources, and has learned that with a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) she could work as a generalist practitioner or apply to an advanced-standing master of social work (MSW) program and quickly become either an advanced generalist or a specialist. Mary has also explored the online website for the Board of Social Work regulations in her state. Once she receives her BSW degree, she plans to send the board her transcripts so she may be credentialed. MSW-prepared social workers can work in a wide range of specialty fields of practice, such as hospice, veterans services, and behavioral health. They can work in community-based settings; various types of institutions; state, federal, or local agencies; international disaster relief organizations; or political action campaigns.

Mary feels confident that she would enjoy social work, a field where she could advocate for people and causes, help develop policies, and provide services and resources to people who really need them. As a student, you may be wondering which career might best suit your personal values and the life you envision for yourself. Social work is a versatile and worthy profession to consider. Integrity, decency, honesty, and justice are values held in high regard by social work professionals. If you decide to become a social worker, you will also join a field that provides considerable career mobility and opportunity.

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Social work is a helping profession, similar to counseling, psychology, and other human services. Social work is different, though, and will likely interest you if you care especially about economic, social, and environmental justice and wish to advocate for individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities that face disadvantages. To help these groups, social workers require an understanding of politics and power, and the ability to assess human needs and the environment.

This chapter introduces the goals, competencies, and responsibilities of the 21st century social worker. It describes social work’s core values, roles, fields of practice, career paths, and employment opportunities to help you decide if the profession of social work is right for you.

The Professional Social Worker Social work is categorized as a profession because it requires specialized, formal training and certification. Some of the other professions include law, medicine, accounting, teaching, and counseling. However, social work’s unique purpose is to infuse change into the lives of individuals and into the community to reduce or eradicate the ill effects of personal distress and social inequality (Soydan, 2008).

Professional social workers generally graduate from a department, program, or school of social work with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree (or perhaps a doctorate) in social work. Although some social work jobs do not require certification, a professional social worker is generally considered to be someone who has received a social work degree and become certified or licensed by the state in which he or she practices.

Many social workers have achieved historical prominence, such as social work pioneer Jane Addams (who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931), civil rights activist Dr. Dorothy I. Height, and Frances Perkins (the first woman to serve as a cabinet member, as secretary of labor in 1933). Social work pioneer Del Anderson transformed veterans services, Bernice Harper led hospice social work, Joan O. Weiss helped establish the field of genetic counseling, and Dale Masi developed the employee-assistance field (Clark, 2012).

Social work professor and researcher Dr. Brené Brown has become quite successful as a “public” social worker, offering the profession’s perspective through books, television interviews, and online talks about

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shame, vulnerability, and courage. Others with social work degrees who have brought the profession’s perspective to diverse careers include actor Samuel L. Jackson, writer Alice Walker, and personal finance guru Suze Orman. Their liberal arts–based social work education was a liberating experience that has served as the foundation for their life’s work.

Social Work’s Unique Purpose and Goals Throughout history, what human beings have seemed to need most are resources for survival as well as a sense that they matter. Beyond feeling secure and accepted for who they are, people also hope to live a meaningful, healthy, and successful life. These are the central concerns of social workers. Their professional role is to help people secure the basic human needs, rights, and values: food, water, shelter, and such intangible resources as emotional, economic, and social support.

The purpose of professional social work has been articulated formally by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the voice for the profession (NASW, 1973, pp. 4–5; 2018):

Social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to this goal. Social work practice consists of the professional application of social work values, principles, and techniques to one or more of the following ends:

Helping people obtain tangible services (e.g., income, housing, food) Providing counseling and interventions with individuals, families, and groups Helping communities or groups provide or improve social and health services Participating in relevant legislative processes

The NASW considers social work an applied science and art that helps people who are struggling to function better in their world and that effects societal changes to enhance everyone’s well-being.

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NASW describes four major goals for social work practitioners. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the arbiter of social work education, adds another goal that relates to social work education. These goals are presented in Exhibit 1.1.

The general public often confuses social workers with other human service providers, among them school counselors, mental health counselors, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, public health workers and administrators, nurses, chaplains, and police or others involved in criminal justice and corrections. While the roles and settings for some of these occupations overlap, each has distinctive features, perspectives, methods, and areas of expertise. (See Exhibit 1.2 for more detail on the similarities and differences between social work and some of these other occupations.) But social workers incorporate the knowledge and skills of these other occupations as needed to serve clients and communities. They are not limited to a single perspective or set of methodologies. Thus, at the undergraduate level social workers are called generalist practitioners.

Social Work and Human Diversity In helping and advocating for people in need, social workers inevitably learn about and interact with people from a variety of backgrounds. Many social workers would argue that one of the most interesting and rewarding aspects of their career is the ability to expand their knowledge and appreciation of human diversity. They have an opportunity to learn about the strengths, needs, uniqueness, values, causes, and traditions associated with various forms of human difference. Consider how much you like hearing people’s life stories. When you hear people’s life stories, you get clues as to what they need, value, and dream about.

Social Work in Action

Dr. Brené Brown Speaks Out Dr. Brené Brown has a BSW, MSW, and doctorate in social work and serves as a professor and researcher at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work. She is also a storyteller. Dr. Brown has authored a #1 New York Times best seller titled Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love,

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Parent, and Lead (2012), another NYT best seller titled The Gifts of Imperfection (2010), and I Thought It Was Just Me (2007). For the past decade she has also delivered national presentations on the concepts of courage, vulnerability, worthiness, and shame. Her work has been featured on Oprah, PBS, CNN, and NPR. In 2012, Dr. Brown gave a TEDx talk in Houston, Texas, on the power of vulnerability; more than 12 million people have watched this talk. (TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design; TEDx talks are modeled on TED talks, which feature engaging presentations by experts on a wide variety of topics, but are organized independently.) She is also the founder of The Daring Way, a training program for helping professionals who wish to implement her findings on courage, shame, vulnerability, and worthiness in their own work.

