Introduction to Social Work

Susan Mankita, MSW, LCSW

Chapter 4: What is Generalist PracticeAdapted from Farley, Smith, & Boyle

Generalist Practice

Profession founded on a generalist premise that social workers needed to consider and work with both the individual and the environment as they attempted to improve the life quality and functioning of individuals, groups, and communities

Generalist Practice

Basic premise compelled the profession toward a holistic and comprehensive knowledge base that honors diverse value systems and possesses a wide range of professional skills

Generalist social work provides a contemporary approach for meeting the purpose of social work

Features of Generalist Practice

Generalist perspective includes an eclectic base of practice, a multimethod approach, and a focus upon social justice

Generalist practice the social worker is involved with four systems: Client system Change agent system Action system Target system

Generalist model stresses different roles

Enabler Mediator Integrator/coordinator General manager Educator Analyst/evaluator

Broker Facilitator Initiator Negotiator Mobilizer Advocate

Need for a Theoretical Framework

Borrowed from human biological, social, psychological, and cultural systems

Human Behavior and the Social Environment Basic mechanism to help professional focus on

the perspective of the person and the environment with a proper understanding of the important interaction that goes on between people and the context in which they live

Systems and Ecological Theories

Systems theory addresses impact that organizations, policies, communities, and groups have on individuals

Ecological theory is a subset of systems theory that makes some important contributions to social work:

Micro Mezzo Macro

Inner and Outer Forces Paradigm

Tool to help the social worker explain some of the reasons why individual may not function well in their environmentBehavior that is produced by the inner

and outer forces can be defined as being on a continuum from functional to dysfunctional

Social Work Focus Levels of Social Functioning

Individuals differ in their role performances Moment to moment From other individuals

Social work places its primary attention on an individual’s relationships with other human beings.

Social work focuses on how and with what effectiveness the person performs various social roles

Base for Generalist Social Work Practice Generalist social work practice requires the worker both to be

able to explain human behavior and to decide on a course of intervention to improve social functioning

Generalist social worker must work with the micro, mezzo, and macro systems