Social Work Definitions

Personal or community services provided to help individuals and families improve their social well being

Financial or material assistance provided to increase the income or other resources of individuals and families

The rules and regulations, laws and other administrative directives that set the framework for social welfare activity

Specific initiatives that implement social welfare policy

services provided by all three levels of government

services provided by non profit and for profit organizations

social welfare should be limited response when all else fails

Social welfare should seek to provide reasonable standards of living for all citizens

Social welfare should help people in need, and expose and seek to change the underlying inequalities in society that cause these problems

measure of the poverty rate in Canada ; based on average household spending on necessities, and varies according to region & family size

Measure of poverty used for international comparisons based on one half of the median income of a country

Proposed poverty measure based on the cost of consumption rather than income

a broad set of ideas, values, beliefs & attitudes held by a particular person or group that shapes that individual's or group's way of thinking & acting

way people, communities & institutions in a society take action to provide certain minimum standards & opportunities and to help people face contingencies ; INCLUDES SOCIAL SERVICES & INCOME SECURITY

Network of laws,policies & programs currently in place around the country through which the Canadian state creates opportunities for individuals experiencing difficulties to get back on their feet

calls for social workers to work in solidarity with those who are disadvantage or excluded from society, as to eliminate the barriers inequities & injustices that exist in society

a type of income security program in which participants make regular payments into a fund, from which they receive benefits if the risk covered by the insurance occurs

target benefits aimed to those determined to be in need or eligible based on a means test

Social Welfare programs that are equally available to all citizens within a specific category such as age or disability, regardless of need or financial situation

1999 ; between the government of Canada & the provinces & territories is the umbrella under which governments concentrate to renew & modernize Canadian social policy

An early approach to social work -- private individuals & religious organizations that provided material relief to the poor

poor laws signaled an important progression from private charity to public welfare, where the care and supervision of the poor was embodied in law & the responsibility of each town or village

people who were poor through no fault of their own ; considered to be of good moral character

people who were perceived to be poor because they are lazy, or morality degenerate ; not deserving of charity

A movement that began in late 1900 ; those in upper & middle classes lived w/ the poor and advocated for better working conditions

an early method of research used to highlight the extent of poverty & inequality in Canadian cities

An early approach to social work that rejected moral judgement and encouraged a "scientific" assessment of human behaviour & approach to finding solutions

Use of systemic methods of investigation, assessment & decision making in social work pratice

Emphasizes an understanding of an individual's problem by reference to casual events in his/her early life

Based on the belief in the potential of individuals to determine their own direction

A worldwide economic downturn that originated in the US with the stock market crash  of Oct. 29, 1929.

Theories that focus on individuals and their interactions

Theories that emphasize social structures, processes and systems & how they shape people's experiences

individual level approach that focuses on personal strengths & assets

women-centered approach that strives to understand particular experiences of oppression in relationships and the broader society

Focuses specifically on how racism affects the lives of people of colour

Diagnostic approaches to social work that focus on internal sources for individual problems -- based off freud

lists all mental health disorders for children & adults, along with known causes, statistics & prognosis

national, professional organization of social worker

voluntary organization of universities & colleges offering social work and social service workers programs in Canada

international organization for social work professionals based in Switzerland -- promotes social work as a profession &  links social workers together

team based & client focused model. This approach enables people to access services in one location, but from a variety of service providers

lays out a set of six guiding principles that form the basis of ethical pratice

people who have chosen to seek the services of a social worker

clients who are legally obligated to accept services (i.e. prisoners on parole)

economic social spending helps economic recovery ; enhances productivity & keeps labor market flexible

work consisting of a series/process of interventionist actions that benefit to those in need

Part of final stage of social work process, ending the client-worker relationship (ideally when the action plan is completed & client's goals have been met

short term therapy with a measurable outcome & proven effectiveness ; based on the assumption that people experiencing particular problems typically have the resources & motivation to resolve them

an approach to practice that focuses on the impact of wider social structures on personal problems & involves critical analysis of social-economic structures that oppress & exploit people

theory that places the individual w/in a series of independent systems

An organized way of thinking about the world that guides the way we carry out social work practice

movement directed towards more socially orientated church(es) ; advocated for improved living & working conditions

process by which a social worker continually thinks things through while acting on a problem at hand ; always acts in consultation with the client