In her YouTube clips on the “Power of Vulnerability” and “Listening to Shame,” Dr. Brown discusses how social workers are called to “lean into the discomfort” and establish meaningful connections with people.

Brown concludes from her qualitative research that “vulnerability is not weakness”; vulnerability requires “emotional risk, exposure, uncertainty, and fuels our lives.” Essentially, vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage: “Innovation, creativity, and change is the birthplace of vulnerability.”

In her clip about shame, she concludes that, although shame is not guilt, it is highly correlated with such behaviors as addiction, depression, suicide, and eating disorders.

Shame manifests differently in women and men. For example, women often experience shame due to unobtainable or conflicting expectations. In comparison, men often experience shame when they think they are being perceived as weak.

Source: ©Flickr.com/Dell, Inc. Available under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

Dr. Brown exemplifies how a social work education can propel you into

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a many-faceted future. She is teaching social work students and the wider world about social work theory and methods. Dr. Brown’s stories about courage, shame, worthiness, forgiveness, and vulnerability resonate with many. Now they are also adding richness to a social worker’s tool kit.

1. How do Dr. Brown’s ideas and stories help professional social workers eradicate personal distress and social inequality?

2. Consider how vulnerability makes you feel. What role might empathy play for social workers who counsel people who feel vulnerable?

Clients and collaborators are often quite different from social workers in some significant ways. A person’s life experiences and circumstances can influence how other people and situations are perceived. What social workers believe is true depends on their personal values and belief systems. Like everyone else, they are influenced by family, spiritual beliefs, culture, norms, race and ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, as well as life stage, socioeconomic status, ability, and disability.

However, social workers go to considerable lengths to broaden their perspectives. They increase their self-understanding by reading and taking classes (in the arts and humanities as well as on subjects such as psychology, sociology, sexuality, biology, neuroscience, and gerontology), learning foreign languages, engaging in personal therapy, participating in self-reflection, and receiving professional supervision and feedback (Green, Kiernan-Stern, & Baskind, 2005). Through seeking this type of self-knowledge, trained social workers are likely to become sensitized to the differences among people. They become better at appreciating other viewpoints and at developing and evaluating more creative policies and intervention strategies (Karger & Stoesz, 2014; Stoesz & Karger, 2009).

Exhibit 1.1 Professional Social Workers’ Goals

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Source: Adapted from Zastrow (2014, pp. 50–51) from primary sites. Goals 1–4 from NASW (1982, p. 17); Goal 5 from CSWE (2008).

Exhibit 1.2 Comparison of Social Work and Similar Occupations

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If you are contemplating social work as a career, you must look within and evaluate your readiness to advocate for the typical social work client, who is vulnerable and possibly affected by social injustice. You will also be required to respond to human needs very creatively, because resource availability and funding usually fall short of the need, although they vary across communities, regions, and states.

Time to Think 1.1

How well do you think you know yourself? Do you believe you have empathy for others who do not have your privileges? What elements of your background might give you empathy for those whose human needs are not being met? Are you aware of how others perceive you and how you come across to others?

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Diversity and Social Justice

As rewarding as the experience of human diversity can be, it can be troubling as well. Those who are different from the types of people with whom we are most familiar are often stereotyped as being inferior in some way. That prejudiced attitude may lead to actual discrimination in the way those who are “different” are treated. They may have a deprived and constrained childhood, struggle to meet their needs as they age, and feel a reduced sense of self-worth. Professional social workers are aware of this discrepancy and work toward economic and social justice, the fair distribution of rights and resources among all members of society.

The bases for prejudice and discrimination, which are discussed throughout the book, include the following categories of difference:

Class: An appreciable number of social work clients are marginally employable because of low educational attainment and spotty work records. As a result, they are often stuck in poverty. The jobs that are available to them generally pay poorly, and so these clients may still struggle with transportation issues, affordable day care, mental health issues, physical challenges, and affordable health insurance. Since the beginning of the profession, social workers have advocated for services and programs for members of the lower classes who need support for a rewarding family life, stable housing, adequate nutrition, educational opportunity, and employability. Social workers recognize that use of public assistance is not simply a matter of personal shortcomings. Large-scale issues within the community or society as a whole (e.g., a shortage of good jobs, inadequate transportation systems, substandard schools, minimal child-support enforcement, or lack of quality, affordable day care) also undermine a person’s efforts to advance in life (Seccombe, 2011, p. 74). Gender: Although women have made important strides in our society, they still face lingering and highly ingrained gender stereotypes, which are overgeneralizations about behaviors and characteristics based on whether a person is masculine/male or feminine/female. Social workers partner with women’s rights groups, educators, and other helping professionals to advocate for and develop positive and meaningful services and programs for females, especially in education, employment, reproductive services, child care, and civil rights.

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Race: Race is still an issue in the United States, despite decades of social action and legislative and judicial remedies. Thus, opportunities to promote diversity and social justice for Americans with African, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, or Native American heritage are an important part of social work practice. Social workers who have gained cultural competence effectively help Bosnian refugees find employment and enroll in ESL (English as a second language) classes, and advocate for Latino clients who have a mental illness such as schizophrenia to help them avoid repeated hospitalizations because of language barriers and cultural misunderstandings. By 2050, the U.S. population is expected to increase by 50%, and minority groups will make up nearly half that population. One quarter of Americans will be Latino, and 1 in 10 Americans will be of Asian or Pacific Islander descent. The African American population is projected to increase from 41.1 million to 65.7 million by 2050, going from 14% of the U.S. population to 15% (“Minorities Expected to Be Majority in 2050,” 2008). Ethnicity: Many people adhere to at least some of the traditions and beliefs of their ancestors. In a “nation of immigrants,” many ethnic subcultures can be found. However, ethnocentrism, believing that one’s own ethnic group and way of life are superior to others, can create intolerance and prejudice. In contrast, social workers promote respect for and understanding of all ethnic groups and cultures. For example, social workers frequently support ethnic centers, immigrant enterprises, language diversity, and cultural events that showcase ethnic pride and provide a forum for the public to learn about specific ethnic values and traditions. And well they should: By 2050, immigration will account for almost two thirds of the nation’s population growth. Sexual orientation: In recent years, members of the LGBQT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, and transgender) community have become far more visible in the process of winning some degree of social justice for themselves. They have won the right in most parts of the United States to marry members of the same sex. It is becoming more acceptable in most quarters for LGBQT persons to be themselves, although discriminatory behavior and interpersonal slights have not disappeared. Social workers counsel LGBQT individuals facing prejudice, and convene groups with them to discuss ways to cope with both subtle and aggressive discrimination. Social workers may also advocate for the LGBQT population on a community, state, or

