PROFESSIONALS AND

PRACTITIONERS IN
SOCIAL WORK
REPORTERS: SHANNAIAH KIM BALI
BRYAN EDURIA
ARSENIO MENDOZA
 Social work
•THE PRIMARY MISSION OF THE SOCIAL WORK
PROFESSION IS TO ENHANCE HUMAN WELL-
BEING AND HELP MEET THE BASIC HUMAN NEEDS
OF ALL PEOPLE, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION
TO THE NEEDS AND EMPOWERMENT OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE VULNERABLE, OPPRESSED, AND LIVING
IN POVERTY.
 ROLES OF SOCIAL WORK
•For individuals and families, their
role is that of an enabler-helping
people find solutions.
• ADVOCATE- In the advocate role, the social worker
fights for the rights of those disempowered by society
with the goal of empowering the client.
• BROKER- In the role of a broker, a social worker is
responsible for identifying, locating, and linking clients
to needed resources in a timely manner. Once the
client's needs are assessed and potential services
identified, the broker assists the client in choosing the
most appropriate service option and assists in
negotiating the terms of service delivery.
They are teachers in terms of information processing.
• EDUCATOR- In the educator role, social workers are involved in
teaching people about resources and how to develop particular
skills such as budgeting, the caring discipline of children, effective
communication and the prevention of violence.
For formal groups and organizations, their role is that of a facilitator-
in aid of organizational development.
• FACILITATOR- In this role, social workers are involved in gathering
groups of people together for a variety of purposes including
community development, self advocacy, political organization, and
policy change.
• MEDIATOR- In the mediator role, the social worker
intervenes in disputes between parties to help them
reconcile and reach mutually satisfying agreements.
The mediator takes a neutral stance among the
involved parties.
• COMMUNITY CHANGE AGENT- As a community change
agent, the social worker participates as part of a group
or organization seeking to improve or restructure some
aspect of community service provision.
 FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL WORK
•DuBois and Miley (2008) includes among others:
•Enhance social functioning of individuals, families,
groups, organizations, and communities;
•Link client systems with needed resources;
•Promote social justice through development of
social policy
 COMPETENCIES OF SOCIAL WORK
• THESE COVER ALL NECESSARY SKILLS AND PERSONALITY QUALITIES
NEEDED BY THE PROFESSION TO PERFORM THEIR VARIOUS ROLE
AND SKILLS. FOUNDATIONALLY, SOCIAL WORK REQUIRES THE
FOLLOWING ABILITIES AND SKILLS (DUBIOS AND MILEY 2008):
• THINK CRITICALLY;
• BUILD AND SUSTAIN RELATIONSHIP;
• EXECUTE EMPOWERING PROCESSES;
• ANALYZE POLICIES;
• COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY;
 AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION OF SOCIAL WORK
• Professional social work requires full professional training with
college degree and in a number of cases, requires a person to
have a master's or doctor's degree in social work. Social work
specialization covers five major fields ( Hartman 2015):
• 1. Family and child welfare. This includes services to families
in situations that seriously disrupt family life such as physical or
mental illness, unemployment, divorce, in aid of improving
client's family life. In child welfare programs and services such
as adaptation, daycare, foster child care, and care for
children with disabilities and aiding physically or emotionally
abused children and their families.
• 2. Health. Social workers help patients and their and their
families in clinics, hospitals, and other health care facilities.
They provide physicians information about the social and
economic background of patients; help patients and their
families deal with the impact of illness and death and counsel
patients who have been discharged to help them return
everyday life; provide counseling in maternal and child care;
the care for dying patients and victims of certain diseases like
HIV or cancer.
• 3. Mental health. Social workers provide aid to people
suffering from mental and emotional stress and many
other services similar to the ones offered by medical
social workers. Many have training in psychotherapy,
the treatment of mental or emotional disorders using
psychological methods.
• 4. Corrections. Social workers in corrections are involved with
programs concerned with the prevention of crime and the rehabilitation
of criminal and provide counsel to people who are on probation or
parole.
• 5. Schools. Social work in school is part of the program on all levels,
from preschool through college. It includes services to students in
special school for individuals with emotional disturbances or physical
disabilities. Social workers in school provide vocational counseling ,
school adjustment counseling, and help with behavioral management
and personal problems. They also assist students who have learning
difficulties and help them work to their potential.
 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
• Social Workers specializing in:
- MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC SOCIAL WORKERS work in clinics, hospitals, child
guidance clinic, mental hospitals, medical colleges, community public health
centers
-SOCIAL WORKERS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT are involved in field work in
community groups, government and voluntary agencies, and Non-government
agencies ( NGOs).
- CHILD CARE AND FAMILY SERVICES SOCIAL WORKERS work in family planning
and AIDS awareness campaign of the government, Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD), Bantay Bata
- CRIMINOLOGY AND CORRECTIONAL SOCIAL WORKER work in prisons, and
government welfare departments.
 RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND ACCOUNTABILITIES OF SOCIAL WORK
• BY DEFINITION, SOCIAL WORK IS JOINTLY PRESENTED BY THE
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS (IFSW) AND
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
(IASSW):

