Future Of Social Work Practice Research Articles

Present and Future Issues and Trends in Social Work Globally: A Scholarly Analysis

This article provides an overview of the present and future issues and trends in social work on a global scale. Drawing upon recent bibliographic references and a review of the literature, this article explores the challenges faced by social workers in various regions and highlights emerging trends that are reshaping the field. The analysis incorporates insights from renowned authors and researchers to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state and anticipated future of social work practice, education, and research worldwide

Teaching about selfcare to social work students. A necessary action

ABSTRACT Learning to take care of oneself in order to be able to take care of others is key to the future of Social Work practice. This article analyzes how self-care is taught to and learned by Social Work students. We approach it through the experiences and discourses of students and professors from the Social Work degree course at the Rovira i Virgili University (URV), in Tarragona, Spain. The methodology used was mixed. Data was collected during 2019 through 143 Social Work student online questionnaires, two student focus groups, two in-depth interviews with students, and 13 social work faculty online questionnaires. The results highlight the lack of specific training in self-care and the demands of both groups to have better access to this training. Some proposals to introduce content related to self-care programmatically into Social Work university studies are also presented.

Self-managed action learning and assessors of newly qualified social workers in multiple organisations in England: a facilitator's perspective

PurposeThis study aims to explore a self-managed action learning (SMAL) initiative undertaken by social work assessors in England, which led to insights into the practice of SMAL.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws upon the experience of the authors in relation to an actual SMAL intervention in a social care context in England.FindingsThe paper suggests that, in contrast to extant literature, it is not the absence of an “expert” facilitator, which has proved to be most challenging but rather dealing with the practicalities of managing inter-organisational sets online. Specific individual and inter-organisational learning came about as a result of the SMAL initiative, including the implementation of inter-organisational networking to support isolated assessors.Research limitations/implicationsThe ideas and perspectives discussed in this paper will be explored through further empirical research.Practical implicationsThe paper illustrates how SMAL can be implemented and suggests how it can facilitate organisational and individual learning.Social implicationsThe paper discusses an initiative with the aim of better supporting assessors of newly qualified social workers; a task of enormous importance to the future of social work practice in England.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to a limited literature on the practice of SMAL. The uniqueness comes from both the multi-organisational aspect of the programme, that it is self-managed and delivered virtually.

Shaping the Future of Social Work Practice in Healthcare: Addressing COVID-19 Needs through Integrated Primary Care.

COVID-19 has illustrated the urgency of promoting integrated healthcare as the model of the future, with social workers not only supporting the physical and mental health of providers and patients, but also leading efforts to transform systems, policies, and social work education. Primary care, where the role of social workers is continuing to grow, is a central location for integrating the treatment of medical, social, and behavioral problems. In these settings, social workers can take the lead to meet community needs, assist in public health efforts, and bolster the frontline medical workforce. The following article reflects upon what we as social workers have learned a year into the global pandemic and how we can apply this knowledge to shaping the future of social work in primary care. Authors consider how the multiple medical and psychosocial needs of patients affected by COVID-19 are addressed in primary care through three core functions of social work: providing behavioral healthcare, coordinating care, and undertaking population health-based interventions. Article ends with a discussion about how social work can respond to the urgent task of transforming health within the context of social work practice, policy, and education for the next generation of healthcare social workers.

Teaching Note—Preparing Social Workers for the Digital Future of Social Work Practice

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic prompted an abrupt shift in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in practice. The pre-pandemic use of informal ICT was already ubiquitous in social work practice. The purpose of this teaching note is to highlight that social work education must prepare students for practice using ICT during COVID-19 and beyond. Incorporated are findings from an international study on informal ICT use before COVID-19, which confirmed its ubiquity in social work, underscoring the need to educate and prepare social workers to use ICTs. Six knowledge areas important for social work education related to ICT use are discussed: integrating theoretical foundations; ethical considerations; confidentially and documentation; access and equity; risk assessment and management; and supervision and policy.

Future of Social Work Practice- Human, human again -

Future of Social Work Practice- Human, human again -

Social Welfare Trends in Western Societies: privatisation and the challenge to Social Work

The paper analyses several key features of the changing landscape of modern welfare states, the major the social forces driving this change, and how change is pertinent to the future of social work practice. The social forces driving change include structural factors such as the demographic transition and globalisation of the economy, as well as sociopolitical variables that involve an understanding of the unanticipated effects of social policies and the increased value attributed to the private sector. The central characteristics of change include a shift in policies away from the protection of labor and toward the promotion of work and the increasing use of the private sector for the production and delivery of social services. The privatisation of social welfare and its implications for social work practice are examined in the light of the challenges in negotiating service contracts.

The Afrocentric Paradigm

ABSTRACT This article discusses the Afrocentric paradigm as a viable theoretical framework to guide the future of social work practice. A historical overview of the paradigm is followed by a description of the basic assumptions for human behavior, self-identity, and community. The last section demonstrates the Afrocentric principle of harmony by embracing the problem-solving model as the conduit for positing wider acceptance and practical application of the Afrocentric Paradigm.