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national level. Age: Older adults, who are ostensibly covered for many of their basic needs through Medicare and Social Security, often struggle with fixed incomes, health problems, and loneliness. Services such as home- delivered meals, transportation, and medical coverage for problems of aging may be underfunded or unavailable for practical reasons. Being acquainted with older adults and attentive to their specific needs enables professional social workers to improve older adults’ situation. As the population of older adults grows in the 21st century—by 2050, the population of older Americans (ages 50+) is expected to more than double—social workers will find themselves more and more challenged to help ensure “good aging” (Cire, 2014; Lieberman, 2011, p. 137).

Historically, social workers have advocated for justice and human rights for all people, despite their age, ability, class, race or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. Social workers must challenge “isms”—such as ageism, ableism, classism, ethnocentrism, heterosexism, and sexism—as they advocate for vulnerable individuals and groups. However, because social workers are mere humans, mainstream culture influences their views of people and issues. Social workers are not immune to discriminatory language or “isms,” so if you choose social work as your career, you must catch yourself and others when you hear language or see behavior that is ageist, classist, racist, sexist, or prejudicial or discriminatory in any way.

Intersections of Diversity

Social workers typically encounter multiple forms of diversity in a single individual. For instance, a woman experiencing a physical or mental challenge may also be old and poor. Holes in medical coverage (gaps in the combined coverage she receives from private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid) may leave her without needed treatment and medications. The ever-changing complexity of medical protocols and health insurance coverage further complicate matters. In turn, the medical issues are an impediment to older, poorer people’s ability to make doctors’ appointments, keep themselves and their homes clean and in good repair, and buy medicine or even healthy food. On a regular basis, social workers find themselves creatively seeking to identify and fill gaps in services for clients with needs that span categories of difference.

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Intersectionality refers to the entirety of a person’s dimensions of difference and social identities. Most diversity includes a complex range or intersection of issues, not simply one. A person may be a poor, old, white, gay, Jewish man who was born with polio and lives in an urban environment. Or a person may be a single, middle-aged, Christian woman who emigrated from India and works as a nurse in a rural setting.

Some of those areas of difference may create problems in meeting one’s human needs, but others may create advantages. For example, a man who is a retired middle manager has undoubtedly enjoyed some of the privileges of gender and class, but if he is also gay or lives with a disability, he may have faced difficulties in his life that require access to social services. His multiple social locations have sometimes placed him in the role of being the oppressed and sometimes the oppressor (Jani, Pierce, Ortiz, & Sowbel, 2011).

As a social worker you must understand the complex interrelationships that exist across all social identities so you can devise strategies that will make a difference and create social change (Adams & Joshi, 2010; Collins, 2010). Keep in mind that people are more than “labels” or any of their categories of difference.

Theory and Practice You may be starting to realize how complex the practice of social work can be. It requires knowledge of human development and behavior; of social, economic, and cultural institutions; and of the interaction of all these factors. The social work profession not only provides this knowledge but also educates its members to be proactive advocates for client systems. The essential lessons for aspiring social workers involve both theory and practice skills.

Social workers draw on ideas and theories to guide their assessments and intervention decisions. These perspectives emphasize the importance of resilience, strengths, solutions, social justice, and safe, sustainable communities. Professional social workers tend to adopt a primary practice theory that fits their views about human nature, particularly for the purpose of assessing a client, a situation, and the results of efforts to make changes. Chapter 3 describes these theoretical foundations in more detail.

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In addition, many social workers are committed to evidence-based practice, which is, simply stated, using a particular intervention for an issue, problem, or disorder based on the results of research. They base their methods on the results of previous studies, because they need to be accountable to clients and third-party payers (such as insurance companies). In addition, they want to use best practices as documented in their profession’s knowledge base. Social workers are obligated to ask themselves, “What evidence do I have that my proposed idea or intervention will help my client?” Your reasoning skills will be enhanced by taking classes in research methods, policy, and statistics.

The knowledge base for social work is constantly evolving to match developments in other disciplines. Contemporary social workers embrace technology and neuroscience (Farmer, 2009). Environmental social work (Gray, Coates, & Hetherington, 2012) and models for social work in a sustainable world (Mary, 2008) now provide additional ideas and paradigms for social work professionals.

Social Work Values The mission of the social work profession is rooted in a set of core values that undergird social work’s unique purpose and perspective (Barker, 2014, p. 190; Reisch, 2002):

Competence: Having the needed abilities and skills to effectively help and work with clients Dignity and worth of the person: Esteeming and appreciating each individual’s uniqueness and value Importance of human relationships: Interacting and communicating with clients and collaborators with a dynamic and reciprocal appreciation of one another’s behaviors, thoughts, and feelings Integrity: Maintaining trustworthiness and adhering to moral ideals Service: Providing help, benefits, and resources to people so they can maximize their potential and thrive Social justice: Granting all citizens the same “rights, protections, opportunities, obligations, and social benefits,” no matter their backgrounds or memberships in diverse groups (Barker, 2014, pp. 398–399)

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The NASW Code of Ethics

Social work values are reflected in the NASW Code of Ethics, which serves as a social and moral compass for social work professionals. This code has four sections—Preamble, Purpose, Ethical Principles, and Ethical Standards—which are summarized in Appendix A of this book. The Code of Ethics serves six purposes (NASW, 2018):

Identifies core social work values Summarizes broad ethical standards Identifies professional obligations when conflicts arise Holds the social work profession accountable Socializes new practitioners to social work’s mission, values, ethical standards, and principles Defines unethical conduct

Ethical decision making is a process. Oftentimes, social workers struggle with complex scenarios, and the guidelines help direct their actions. In addition, although the Code of Ethics cannot guarantee ethical behaviors, and a violation of standards in this code does not automatically imply violation of the law, these principles stipulate ideals to which all social workers should aspire. Beyond the NASW, many states have developed social work licensure and/or ethics boards to promote, monitor, and reinforce ethical social work practice.

