Social Work as a Problem Solving Process
Formerly required courses: Introduction to social work, Social work theory and methods
Teacher: Merle Pihlak
E-mail: merlep@tpu.ee
Credits: 4,0 / 6,0 ECTS
Duration in hours: 28 hours of lectures, 28 hours of seminars, 6 hours of field visits
Time: II semesters, autumn and spring semester 2001/2002, 2 hours per week
Description: Social work is seen as a professional process where the strength-based problemsolving model can be applied on the level of individual, group and community. Problem solving in
social work is treated as a continuous spiral process characterized by such phases as engagement,
assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation. Throughout the process use of self, use of
different skills and techniques, also values and ethics are important.
Objective: the purpose of the course is to introduce to the students social work as a problem solving
process and how the strength-based problem-solving model can be applied in different areas and
levels of social work. Students will develop skills and techniques to use the model, e.g. interviewing
skills, data collection and assessment, developing service plan, qualitative and quantitative
evaluation of results. Students will also develop the ability to work with clients from different
settings (schools, criminal justice system, hospitals, social welfare departments of local
governments, NGO-s) and in different levels (individual and family, groups, community).
Requirements: reading the course-related literature assigned for each lecture and seminar, also
participation in 70% of the seminars and all the field visits is compulsory.
Evaluation: semester I ends with evaluation (pass/fail) - written evaluation 50%, written case
analyses 30%, active participation in seminars 20%; semester II ends with examination (grade) written exam 50%, written case analyses 30%, active participation in seminars 20%.
Literature:
Compton, B., R., and Galaway, B. (1999). Social Work Process
Payne, M. (1997). Modern Social Work Theory
Case materials and additional texts will be provided for the students during the course.
Time-table
Autumn semester 2001/2002 (micro-level):
1. Introduction to social work context (social protection in Estonia – security and welfare,
ecosystem perspective)
2. Social work as problem solving process (problem solving in everyday life and social work,
phases of the problem-solving model)
3. Client-worker partnership and relationship (starting where the client is, respecting uniqueness
and self-determination of clients)
4. Seminar (participatory and non-participatory decision-making - case analyses in groups,
presenting findings and discussion in large group)
5. Engaging potential clients, communication in multi-cultural society (communication and getting
started, work with individuals and family, therapeutic work with groups)
6. Seminar (practicing interviewing skills, identifying verbal and non-verbal communication –
watching and analyzing a video session with a client)
7. Data collection and assessment, planning and developing a service agreement (sources of data
and how to interpret it, relevance of data for planning, service agreement as negotiated contract
between client and social worker)
8. Seminar (continuing practicing interviewing skills, identifying affective, cognitive, experiential
levels – role play)
9. Implementation of the service agreement (mobilizing client’s strengths, securing resources for
clients, developing communication skills and decision-making ability of the clients)
10. Case management, formal and informal sources of support
11. Seminar (identifying and mobilizing client’s strengths - case analyses in groups, presenting
findings and discussion in large group)
12. Evaluating practice (evaluation as a continuous process, quantitative and qualitative evaluation)
13. Visit to a social work institution (Day Center Sinilill for handicapped people)
14. Seminar on the visit (how problem-solving model can be used to develop rehabilitation plan for
the clients of the center – large group discussion), submitting written case analyses (formal
and informal support network)
15. Seminar (ethical practice, values and ethics, ethical dilemmas – discussion of questions in
groups, presentation of findings to large group)
16. Evaluation (multiple choice questions, essay question about starting where the client is)
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Spring semester 2001/2002 (macro-level):
1. Introduction to social work practice on macro-level (Estonian administrative system, community
work, NGO-s and voluntary work in the social sphere)
2. Intake (establishing relationship, engagement, starting where the community is, involving people
in different stages of decision-making)
3. Assessment and situation analyses (analyzing statistical data, work in groups to gather
qualitative data, e.g. SWOT analyses, developing vision and mission)
4. Seminar (group processes and group dynamics, groupthink, synergy – ‘Lost at sea’ exercise)
5. Planning (general objective and concrete goals, defining achievable and measurable goals,
identifying obstacles, making an action plan, choosing between different strategies)
6. Seminar (principles of budgeting, accountability and ethics – case analyses in small groups,
presentation of findings in large group)
7. Implementation of the plan (maintaining flexibility and allowing changes, monitoring results and
changes in environment, designing a demo-project, retaining motivation of the participants)
8. Seminar (communicating the project to the public, eliciting support and positive attitude –
writing an article to the newspaper)
9. Evaluation of the project (evaluation and monitoring as a continuous process, short and longterm goals)
10. Seminar (differences in disengagement of the social worker or continuing the process anew –
case analyses in groups, presentation of findings in large group)
11. Visit to social work institution (Local government’s project: Children Against Violence)
12. Seminar on the visit (identifying different phases of problem-solving in designing and
implementation of the project – large group discussion), submitting case analyses (analyses of
a development plan of local government of students’ choice – are situation analyses, objectives
and goals and action plan in balance, is one part lacking or dominating)
13. Seminar (authority for social work practice, authority from the client and agency, managing
conflicts between different sources of authority – discussing questions in groups, presenting
findings to large group)
14. Seminar (avoiding burnout and supervision in social work – discussing questions in groups,
presenting findings to large group)
15. Exam (multiple choice questions, essay question about applying problem-solving model for a
problem that the student identifies in his/her neighborhood)
16. Conclusion and feed-back on the course
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