Competency Needs and
Observed Societal and
Practice Realities of
Development and Social
Workers:
Finaflor F. Taylan
University of the Philippines
Open University
Implications to Social
Work Education in the
Philippines in the era of
ASEAN integration
Research Objectives
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To identify competency needs of
development/social workers in terms of knowledge,
skills, attitudes
To examine the practice realities of the Social Work
profession and societal realities or conditions
(including gender issues) that professionals face
To identify bridges and gaps between the Social
Work education and competency needs of
development/social workers and practice and
societal realities
To develop recommendations on how Social Work
education would appropriately respond to the
practitioners’ competency needs and Social Work
practice and societal realities
Framework
Results/
Findings
Practice Setting: Local
government social welfare
agency
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Well compensated at work but not enjoying the
allowances and privileges stipulated in Magna
Carta
good working relationship; presence of coemployees who are difficult to handle or relate with
because of attitude problem
Poor Management
few technical staff; non social workers in social work
positions
low budget for social welfare programs and services
Politics
Overwhelming workload
Clients served
Clients/ Communities
Served
Families
Conditions or
Problems
 In difficult situation
Programs and Services
 Assistance to
(member of the family
Individual in Crisis
is sick and
Situation (AICS)
hospitalized)
 Victims of disaster
 Emergency Relief
and Rehabilitation
 Low income (below
poverty level
 Livelihood projects
 Assist DSWD monitor
SLP and 4Ps
beneficiaries
Senior
 ID provision for benefit/ entitlements
Citizens
 Burial Assistance by virtue of SP
Ordinance #93
 Assistance to Provincial Federation
of SC (meeting, celebrations)
 Shelter based program
Women
 Low income
and
 Case management
 Empowerment
participation  Livelihood Assistance
 VAW
 Assistance to Provincial Federation
of Women Associations (capability
building, women’s month
celebration, honorarium, provincial
meeting
OSY
 Assistance to Provincial
Federation (capability building)
Children
 Abused
 Psychosocial intervention
children
 ECCD/Day care service –
(CNSP)
augmentation for honorarium of
 CICL
day care workers, capability
 3-4 yrs old
building of day care workers and
municipal counterparts, day care
projects-construction/rehab of
center, provision of
indoor/outdoor facilities.
 Shelter based program
 Child protection
Practice setting: humanitarian
organization
 Always
on the go
 Strict HR policies
 Risks at work especially during
emergencies
 Fast turn over of staff
Clients served: Families and
communities
 Conditions
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poor health access to programs and
services; and poor disaster preparedness
Community/government politics
 Programs
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Disaster management
Sanitation and water facilities
Practice Setting:
International organization
 Work
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conditions
Good remuneration;
international employees which are often
difficult to deal with;
knowledge and skills in programme
management is a must
Clients served: women
 Reproductive
Health;
 Humanitarian, Population and
Development,
 Gender/Gender based violence
Practice setting: Auspice
Clients/
Communities
Served
Conditions or Problems
Terminally –ill
Suffering of patient from too
patients
much pain
Programs and Services
Hospice and palliative care
Patient’s non-acceptance of Counseling services and
conditions
spiritual care
Lack or limited knowledge in Counseling services
coping with the medical
condition
Suicidal tendencies of some Counseling services provided
patients
by volunteer
psychologist/psychiatrist
Spiritual care
Non-acceptance of
Family counseling services
family members of the
patient’s condition and
lack of knowledge in
handling the patient’s
illness
Financial problem to
Referral to PCSO and other institutions
support medical needs Financial assistance from the organization’s
volunteers and other concerned citizens
Provision of medicines (if available in the
stocks)
Provision of free morphine as recommended
and provided by the DOH as pain reliever for
terminal cancer patients
Provision of medical equipment
Free medical check-ups and monitoring by
Grieving and
After care
Depression of
services---
family members
Individual
after the patient’s
counseling and
death
support group
sessions
Field/ Setting
Work conditions
HOSPITAL
- exposure to infection
SETTING
- stress due to long hours of work and lack of social
(outside the
Philippines)
life as women are not free or too tired to go out
- complete and high-tech facilities with free
personal protective equipment
INTL FOREIGN
- need to adapt to different cultures
SETTING
- need to learn their language and communicate
well
- discrimination as Philippines being a 3rd world
country and has different religion and culture
Practice setting: hospital in other country
Clients/ Communities
Served
Healthcare workers
Conditions or Problems
- overworked
- non-tax income
- dispensable/can easily be
- free medical
replaced by Saudis
- unfair salary scale
Local from Receiving - lazy and dependent
country
Programs and Services
coverage
- free housing & transpo
