What Is Social Work?
Social work is a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. It aims to help people develop their skills and their ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems. Social work is concerned with individual and personal problems but also with broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment and domestic violence.
Human rights and social justice are the philosophical underpinnings of social work practice. The uniqueness of social work practice is in the blend of some particular values, knowledge and skills, including the use of relationship as the basis of all interventions and respect for the client’s choice and involvement.
(Source: Canadian Association of Social Workers. For more information see: www.casw-acts.ca. )
Frequently Asked Questions
What Do Social Workers Believe?
Social workers believe in the value and worth of all people. They believe that all members of society regardless of age, race, place of origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation or abilities deserve the same basic rights, protections, opportunities, obligations and social benefits. Source: Canadian Association of Social Workers.
How Are Social Workers Regulated?
Social workers are regulated by the Social Work and Social Service Work Act under the Ministry of Community and Social Services. This Act requires that anyone who calls themselves, or holds themselves out to be, a social worker, must belong to the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. The initials RSW (Registered Social Worker) appear after their name.
Who Consults a Social Worker?
People from all age groups and all walks of life consult social workers. Social workers provide services to individuals, couples, families, groups, communities and corporations.
Why Should I Consult a Social Worker?
Social work skills and knowledge are ideally suited to the practice of mental health because of our focus on the person (thoughts and behaviors) to the environment (family, work, school) as well as considering culture, gender, race etc. Social workers also consider multiple types of intervention.
People see social workers when they are going through a difficult period in their personal, family and/or work life.
Social workers help clients:
•identify and understand the source of stress or difficulty
•develop coping skills and find effective solutions to their problems
•find needed resources
•by providing counselling and psychotherapy.
Social workers deal with all ages, groups, backgrounds and income levels. Social workers provide the majority of counselling and psychotherapy services in Ontario. (Source: The Ontario Association of Social Workers. For more information see: www.OASW.org )
