🔹 Definition and Scope:
Social workers assess, support, and intervene in people’s lives to help them cope and thrive.
Roles include caseworker, counselor, advocate, mediator, and community organizer.
🔹 History and Evolution:
Began in the 1800s with charity work and settlement houses.
Became professionalized in the 20th century.
Influenced by events like industrialization, war, and civil rights movements.
🔹 Values and Ethics:
The profession is guided by the NASW Code of Ethics or local equivalents.
Core values include:
Service: Helping others is the priority
Dignity and Worth of the Person
Social Justice
Importance of Human Relationships
Integrity
Competence
Confidentiality and informed consent are essential ethics in practice.
2: Social Work Theories and Approaches
3: Communication Skills
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4: Social Policy and Legislation
🔹 Understanding Policies:
Social policy includes laws and regulations that govern welfare, healthcare, education, and child protection.
Examples: child rights acts, gender-based violence laws, disability rights policies
🔹 Advocacy:
Helping clients access services
Influencing laws and policies to be more equitable
Speaking on behalf of vulnerable populations in meetings, reports, and forums
