SOCIAL WORK DATA COLLECTION AND ASSESSMENT
Definition: Assessment is the thinking process by which a worker reasons from the information gathered to arrive at tentative conclusions. During assessment, the available information is organized and studied to make sense of the client (system’s) situation and lay a foundation for a plan of action.
When the assessment is complete, the social worker should be able to describe the problem accurately and identify what needs to be changed to improve the situation. (p. 246)
Section A: Techniques and Guidelines for Direct Practice
1.
Self Assessment for the Social Worker
Purpose: To identify and regulate any issues or feelings generated inside the social worker before, during and after the assessment process.
2.
The Social Assessment Report (Social History)
Purpose: To convey to other professionals relevant social information about a particular individual or family.
3.
Genograms, Ecomapping and Timelines of Important Events
Purpose: To graphically depict family, interactional data and estimated timeline as an aid in the social assessment process.
4.
Social Support Assessment
Purpose: To identify people to whom a client might turn for various types of social support.
5.
Assessing a Client’s Role Performance
Purpose: To clarify and describe the nature of a client’s difficulty in performing role-related behaviors.
6.
Assessing a Client’s Self Concept
Purpose: To understand a client’s perceptions and thoughts about herself or himself as a person.
7.
Assessing a Client’s Social Functioning
Purpose: To examine and assess the various dimensions of a person’s social functioning.
8.
The Person-in-Environment (PIE) System
Purpose: To describe, classify, and code problems in adult social functioning.
9.
Assessing a Client’s Mental Status
Purpose: To determine if the client’s thoughts and behaviors indicate serious mental illness and the need for a psychiatric referral.
10.
Assessing Family Functioning
Purpose: To identify the nature and structure of interactions among those who make up a family system.

11.
Assessing Small-Group Functioning
Purpose: To observe the functioning of a small group and assess its effectiveness.
12.
Assessing Evidence-Based Practice for Appropriate Intervention with Client
Purpose: To identify appropriate intervention based on information gathered in client assessment and what is known to be best practice for the client and situation.
Section B: Techniques and Guidelines for Indirect Practice
1.
Assessing Agency Structure
Purpose: To identify alternative ways to structure staff roles and responsibilities in order to achieve efficient and effective agency operation.
2.
Assessing Human Services Needs (Needs Assessment)
Purpose: To provide data on the utilization of and/or need for specific human services offered in a community or region or to an identified population group.
3.
Focus Groups
Purpose: To acquire in-depth responses from a group of human services consumers or research subjects regarding an agency, program, service or other topic.
4.
Force Field Analysis
Purpose: To assess to various forces that may affect a decision regarding a social problem or issue.
5.
Community Decision-Making Analysis
Purpose: To assess the factors that influence the actions of elected officials and other decision makers.
6.
Analyzing Social Policy Implications
Purpose: To assess an existing or proposed social policy in order to guide community change activities.
Adapted From:
Sheafor, Bradford W. and Charles R. Horejsi (2006). Techniques and guidelines for social work
Practice (7 th Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Pgs. 246 – 336.