The Field Of Social Work - 1532 Words

Katherine Pelaccio Dr. Kathleen Pressler Group Dynamics October 13, 2014 The field of social work touches the lives of every American. According to the National Association of Social Workers, â€Å"social work is the professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities to enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and to create societal conditions favorable to their goals.†(Zastrow p.34) The focus or purpose of social work is to help meet the basic needs of people, especially those in need to obtain services; counseling and psychotherapy of individuals, families and groups; helping community and groups to provide or improve social and health services; and participate in the improvement and development of social†¦show more content†¦Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.† (NASW) Social work is based on an understanding of knowledge, values and skills. Social workers wear many hats, and work with many different people, so therefore, they need to be experienced and knowledgeable in many different areas to effectively problem solve. Social workers must know how to work with people on the Micro, Mezzo and Macro levels. A social worker needs to understand different cultural values and the diverse differences in the people which they may be helping. They need to have a basic understanding of psychology, biology and public policy. They need to have an understanding of poverty and how it effects our society and what resources are available to those who might need them. A social worker should be very knowledgeable about the populations they are working with, what the needs of the client might be, what might help or hurt, and what resources may be available to better help those individuals or groups. The social worker should always be striving to learn, and to be as knowledgeable as possible in their area of practice. (NASW)(Zastrow) Some of the skills that are important to develop as a social worker are empathy, respect, authenticity, boundary setting, active listening, communication, social perceptiveness, self-awareness, organization, coordination, persuasion, advocacy, relaxation, and self-control. Empathy is