Spotlight On Advocacy

Use of Self Once students declare they will major in social work, they can expect to do internships or nonpaid fieldwork. Heath Walters (2017) introduces readers to the importance of bringing their personality in to their social work practice in his article published in The New Social Worker (http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/field- placement/An_Introduction_to_Use_of_Self_in_Field_Placement/).The term use of self often confuses beginning students. In a nutshell, this concept means you are combining knowledge, values, and skills gained

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in social work education with aspects of your personality traits, belief systems, life experiences, and cultural heritage. To help you integrate your authentic self into skills you will need in your social work field placement, and ultimately your social work career, it will be helpful to view yourself from five different perspectives: use of personality, use of belief system, use of relational dynamic, use of anxiety, and use of self- disclosure (Dewane, 2006; Walters, 2017).

Time to Think 1.2

Are you ethical? How do your ethics stand up against social workers’ professional ethics? In the workplace, what might make it difficult to adhere to a professional code of ethics? You can retrieve more information about The NASW Code of Ethics at this link: http://www.naswdc.org/pubs/code/code.asp.

Professionalism

In addition to valuing these ethics, social workers identify as professionals. With that status comes a set of characteristics that help ensure the highest standards of practice: a culture of professionalism, a professional authority setting standards, recognition of that authority by the community, a systematic body of theory, and a code of ethics.

Professional identity is currently a hot topic in the counseling profession. A strong predictor of professional identity is membership in a professional organization, such as the NASW, and pursuing leadership opportunities in professional organizations. It takes time for professional identity to develop, and it requires strong mentors who care about investing their time and energy in teaching, leadership, and advocacy. Professional identity results from a developmental process that facilitates a growing understanding of self in one’s selected career. When a social worker is able to articulate her or his role to others, within and outside of the discipline, the process has begun. Next, developing social workers must learn how to merge the personal and professional by knowing themselves well. Social workers must be in tune with their own personal beliefs and understand how their life experiences and gender role expectations have shaped them. As a social worker’s professional identity develops, every area of her or his life will be reflected on.

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Likewise, self-awareness—the ability to clearly understand one’s own strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, and beliefs—is a process that is worthwhile yet not always easy to achieve. Much of the journey to becoming an effective social worker involves developing your own self- awareness—with classmates, professors, and clients who continuously challenge your thinking. Getting in touch with your feelings is extremely important. As you deepen self-understanding, both professionally and personally, you can develop a greater capacity to attend objectively to your clients’ needs. Being aware and secure in thoughts and feelings leads to good health, moments of joy, and contentment, which is something every social worker should be mindful of.

Advocacy

A key element of social work values that is stressed in this introduction to the profession is advocacy, simply defined as activities that secure services for and promote the rights of individuals, groups, organizations, and communities. Advocacy covers everything from ensuring special educational services for a child with learning disabilities to presenting facts about poverty and needy Americans before the U.S. Congress. Social workers intercede in not only cases but causes.

Spotlight On Advocacy

Suze Orman and National Social Work Month March is National Social Work Month, first recognized by the U.S. Congress in 1984. It came about because the NASW had launched a public image campaign several years earlier to advertise what social workers do. President Ronald Reagan signed the resolution recognizing the many thousands of social workers who dedicate their lives to helping those in need. The resolution acknowledged that professional social workers are in the vanguard of the forces working to protect children and the aged, reduce racism and sexism, and prevent the social and emotional disintegration of individuals and families. Every March the NASW continues to celebrate the profession and raise awareness about what social workers do.

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Suze Orman

Source: ©Albert H. Teich/Shutterstock.com

During the March 2012 celebration, NASW invited financial whiz, best-selling author, and television celebrity Suze Orman to help celebrate social workers. Ms. Orman had earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign but never formally worked in a social work agency. Although she took flak from a handful of social workers for lacking actual social work experience, Ms. Orman enthusiastically promoted the profession: “Social workers are vital to the fabric of the United States of America. . . . Those who enter the social work profession know about the low pay, so they need to ‘stand in their power.’” In addition, Ms. Orman related how her social work studies helped her understand how people think and feel about money, and enabled her to talk about money on a personal level: “You have to understand people to understand money.” Decent salaries can be earned in the social work profession, and so she also offered social workers some financial advice. While not all people who complete social work education will become “Suze Ormans,” graduates who possess degrees in social work will locate meaningful work and be able to move from setting to setting quite easily. In some respects social work is a business, and your degree is your ticket to success.

1. What role can social workers play in helping clients be financially literate and good stewards of their money?

2. What do you think about Ms. Orman’s crediting her social work training for her success?

3. What might agencies do to celebrate National Social Work Month?

One of the key differences between social workers and other service

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professionals is that social workers are expected to know and care about clients’ environments. That is what undergirds and gives force to their advocacy.

On a broad level, clients’ environments include issues of economic, environmental, and social justice. As a professional matter, then, social workers embrace a political vision based on democratic values. They are also guided by the NASW Code of Ethics, which is influenced by the beliefs and tenets of the three great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Social workers envision solutions and engage in problem solving designed to protect legal and personal rights and to ensure a dignified existence for everyone. Social work professionals must also understand social and economic conditions. They must understand how economic downturns, the changing balance between conservatism and liberalism, capitalism, and globalization affect their clients and their practice.

To become a more effective professional advocate, you should seek to expand your worldview. Social workers who have studied sociology, economics, political science, public health, and other social sciences can better help clients navigate social service systems and approach decision makers about changes in social policies.