•Social work foremost rights include the right to

fulfill its professional mandates and to live by
its values. Social work is accountable to the
clients, the general public, and the society
RESPONSIBILITY TO CLIENTS
•MAKE CLIENTS THEIR PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITY.
•RESPECT THE CLIENT’S PRIVACY.
•CHARGE FEES FOR SERVICES THAT ARE FAIR
AND CONSIDERATE TO CLIENTS.
Responsibility to Colleagues and Employers
Social worker should:
- Treat colleagues with respect, fairness and courtesy.
- adhere to professional obligations as determined by their employers.
Responsibility to the social work profession
Social workers should:
-Help the profession make social services available to the general
public.
-Educate themselves to become culturally competent and
understanding of diversity.
Accountabilities of social work
•Social work is accountable to the clients, the
general public and the society. They are
accountable for their actions to the values
and principles of the profession, which
require them to act in reliable, honest and
trustworthy manner.
 CODE OF ETHICS
•THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL
WORKERS DELEGATE ASSEMBLY CREATED THE
FIRST VERSION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS IN
OCTOBER 1960. IT HAS SINCE BEEN REVISED
SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IT MAINTAINS MANY OF
THE ORIGINAL PRINCIPLES.
 ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
• Value: service
Ethical principle: social workers primary goal is to help people in need
and to address social problems.
• Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest. Social
workers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in
need and to
• Address social problems. Social workers are encouraged to volunteer
some portion of their professional skills without expecting significant
financial return.
• Value: social justice
Ethical principle: social workers challenge social injustice.
• Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf
of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people.
Social workers social change efforts are focused primarily on issues
of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social
injustice. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information,
services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful
participation in decision making for all people.
• Value: dignity and worth of the person
Ethical principle: social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth
of the person.
• Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion,
mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.
Social workers promote clients socially responsible self-determination.
Social workers seek to enhance clients capacity and opportunity to
change and to address their own
• Value: importance of human relationships
Ethical principle: social workers recognize the central
importance of human relationships.
• Social workers understand that relationships between and
among people are an important vehicle for change. Social
workers engage people as partners in helping process. Social
workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a
purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance
the well-being of individuals, families, social groups,
organizations, and communities.
• Value: integrity
Ethical principle: social workers behave in a trustworthy
manner.
• Social workers are continually aware of the profession's
mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and
practice in a manner consistent with them. Social workers act
honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on
the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated.
• Value: competence
• Ethical principle: social workers practice within their
areas of competence and develop and enhance their
professional expertise.
• Social workers continually strive to increase their
professional knowledge and skills and apply them in
practice. Social workers should aspire to contribute to
the knowledge base of the profession.
Ethical standards
• The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of all social workers.
• 1. Social workers are expected to uphold human rights in their practice.
• 2. Social workers should respect the rights and dignity of people.
• 3. Social workers should respect relationships of people who use their services.
• 4. Social workers should promote social justice.
• 5. Social workers should comply with the laws and regulations governing their practice.
• 6. Social workers should carry out their duties professionally and ethically.
• 7. Social workers should demonstrate ethical awareness.
• 8. Social workers should demonstrate professional accountability.
• 9. Social workers should act in the best interest people who use their services.
• 10. Social workers should communicate with people who uses their services, careers, and professionals.
• 11. Social workers should seek informed consent of people who uses their services.
• 12. Social workers should keep accurate records.
• 13. Social workers should deal appropriately with health and safety risks.
• 14. Social workers should willingly collaborate, delegate, and manage
appropriately.
• 15. Social workers should act with integrity. This means that they should not abuse
the relationship of the trust with people using their services; they should recognize
the boundaries between personal and professional life, and they should not abuse
their position for personal benefit or gain.
• 16. Social workers should provide accurate information about their
conduct and competence.
• 17. Social workers should treat information about people who uses their
services as confidential except in situations that call for greater ethical
requirements such as preservation of life.
• 18. Social workers should act within the limits of their professional
knowledge, skills, and experience.
• 19. Social workers should keep their professional knowledge and skills up
to date so that they are able to provide appropriate services.