Scope of Social Work
A basic goal of social work is to facilitate the “social well-being” and “social functioning” of the “person-in-environment.” Each of the key concepts in this statement is essential to the understanding of the scope of social work. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) recognizes social well-being as an integral component of a person’s overall state of health, complementary to, but different from, physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Social functioning refers to the way people perform their social roles and to the way societies provide structural supports to help them perform their roles. The person-in-environment perspective recognizes the impact of societal systems such as natural support networks and the formal structures within communities that may enhance or inhibit individual social well-being.
At the core of social work practice, these concepts guide the work of practitioners in diverse fields of service. However, depending on the chosen area of practice, the roles and responsibilities of social workers can widely vary. For this reason, it is proposed that this scope of practice statement be more clearly defined, in order to effectively examine the bounds of the social work profession. The scope of social work has several defining elements.
Copypasta from this school computer's previous user.