Social Work Education Nearly every state in the United States requires that social workers have a social work degree from an accredited school. The CSWE is the professional entity that accredits social work programs by monitoring social work educators and ensuring high educational standards. CSWE is the authority that officially articulates the goals, values, and training objectives within the profession and oversees curricula development. Its mission is to ensure that social workers are trained to work at a professional level in many different dimensions of practice.

In 2015 CSWE delineated nine social work competencies that students in the discipline must acquire and demonstrate before they graduate. These competencies reflect common practice behaviors and social work ethics and are measurable. They are intended to ensure that every social work graduate has “sufficient knowledge, skills, and values” to practice effectively. These competencies, known as the Educational Policy and

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Accreditation Standards (EPAS), are summarized in Exhibit 1.3.

Social Work Degrees Social work education is provided at both undergraduate and graduate levels. The CSWE has accredited undergraduate departments, programs, and schools in colleges and universities that offer social work training. If you complete an undergraduate degree in social work, you may proceed to graduate social work programs or immediately take social work positions in agencies.

Since 1971 the CSWE has authorized “advanced standing” for students who have finished approved undergraduate social work programs, and some schools of social work have made it possible for such students to obtain their master’s degrees in less than 2 years, some requiring only 1 year of graduate work. Graduate training programs for the master’s degree in social work in the United States usually take 2 years and combine instructional classes with fieldwork practice in agencies.

The social work profession, like the psychology and nursing professions, is legally regulated by state licensing boards and offers specialized credentials and practice certifications. Unfortunately, in some states, no licensure certification exists for social workers who hold undergraduate degrees in social work. This means that people who possess other academic degrees can occupy social work positions and sometimes incorrectly call themselves “social workers,” thereby confusing the general public. Too often the media blame social work for an act carried out by someone who never received a social work degree but still works in a human service agency.

Bachelor of Social Work

The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree readies graduates for generalist social work practice, which will be described in more detail in Chapter 3. The BSW, or BS in social work, is the entry level for the profession. The academic credential is precisely defined: a bachelor’s degree from a college or university social work program or department that is accredited by the CSWE.

Important goals of social work education are not only to cover social

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welfare content and practice skills but also to provide a liberal arts education so students can become good citizens. The liberal arts–oriented BSW curriculum introduces student learners to social welfare history, communication skills, human behavior theories, and critical thinking about diversity and the human condition. Courses with an emphasis on human biology, economics, statistics, and political science enhance knowledge about human behavior and social policy development. Increasingly, BSW students also choose to learn American Sign Language or a foreign language.

Exhibit 1.3 Nine Major Social Work Competencies From the EPAS

Source: CSWE (2016), https://cswe.org/.

Master of Social Work

A Master of Social Work (MSW) degree readies graduates for advanced, specialized professional practice. It must be obtained from a program or department accredited by the CSWE. The MSW degree is viewed as a terminal degree, meaning that select social work programs may hire MSW social workers as faculty to teach clinical courses or as non–tenure-track faculty—especially in fieldwork instructor roles.

The curriculum of master’s degree programs builds on generalist, BSW content. MSW students develop a concentration in a practice method or social problem area; alternatively, some master’s degrees focus on advanced generalist practice. Thus, the MSW social worker should be able to engage in generalist social work practice and also function as a specialist in more complex tasks.

The basic program for the MSW degree includes four core areas:

Human behavior and the social environment

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Social work practice Social policy Research methods

Decades ago, social work education at the master’s level placed considerable emphasis on specialization in fields such as psychiatric (mental health) social work, medical (health) social work, and school social work. Since the 1960s the training has centered on a generalist curriculum. Students complete a 2-year training program that qualifies them to work in some agencies. Additionally, at some schools, the research methods course requires students to complete an individual or group thesis, a research project, or multiple research classes. MSW programs also offer elective courses to provide a well-rounded program for graduate social work students. Dual-degree programs and certificates are also offered at the master’s level.

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work or Doctor of Social Work

For most social workers, an MSW degree is sufficient for a rewarding career. Although the number of doctoral programs has been growing, only a small percentage of NASW members hold one of the two doctorate degrees:

Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Work (PhD): Readies graduates to teach or conduct research or to specialize in clinical practice Doctorate of Social Work (DSW): Prepares graduates for advanced practice and administrative positions or other leadership in social work

Some MSW degree holders who are satisfied with this terminal degree or are working on their doctorates get jobs teaching at community colleges or in universities as part-time instructors or sometimes in non–tenure-track “clinical faculty” positions. Other doctorate-level social workers assume administrative positions at agencies or enter private practice as psychotherapists.

These degrees involve advanced and specialized study, a focus on research, completion of a dissertation, and continuing education credits— especially in the areas of clinical work, cultural competence, and ethics.

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Field Education Whichever level of social work education you pursue, you can anticipate spending time in the “real-world classroom.” Referred to as social work’s “signature pedagogy,” field education is the part of the social work curriculum that students most eagerly anticipate. In the field you finally get a chance to apply what you have learned, under the supervision of a credentialed social worker who is approved by the college or university’s social work program.

The placement settings for field education range widely. Students might be placed in hospitals, courts, domestic violence shelters, prisons, schools, mental health facilities, nursing homes, and community planning sites, or with political candidates or NASW chapter offices. In these placements, students engage in practice, conscientiously applying theoretical concepts and intervention skills learned in the classroom. When students have completed field education, they are expected to be able to demonstrate all the competencies required of the generalist social work accredited curriculum.

Time to Think 1.3

How many hybrid or fully online (distance learning) classes are you currently taking? How many of these are social work courses? What are the advantages and disadvantages of learning about the profession of social work through an internship experience that is online rather than in person?