The Future of Social Work Practice in Addictions

Few social workers specialize in addictions practice. That number may grow in the years ahead due to demographic changes in the population, an expanding definition of addiction, and other factors. Social workers in all areas of practice see clients with addictions and their family members, but there is a large gap in the numbers who need treatment and receive it. The social work workforce of the future must be better equipped to develop and identify prevention and treatment services that are both appealing to clients and effective. These services may need to be offered in other setting where clients are seen. There is also much work to be done in the years ahead in the political environment to make treatment available and to see that individuals with addictions are treated fairly. Substantial research is being conducted on genetics and the brain chemistry of addiction. Psychosocial factors are also believed to play a substantial role in the development of addictions, thus ensuring social workers place in the addictions field in the years ahead.

Setting an Agenda for Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care

This article describes leadership efforts within social work to promote, enhance, and shape the future of social work practice, education, and research in end-of-life and palliative care. The background and outcomes of the Project on Death in America, Open Society Institute's Social Work Leadership Development Award Program, and the 2002 Social Work Leadership Summit on End-of-Life and Palliative Care are reviewed.

Empowerment in social work practice with the psychiatrically disabled: Model and method

Empowerment of those clients disempowered by society is explored as both a philosophy to inform social work practice and as a continuing method of practice in itself. A three‐part model of empowerment at individual, interpersonal, and group levels is presented and is then illustrated by application to a case study of psychiatric disability. The generalist model of practice is seen as particularly suited to empowerment. New directions in serving mental health consumers are discussed, including participatory action research, the disability paradigm, and consciousness‐raising in relation to economic oppression. Egalitarian partnership between worker and client is seen as the future of social work practice.

The Future of Social Work in the United States

This article discusses six major developments shaping the future of social work practice and education in the United States, with particular attention to their implications for field education. These include economic globalization, the changing political climate, the growing use of technology, demographic shifts and their impact on cities, the changing nature of social service agencies, and changes in universities. The article analyzes how these sweeping changes compel social work educators to reassess their underlying assumptions and, based upon this analysis, suggests some calculated risks to take.

Multicultural Community Organizing: A Strategy for Change

The literature on social work practice in the 21st century depicts a grim picture. Demographic projections suggest growth in three populations disproportionately affected by poverty: single-parent families, older people, and people of color (Murdock & Michael, 1996). Projections suggest that income inequality will grow as the movement to reduce government spending leads to decreased federal responsibility and a decentralized, residual welfare state (DiNitto, 1996; Hasenfeld, 1996; Murdock & Michael, 1996). Therefore, the need for human services will increase while resources are eliminated; social work practice will become privatized and focused on methods of serving increasing numbers of people from diverse backgrounds in a context of limited resources (Hasenfeld, 1996). This future vision of a reactive social work profession adapting to a situation of increasing injustice is chilling. Gaining perspective on these trends can provide a vision for proactive practice, policy, education, and research that can fulfill the profession's mission and purpose. What alternatives exist for those committed to increasing social justice and access to needed social supports? An alternative perspective can be developed from studying how social workers can affect these larger trends. By improving the lives of single-parent families, older people, and people of color, social workers can reduce inequality and the need for increased services. This reduction requires developing effective methods for working with diverse communities to influence policy and practice. The scholarship on the future of social work practice has not adequately focused on the implications of these trends for community practice (Raffoul & McNeece, 1996). The increasing shift from federal to local administration of social welfare services suggests greater power for local communities in resource allocation and a significant role for community practitioners in the evolving welfare state. However, the growing ethnic, cultural, and racial diversity of society presents a challenge for community workers. Skills for working in a multicultural environment are important if communities are to be well represented in the planning process. This article identifies how multicultural organizing can help improve the lives of individuals, families, and communities. A literature review on multicultural community practice identifies its dimensions, scope, and methods. Ways in which multicultural organizing can be pivotal for affecting positive change are discussed. Multicultural Perspective on Community Practice Community organization methods are designed to create social environments that support social justice through influencing policies, developing programs, or governing locally. Although the target of change is the community, the forum for change can be individuals, families, groups, or organizations. Organizers emphasize the importance of individual contact in building community change efforts (Burghardt, 1982; Staples, 1984). These contacts can lead to the development of social action organizations that can influence policy affecting economic and social institutions. Community change efforts can range from short and focused activities such as public hearings to long and sustained projects such as the development of alternative services (Kettner, Daley, & Nichols, 1985; Mondros & Wilson, 1994). The concept of social justice is central to the practice of community organizing. Social justice refers to equity, equality, and fairness in the distribution of societal resources (Flynn, 1995). Social justice includes a focus on the structures and outcomes of social processes and how they contribute to equality, places explicit value on achieving social equity through democratic processes, and assumes that the social work role is to develop policy and practice that contribute to these goals (Flynn, 1995; Van Soest, 1994). Although community organizers may work toward local or short-term goals, the overall goal is social justice and social equality. …

Legal requisites for social work practice

The manuscript reviews the implications of the latest lower and Supreme Court decisions for social work practice. Specific items discussed are: contracts, private and public agencies, token economies, and adversive treatment. Finally, the effects of legal decisions upon the future of social work practice are outlined.