• - part of the 2nd stage of social work process
• - refers to development of a plan of action

unions that represent any government employees;

earliest form of cognitive behavior approach to social work practice ; personal problems are understood to be the result of irrational patterns of thinking & the dysfunctional behaviors that happens as a result

therapy that uses the power of storytelling to make sense of experiences & problems

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, on purpose to the present moment in a non-judgmental way

a system whereby the state supposedly undertakes to protect the health and well being of its citizens

monetary assistance to those with no other source of income ; geared to those in poverty & quantity of assistance tends to be determined by minimum amount necessary to meet basic needs

approach to practice which argues that a person's environment shapes his or her individual experience and can be the source of significant problems

an approach to social work that focuses on the impact of wider social structures on personal problems ; contributes to transformation of everyday life

approach based on the idea that clients are the experts of their problems, clients are viewed as "wholes" and simply not in terms of their diagnoses

approaches which provide practitioners with more practical, time limited approaches with clear practice guidelines

short term approach that views behaviours as learned & shaped by our interpretations of the world

Centralized location where citizens can access a variety of services

the dilemmas faced by social workers within the social work relationship. Although social workers are helpers, they are also expected to enforce rules & regulations in the helping relationship of the client

initially equated with casework and psychotherapy ; encompasses a varied range of approaches and is not wedded to one theoretical perspective

part of the second stage of social work process ;  involves developing an understanding of the presented problem

traditional notion of a social worker with the sole function of applying the practice of social work

federal legislation that combined federal funding for health, post secondary education & welfare are transferred a designated amount of money based on population size to each province

Federal legislation, requires the federal government to fund half the cost of social programs undertaken by provinces

federal block transfer payment made to each Canadian province/territory to assist them in paying for education, social assistance & social services

Social Welfare agencies established late 1800s, that used a scientific charity approach to study the needs of individuals & families

involves working direct with people as individuals  ; direct face to face way

existentialist approach to social work practice which argues that a unified whole is more significant than the sum of its parts & often focuses on relationships

universal flat-rate payments made to individualist or households solely on the basis of demographic characteristics

based on personality psychology,  seeks to enhance social functioning in individuals

A body of thought based on the theories of Freud, which considers the person's psychological makeup the source of their problems

sens that people can create & take action on their own behalf to meet their physical, spiritual & psychological needs

Programs & centers that provide groceries to individuals & families that cannot make ends meet

Programs that provide meals to individuals in many contexts

growing integration & expansion of global markets for goods, services and finances -- latest stage of development of advanced capitalist economies

in this era of globalization, traditional concerns of social welfare practitioners in addressing the immediate needs of their clients are broadened to include a concern for global human rights

Therapies based on the 19th century philosophy of existentialism ; employs the notion that human beings must create meaning & purpose in our lives to guide our existence

an approach to practice that involves the selection of concepts & methods as deemed appropriate but does not attempt to unify/integrate the pieces

an approach to practice that involves the synthesis or combination of opposing assertions within theories thereby taking a balanced middle road

part of the final stage of social work process ; is aimed at determining whether the goals & needs of the client are being met by identifying the rationale for actions chosen

an approach which asks social workers to locate empirical studies to determine how to best relate to a situation presented by a client

social work of benefit to those in need, BUT with organizations that advocate,research, plan & implement social services --ie. organizations that advocate for and with people in need

programs that supplement income that is obtained elsewhere, whether through paid employment or through other income security programs

an approach to practice that involves selecting concepts and methods from various sources & theories & building a unified system that is appropriate for the particular work

intake is the first step taken by a worker when a client seeks help ; process whereby a request for service is made by or for a person

the third step of the social work process,  is when the social worker or the client enact the plan developed during the assessment & planning stage

The relationship between a client & a professional social worker, in which the client should exhibit warmth, empathy and genuineness toward the client

approach that goes beyond internal or psychological factors to examine the relationship between the individuals & their environment

Advocates of an economic theory that asserts that government should keep inflation in check by controlling the supply of money though interest rates

identifies the problem & formulate possible plans of action

provincial welfare programs that require applicants to work as a term of eligibility