Certificates and Certifications In pursuit of their social work degrees, BSW students may complete minors or certificates that verify specialized knowledge and skills; for example, certificates in child welfare and gerontology are very popular. After graduation, social work professionals may also wish to obtain special certificates or certifications. Social work programs, departments, and schools collaborate with continuing education partners to offer the following:

Credentials such as licensed social worker (LSW), certified social

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worker (CSW), member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW), licensed master social worker (LMSW), licensed independent social worker (LISW), and licensed clinical social worker (LCSW)

Beyond the social work degree and professional license, credentials (professional certifications) are often voluntarily sought by social workers to demonstrate professional commitment, achievement, and excellence in social work at the national level. The NASW Credentialing Center supplies information about credentials, as they vary by state. NASW specialty credentials are open to all qualified applicants. For example, certified social work case managers may receive this credential with only a BSW degree. The majority of other professional credentials (e.g., ACSW, LMSW, LCSW, LISW) typically require an MSW degree. The ACSW credential, established in 1960, is available to members and social work leaders in all practice areas and is a widely recognized and respected social work credential. If a social worker is 2 or 3 years beyond receiving her or his MSW degree and has accumulated a significant number of supervision hours and taken a standardized examination, she or he may qualify for the LCSW credential. LCSWs must have either an MSW, DSW, or PhD degree. Many LCSWs pursue a clinical or mental health counseling path because they can bill insurance companies for services—whether in private practice or with an agency (NASW, 2014; 2018).

Special certifications such as a Graduate Certificate in Aging Studies or in Addictions and Substance Use Certifications such as in Case Management

In all 50 states, social workers have options for becoming certified or licensed at various levels of social work practice. In fact, it may be illegal to practice social work without a license, depending on the state and practice setting. Because licensure requirements are not always sufficiently taught to undergraduate students, those majoring in social work will want to consult handbooks, state statutes, written resources, and websites (Boland-Prom, Johnson, & Gunaganti, 2015; Groshong, 2009; Monahan, 2013; NASW Press, 2011; Whitaker, Weismiller, & Clark, 2006).

Social workers must be cognizant of four distinct sets of requirements and guidelines: constitutional law, common law, executive orders, and statutory law. And social workers’ decisions should be morally defensible and aligned with the ethical standards of the social work profession

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(Reamer, 2005). For example, in New Jersey, hospital-based and MSW- degreed social worker Jessica may assist inpatient clients with discharge planning, information, and referral; however, without her LCSW credential, Jessica is not legally able to bill patients additionally for the time she spends assessing and counseling. In Florida, mental health social worker Ameda finds that the LMSW credential she received in New York will not suffice; by virtue of Florida law, practicing social workers must possess an LCSW credential and complete and document a specific number of continuing education credits in HIV and domestic violence before they can practice and bill insurance companies in the state.

Social Work Practice The social work profession’s dual purpose and responsibility is to influence social and individual change. Knowledge from a variety of disciplines, absorbed from formal classes and personal learning, helps social workers assess complex situations and determine effective interventions. Many people benefit from and appreciate these interventions, and our society is better for them. However, social work professionals often work with individuals and organizations that are not ready for or capable of change. So social workers also have to use such practice skills as assessing, strategizing, brokering, collaborating, intervening, linking, listening, motivating, and responding in their professional lives. In addition, they must be ready to pose alternative solutions, seek consensus, negotiate, and mediate (Theriot, 2013). It is no wonder that social work is considered a “doing” profession and that it is taught through experiential approaches such as service learning, internships, and fieldwork.

The multidimensional approach to social work education gives graduates at all levels the knowledge and skills they need to work in a variety of settings at various levels of practice. It also helps them prepare for a professional career that offers much personal satisfaction and a promising future, with many opportunities to grow and blaze new paths.

Social workers must act ethically and help clients make decisions that are ethical. Author Holly Nelson-Becker (2018) has developed an “Ethical Decision-Making Framework” to help practicing social workers think through how to “do ethics” for particular clients (see Exhibit 1.4). The framework considers context or setting of the dilemma, type of client,

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values, and risks.

Social Work Roles and Settings Traditionally, social workers have provided charity, created agencies and resources, developed or advocated for policy changes, and delivered services to people and communities in need. Historically, as Chapter 2 describes, they have been key to the development of social welfare policies, such as child labor laws, fair pay for minorities and other oppressed people, and relief for the aging and infirm.

Today, the main purpose of social work remains much the same: to empower people to grow and live healthy, productive, and meaningful lives. Social workers accomplish this purpose by working directly with people, organizations, and communities, and by acting to change society. Most people who consider social work as their career choice do so because they want to help people and make a difference.

But social workers’ activities within their practice are more diverse than ever. They help people increase their capacities for problem solving and coping. They help people obtain needed resources, facilitate interactions between people and their environments, and make organizations responsive to people. Social workers are also professional social activists, working to influence social policies affecting their clients and their communities (Swank, 2012). Here are some examples of the broad array of practice activities they might undertake:

Exhibit 1.4 Ethical Decision-Making Framework

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Source: Nelson-Becker (2018, p. 68).

Teaching people how to bring up and nurture children through training and small-group meetings Caring for older adults through case management and visits to senior centers and hospice facilities Privately counseling couples with marriage troubles Modeling how to preserve constructive, safe, and caring households through in-home visits and courses for family members Fighting for policy changes within institutions and local and state governments, and for the rights of persons who cannot fight for themselves, by organizing and leading meetings or writing letters and articles Advocating with the national government for veterans who have put their lives on the line for the sake of others, by writing position papers, speaking in public forums, and testifying before committees

Social workers undertake these activities in a wide variety of settings: medical facilities, government and nonprofit agencies, corrections facilities, home health and long-term care settings, state and federal government, schools, community-based mental health agencies, faith- based organizations, the military, veterans programs, corporations, and private practice. Social workers may also find employment in banks, theater groups, elder law firms, community gardens, police stations, and international agencies (Gambrill, 1997; Gibelman, 1995; Singer, 2009).

Exhibit 1.5 presents an overview of the primary fields of practice, industries, and employers for social workers.

