Broker
The social worker is involved
in the process of making
referrals to link a family or
person to needed resources.
Social work professionals do
not simply provide
information.
They also follow up to be
sure the needed resources
are attained. This requires
knowing resources,
eligibility requirements,
fees and the location of
services.
Advocate
In this role, social workers fight
for the rights of others and work
to obtain needed resources by
convincing others of the
legitimate needs and rights of
members of society.
Case Manager
Case managers are involved in locating
services and assisting their clients to
access those services.
Case management is especially
important for complex situations and
for those who are homeless or elderly,
have chronic physical or mental health
issues, are disabled, victims of
domestic or other violent crimes, or
are vulnerable children.
Educator
Social Workers are often involved
in teaching people about
resources and how to develop
particular skills such as budgeting,
the caring discipline of children,
effective communication, the
meaning of a medical diagnosis,
and the prevention of violence
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. Social workers are
involved as group therapists and task
group leaders
Organizer
Social Workers are involved in
many levels of community
organization and action including
economic development, union
organization, and research and
policy specialists
Manager
Social Workers, because of their
expertise in a wide variety of
applications, are well suited to work
as managers and supervisors in
almost any setting. As managers, they
are better able to influence policy
change and/or development, and to
advocate, on a larger scale, for all
underprivileged people
People They Serve
Most social workers spend their
days working with people. The
type of work social workers do
varies based on the groups of
people they serve
Common groups of people that social
workers serve include:
Children
Older adults
People with disabilities
Patients with chronic, acute or terminal
diagnoses
People coping with grief or loss
People with mental illnesses
People struggling with addiction
Where They Work
Most social workers work in an
office setting, though many
spend a large portion of their
time visiting clients in their
homes, schools, and in the
community.
Social workers most often work in
the following settings:
Hospitals, medical clinics, and
nursing homes
Community mental health agencies
and substance misuse clinics
State and local governments
including child welfare agencies and
departments of health and human
services
Schools and other youth-serving
organizations
Military bases and veterans affairs
clinics
Correctional facilities Private
practices
Rights and Responsibilities,
Accountabilities and Code of Ethics of
Social Work The rights of social work are
partially outlined. Social work foremost
rights include the right to fulfill its
professional mandates and to live by its
values. Its responsibilities cover those
that pertain to the dispensation of its
basic functions, roles, professional
standards, and adhesive to its local and
international codes of ethics.
Social work is accountable to the
clients, the general public, and the
society.
The following are responsibilities
of social workers as to their field
of specialization:
1.To help children
2. Assist those life- threatening
problems
3. Aid people in overcoming
addictions
4. To protect and uphold respect
for the inherent worth and dignity
of all people as expressed in the
United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
(1948)
5. Promoting social justice to the
people generally and to the people
with whom they work
6. To apply the professional values
and principles set out above to
their practice
7. They should act with integrity
and treat people with compassion,
empathy, and care
Accountability of social worker is
to the clients, colleagues,
employers, professional
associations, and to the law. Social
workers are accountable for their
actions to the values and
principles of the profession, which
require them to act in a reliable,
honest, and trustworthy manner
They are answerable to their
clients, professional bodies like
registered social workers (RSW),
certified social workers (CSW),
licensed social worker (LSW),
licensed clinical social workers
(LCSW),
and licensed independent social
workers (LISW) organization, and
the laws promulgated and
enforced by appropriate
government agencies.