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SOCIAL WORK IN CANADA
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An Introduction
Third Edition
Chapter 6: Social Work with Individuals and Families
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Social Work With Individuals & Families
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



Introduction to Direct Practice
The Social Work Process
Direct Practice Skills
The Helping Relationship
Conclusion
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Introduction to Direct Practice
Social work practice consists of:
 A series or process of interventionist actions
 Distinct situations requiring different
interventions, though processes or steps are
similar
 An interplay of action, reflection, and more action
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
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Introduction to Direct Practice
Social Work with Individuals:
 The process of helping individuals is sometimes called
social casework
 Helping people resolve problems on a one-to-one basis
 Can take different forms depending on the philosophy of
the social worker
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Introduction to Direct Practice
Social Work with Families:
 Involves working with a couple, child and parent,
or entire families
 Often focuses on communication or relationship
difficulties, transitions, or family crisis situations
 Emphasizes empowering family members and
developing more secure relationships between
them
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Introduction to Direct Practice
Social Work
with Individuals
Social Work
with Groups
Social Work
with
Communities
Figure 6.1: The Three Fields of Direct Practice
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
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Introduction to Direct Practice
The Role of Critical Self-Reflection:
 “Knowledge about oneself”
 Helps social workers understand how identity, beliefs,
professional and personal life are shaped by the media,
family, and education
 Knowledge that these beliefs will affect perceptions of the
people you might be working with
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
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Introduction to Direct Practice
Clinical Social Work
 Varied range of approaches
 Includes critical, feminist, and structural social workers
 Two key elements distinguish it from other forms of
therapeutic intervention: the person-centred approach &
the importance of the helping relationship
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
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The Social Work Process
The social work process consists of four broad
stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Intake
Assessment and Planning
Intervention
Evaluation and Termination
Social Work In Canada
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The Social Work Process
Intake
Assessment/
Planning
Intervention
Termination/
Evaluation
Figure 6.2: The Social Work Process for Direct Practice
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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The Social Work Process
Intake
 First step taken by a worker
 A request for service is made by or for a person
 Determination is made regarding the service to be
provided
 Information about client is collected
 Assessment is made regarding client’s situation
 Decision is made regarding whether agency can or cannot
help the client
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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The Social Work Process
Intake – Questions to Ask
Potential Client:
Social Worker:
 Can I get the help I need
here?
 Can I help this person?
 Can this person help me?
 How can I get the help I
need at this agency?
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
 Would it be more
appropriate for someone
else to help?
 How can I help this person?
Social Work In Canada
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The Social Work Process
Assessment and Planning
 Social worker and client analyze what help is
needed through questioning
 Social worker formulates plan
 Plan provides initial course of action
 Plan is altered through series of reflection-actionreflection processes
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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The Social Work Process
Intervention
 Worker and client implement the assessment and
plans
 Client shares with social worker any information
regarding progress in problem resolution
 Focus on creating dialogue between the client and
worker
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
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The Social Work Process
Evaluation and Termination
 Worker evaluates rationale for actions chosen and
determines if needs were met
 Worker will consider the expected or unexpected
results
 Alternative courses of action should be
considered
 Clients are not generally involved
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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The Social Work Process
Evaluation and Termination
 Termination occurs when the action plan is
completed and the clients goals have been met
 Essential records relating to the case are
organized and stored
 Appropriate support must be in place before
intervention is ended
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Direct Practice Skills
A social worker’s skill set for direct intervention
should include:
 Listening
 Summarizing
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
 Giving information
 Interpreting
 Building consensus
Validating feelings
Interviewing/dialoguing
Paraphrasing
Clarifying
Chapter 6:
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Social Work In Canada
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The Helping Relationship
The helping relationship refers to a partnering
relationship between a client and a professional
social worker, in which the worker should exhibit:
 Warmth
 Empathy
 Genuineness
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
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The Helping Relationship
Social Work as Art and Science:
 Look to science for validation
 Referred to as evidence-based practice, social
workers locate empirical studies for guidance
 Helping professionals gravitate towards a more
holistic and artistic understanding of practice
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Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Websites
 Success and Innovation in Social Work Practice
www.casw-acts.ca/celebrating/innovation_e.html
 Information for Practice
www.nyu.edu/socialwork/ip/
 The Vanier Institute for the Family
www.vifamily.ca
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Social Work With Individuals
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Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion
How might the stages of intake, assessment
and planning, intervention, and evaluation and
termination differ based on whether the client is
voluntary or involuntary?
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Social Work In Canada
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Questions for Discussion
In what ways does sympathy differ from
empathy in a social work context?
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Social Work In Canada
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Questions for Discussion
Describe your philosophy of social work.
Chapter 6:
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Questions for Discussion
Describe how your philosophy relates to at least
two of the values in the CASW Code of Ethics
and the specific principles related to that value.
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.
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Questions for Discussion
How does your philosophy of social work build
on your personal experiences? How does it
shape your professional social work goals?
Chapter 6:
Social Work With Individuals
Social Work In Canada
Copyright © 2010 Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.