Levels of Practice No matter the precise setting, social workers also categorize their work on the basis of the level of practice, or the size of the client system with which they intervene: micro, mezzo/meso, or macro. Exhibit 1.6 delineates these three levels, with examples of each. The particular issues that enter into practice at each level are discussed in Chapter 3.

Professional social workers often operate on multiple intervention levels. Certainly, across a career, a professional social worker is likely to

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experience all three levels of practice. In addition, rarely does a case involve only one level at a time. For instance, a woman who has been raped on campus and feels traumatized may need individual counseling, and the social worker may also set up a meeting with her and her parents to ensure that they are sensitive to the woman’s concerns; the social worker may also intervene with campus authorities to alert them to a problem that may affect other female students.

Social Work as a Career Opportunity According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS]. 2014, “Pay”), the median salary for social workers was $44,200 in 2012. However, in social work the pay varies depending on where you work. For example, salaries for BSW- degreed social workers may start lower at nonprofit agencies than at government-funded child welfare agencies. Below, in order of annual median wages from high to low, are the industries that employ the most social workers:

Exhibit 1.5 Overview of Social Work Employment

Source: Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014, “Work Environment”).

Exhibit 1.6 Levels of Practice

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Source: Data from “The 25 Best Master of Social Work Degree Programs” (2012).

1. Federal executive branch 2. General, medical, and surgical hospitals 3. Local government 4. State government 5. Individual and family services

Exhibit 1.7 shows the median salaries by skill or specialty of employees with an MSW degree. Keep in mind, however, that lower salaries may be offset by more opportunities to learn quickly about community resources, as is often the case when working for a nonprofit agency.

A 25% growth rate is expected for social work employment, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This expected job growth is a result of an increased demand for social services and health care. However, job growth will vary by industry. The BLS (2014, “Job Outlook”) predicts a 27% employment increase for health care social workers, 23% for mental health and substance use social workers, and 15% for child, family, and school social workers.

MSW-degreed social workers will find good opportunities in coming years in the following specialties: aging, public welfare, child welfare, justice corrections, school social work, health care, employment/occupational social work, developmental disabilities, community organization, mental health/clinical social work, management/administration, international social work, research, politics, policy and planning, adoption and foster care agencies, private practice, employee assistance programs, advocacy and coalition groups, domestic violence agencies, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, nursing homes/skilled nursing homes, homelessness and hunger advocacy networks, women’s shelters, long-term care facilities, military counseling offices, assisted-living facilities, senior centers, and social and human services centers (BLS, 2014, “Work

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Environment”).

Exhibit 1.7 MSW prepared social workers may receive higher salaries than social workers who possess undergraduate degrees in social work.

Source: Created by Felicia Mainiero and adapted from Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016; Social Work License Map, 2017.

The social work profession will also offer ample opportunity for creativity and innovative solutions in the future. Developments in scientific knowledge, technologies, and the political economy will continually shape our world, as will globalization, the changing natural environment, and the aging population. Social workers’ broad education and versatile skills will help ensure that all of us can keep up.

One appealing aspect of professional social work is that it reflects social and technological trends. Among the areas that promise to provide interesting challenges and opportunities for social workers in the next few years are the following:

Exhibit 1.8 Many more females than males serve as work professionals.

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Sources: Figures created by Felicia Mainiero from data at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm (Figure 1.7) and at https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-worker-salary/ (Figure 1.8).

Teaching and learning: Outstanding communication skills are more essential than ever. Access to, and instruction in the use of, digital technologies is essential for social work clients. Streaming videos can teach client viewers about anger management, substance use interventions, or assistive devices to use at home. Online webinars can help social work professionals acquire new knowledge about mental health or health care reform. Research: Genetic counseling and neuroscience are burgeoning sciences that social workers are embracing. Cultural neuroscience elucidates how early childhood experiences affect our physical and mental health across the life span. Research that studies the meaning and nature of work is also vitally needed to inform social work practice. For example, one social work study comparing younger (ages 19 to 34) and older workers found that each group attached

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diverse meanings to the concept of “work” (Singh, 2013). In direct practice, social workers should ask which activities qualify as work and which sociocultural and situational factors influence the general public’s interpretations of work. Services: Social work hails from a tradition of charity and service. In the future, social workers will need to become expert navigators and literate interpreters of services that are becoming digitized and being offered as part of a virtual marketplace, so they can help clients receive what they need. Just as previous generations of social workers needed to adopt cultural competency, social workers now and in the future will need to embrace technical literacy (Belluomini, 2013). In addition, some social work practitioners are offering e-therapy interventions. Social work education: Social media and technology are radically changing social work pedagogy. Some graduate programs are now offered completely online. Social work education has also become part of the global marketplace (Askeland & Payne, 2006; Garrett, 2009). Those who have the resources to produce and distribute social work literature digitally and through social media are able to disseminate their theoretical views and skills throughout the world. Social workers may have to adapt by researching and communicating about more universal topics, or on the learning end of the educational enterprise, taking into account the different local contexts in which information is produced and the different perspectives from which it should be read.

Current Trends

Lifestyle and Technological Change Over the past three decades, some significant technological changes have occurred. These include the following (Lindsell-Roberts, 2011, p. ix):

Electric typewriters → High-speed computers Radio → MP3 Encyclopedias → Wikipedia Wired → Wireless Letters → E-mail, instant messaging, and texting Rotary phones → Smartphones

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Kilobytes → Terabytes Local data storage → Cloud storage

These changes have been occurring simultaneously with a number of significant lifestyle changes:

9 to 5 → 24/7 Jet-setters → Cybersurfers Office workers → Virtual workers Single skill set → Lifelong learning Shopping malls → Amazon.com, Craigslist, and eBay Brick and mortar → Virtual workplaces Security → Risk taking Status quo → Constant change National → Global Homogeneous → Heterogeneous Lifers → Job-hoppers

1. How will ever-changing technology likely influence the development of the social work profession?

2. What social work–related apps or e-therapy resources do you or your professors know about? How helpful are these resources to social workers or people in need?