- loyalty to supervisor
- if they like you; they feel
like owning you and you will
not be allowed to transfer
work
Migrant filipinos
- regionalism; family
dynasties; crab mentality
- community work and
organizing
Practice setting:
Human Relations/ HR
 HR
concerns
 Trade/ labor unions: collective bargaining
agreement
 Role performance of staff
 Programs: trainings, counseling, referral
Practice Setting: Environment
 Conditions:
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Destruction of environmental resources
Lack of venue for people’s participation
 Programs
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Community-based Resource Management
Advocacy
Capacity building
Livelihood
Practice/ Field Setting:
Academe
Work Conditions
 values interpersonal relationship and
provides access to additional learning
 Salary
 Lack of Participation in decision making
 Limited Library resources and facilities
 Policies on curriculum not implemented
Clients Served
 Students
 Problems: bullying, early pregnancy, time
management, failing grades, study habits
 Programs: Academic counseling, referral
Other problems/ realities
 Worsening
poverty situations and
manifestations
 Peace and order – insurgency – resulted
to rise in number of internally displaced
families – livelihoods of rural folks are
affected
 climate change and natural/ humanmade calamities
Competency Needs
 Skills
on clinical setting: case management
 Social marketing, networking and linkaging
 Planning, programming, monitoring and
evaluation
 Disaster management
 Community organizing; community based
approaches
 Advocacy
 People skills
 Oral and writing skills
 Critical thinking/ analysis skills
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Conflict management/ peace building
International relations
Intergovernmental approach to provision of
social services
Migrant workers’ plight vis-à-vis other
countries’ context/situation
Cultural competency
Higher sense of self awareness and genuine
acceptance of the needs of others
Hardwork and dedication
Recommendations to acquire
competencies
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Exposure to clinical setting & cultural
practices in other countries
Updating of SW curriculum: theories to
understand people’s behavior, integrate law,
policies, business models; exposure to
international practice
Participation to Trainings; continuing
education
More researches on SW practice and clients
POLICIES, STANDARDS AND
GUIDELINES FOR THE BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK
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“shift to learning competency-based standards/
outcomes-based education.”
Preparation for generalist social work practice
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acquisition and application of beginning level of
knowledge, attitudes, values and skills in enhancing the
social functioning of individuals, families, groups, and
communities, linking people [client systems] with
needed resources, improving the operation of social
service delivery networks, and promoting social justice
through organizing and advocacy
micro to macro practice continuum, focusing on
human development and social transformation
 integrates
internationally benchmarked
outcomes (based on 2014 global
definition) without ignoring the
particularities and priorities of the national
situation
 Integrates Specific
Professions/careers/occupations or Trades
Program Outcomes
(SW specific)
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Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes in
engaging in a generalist helping process and
planned change process for therapeutic,
protective, preventive, and transformative
purposes.
Analyze critically the origin, development, and
purposes of social work in the Philippines.
Critique the impacts of global and national
socio-structural inadequacies, discrimination,
and oppression on quality of life.
Apply knowledge of human behavior and
social environment with emphasis on the
person-in-situation dynamic for social work
assessment and intervention.
 Critique
social welfare policies, programs,
and services of the locality, country and /or
region in terms of relevance,
responsiveness, accessibility and availability
to target populations.
 Engage in advocacy work to promote
socio-economic and cultural rights and wellbeing.
 Generate resources for networking and
partnership development.
 Identify with the social work profession and
conduct oneself in accordance with social
work values and ethical principles.
 Engage
in social work practices that
promote diversity and difference in client
systems.
 Use supervision to develop critical selfreflective practice for personal and
professional growth.
 Produce a portfolio of recordings, case
studies and other social work
documentation to reflect the quality and
progress of practice
Conclusion
 Competency
needs and practice realities
are captured in the policies, standards
and guidelines (PSG) for Social Work
 PSG captures generalist nature of Social
Work and the realities
Implications/
Recommendations
 Need
to strengthen exposure to
international settings, standards, and
contexts
 Emphasis on exposure and study on the
“new normal”: disaster, climate change,
peace work, emerging concepts/
perspectives
 Exposure to and opportunities for
multidisciplinary nature of work
 Preparations for personality development
and character building are necessary