Time to Think 1.4

If your friends or parents said to you, “Social work doesn’t pay well. Why don’t you major in nursing, psychology, or criminal justice?” how would you respond? How will social work prepare you to work with people and social problems differently than other professions would?

Summary

Social workers are professionals who help individuals, families, groups, agencies and organizations, and communities. They work with people across the life span and across socioeconomic levels. They usually work with oppressed, vulnerable, and disenfranchised people. People who are suffering because they are ill, addicted, disabled, homeless, poor, immigrants, or discriminated against might very well be clients of social workers. On the other hand, social workers may also work with social and political elites, as when they serve as policy planners and

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program evaluators—although the plight of those at the fringes of society is always at the core of social work. Unique among other types of professionals, social workers are champions of economic and social justice.

Social workers can obtain employment in multiple settings, including traditional social service agencies as well as courts and correctional settings, schools, the military, offices and factories, hospitals, mental health agencies, child and family welfare agencies, long-term care settings, addiction treatment centers, homeless shelters, nonprofit advocacy programs, local/state/federal government agencies, and legislative bodies. Social workers are found wherever people need help to alleviate personal or social problems.

No matter where social workers are employed, common skills and responsibilities exist across the profession:

Providing services to support change not only in the individual but also in his or her environment Having a knowledge and understanding of human relationships Improving the problem-solving, coping, and development capacities of all people Serving as a broker by connecting individuals with resources Engaging and communicating with diverse populations and groups of all sizes Creating and maintaining professional helping relationships Advocating for individual clients or the community to solve identified problems

Job prospects for graduates with BSW or MSW degrees, who learn these skills through classroom learning and field practice, are very good for the future.

Top 10 Key Concepts Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) field education intersectionality level of practice Master of Social Work (MSW) National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

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profession social work social workers

Discussion Questions 1. What are the values and beliefs of social workers? How do social

workers put their values and beliefs into action? 2. Why is self-understanding so important to becoming a social worker? 3. Imagine that you meet a man who felt neglected as a child because his

parents divorced and his father was an abusive alcoholic. As this man ages, he has choices. At one end of the spectrum, he may continue the cycle of addiction, drink heavily, and also become abusive. At the other end, he may choose never, ever to drink alcohol and become the most responsible person in all his relationships, always trying to please others. If you grew up in a family where alcohol was never around or was drunk only in moderation, how would you relate to and help this man?

4. What characteristics do you possess that make you behave ethically? Think of a time when perhaps you or someone you know did not act in an ethical manner. What was the rationale for the unethical behavior? Looking back, was that a good rationale? Why or why not?

5. What are the differences in where a BSW social worker and an MSW social worker might work and in how they might practice?

Exercises 1. What is important to you in a career? Interview a social worker, and

then interview a sociologist, a psychologist, or another human service professional. Compare and contrast their roles and responsibilities. Ask about their level of education and how quickly they got a job working with people upon graduation.

2. How would you respond to people (clients) who are poor, ill, or addicted and oppressed? Find out more about these population groups: Read articles or stories; watch a movie, Fox News, or C-SPAN; listen to NPR; or interview social workers who work with addicted, mentally ill, impoverished, and oppressed people. Then record your thoughts and feelings about working with people who are vulnerable and in need of services. For example, here are some of the questions you might

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explore in a few relevant movies: a. The Help: What was your reaction to the oppression of lower-

class African American women? b. Losing Isaiah: What was your reaction to this transracial

adoption? c. Maria Full of Grace: What do you think about how drug/sex

trafficking was portrayed? 3. What workplace features or career goals are most important to you?

With which clients might you most like to work? 4. On the BLS website (www.bls.gov/home.htm), find the range of

salaries for social workers in your local area or state. Compare salaries across practice settings, such as aging, child welfare, corrections, health, mental health, and school social work. Then compare the salaries for entry-level BSWs and advanced-practice MSWs (BSW salaries: http://www1.salary.com/Social-Worker-BSW-Salary.html).

5. Read one of Dr. Brené Brown’s books (e.g., Rising Strong or Braving the Wilderness) and consider the importance of learning to be both courageous and vulnerable.

Online Resources

American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (aaswsw.org): Gathers ideas relevant to the future of the social work profession through its new initiative, called Grand Challenges for Social Work Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/ooh/Community-and- Social-Service/Social-workers.htm#tab-2): Categorizes jobs in social work by sponsorship (where the salary comes from to operate the agency and pay employees), by the kinds of clients or populations the social worker deals with, and by the kinds of services rendered Council on Social Work Education (cswe.org): The sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States that advocates for social work research and education International Federation of Social Workers (www.ifsw.org): Contributes to achieving a socially just world through professional social work; comprises 90 professional social work organizations that care about setting and reviewing international standards for social work NASW chapters (www.naswdc.org/chapters/default.asp): All chapters, listed state by state NASW Occupational Profile Series

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(workforce.socialworkers.org/whatsnew.asp#profiles) National Association of Black Social Workers (nabsw.org): Composed of people from African ancestry and guided by the Principles of the Nguzo Saba to empower and advocate for people of African ancestry and work to create a world without racial discrimination and oppression National Association of Social Workers (www.socialworkers.org): The largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world The NASW Code of Ethics may be located at this link: http://www.naswdc.org/pubs/code/code.asp or http://www.vet.utk.edu/socialwork/pdf/NASWCodeofEthics.pdf The New Social Worker (www.socialworker.com/career.htm) Social Workers’ Salary Guide (socialworklicensemap.com/wp- content/uploads/2013/05/The-Social-Workers-Salary-Guide.jpg) Suze Orman (www.socialworkersspeak.org/hollywood- connection/money-guru-suze-orman-offers-social-workers- financial-advice.html): Offers financial advice for social workers U.S. Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (www.usaid.gov/faith-based-and-community-initiatives) Self-awareness and professional identity resource: http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/field-placement/ An Introduction to Use of Self in Field Placement/ Social work practice setting resource: http://www.socialworklicensure.org/types-of-social- workers/types-of-social-workers.html#context/api/listings/prefilter

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