Social Work Intervention with Individuals and Groups

1 Social WorkIntervention withIndividuals and GroupsEditorGracious ThomasVOL. ISchool of Social WorkIndira gandhi national open UniversityMaidan Garhi, New DelhiOctober, 2010 indira gandhi national open University, 2010 ISBN: 978-81-266-5042-2 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in anyform, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission inwriting from the indira gandhi national open information on the indira gandhi national open UniversityCourses may be obtained from the University s Office at MaidanGarhi, New Delhi -110 and published on behalf of the indira gandhi NationalOpen University, New Delhi by Director, School of Social Production : Mr. Kulwant SinghLaser Typeset by : Rajshree Computers, V-166A, Bhagwati Vihar,(Near Sec. 2, Dwarka), New Delhi-110059 Printed by : Gita Offset Printers, C-90, Okhla Industrial Area,Phase-I, New Delhi-20 Preface Social Work Intervention with Individuals and Groups has been presented in two volumes comprising thirtyone chapters.

2 The first six chapters deal with caseworkwhich is the oldest and the most developed method ofsocial work profession. In the initial period when socialwork was emerging as a profession and a discipline, itwas through casework that Social workers performedtheir activities. Subsequently they gained recognitionfrom the society for their profession. Skills andtechniques of casework are well developed is also important as it is used by thosepracticing other methods like group work, communityorganisation, Social action, Social work research andsocial welfare administration. The skills and techniquesof casework are used by Social workers practically inevery setting. Thus, casework also becomes a base forother first chapter is on Introduction to casework:historical development which will introduce you to thehistory of casework in the West and in India.

3 Basicassumptions, principles and values of casework are beingdiscussed in the historical perspective. The secondchapter Basics of Social casework deals with theprinciples and values of casework in detail. Variousapproaches to casework based on different theories willalso be discussed. The third chapter Practice of socialcasework shows how casework is done with theindividual. These phases are described so that youunderstand the various elements involved in thecaseworker-client relationship, how the caseworkerdevelops a relationship with the clients and finally howhe/she uses the relation to solve a client s fourth and fifth chapters: Interviewing and recordingin casework-I and Interviewing and recording incasework-II deal with two important aspects of caseworknamely, interviewing and recording.

4 Most of caseworkprocess are performed through interviewing the clientsand others related to him/her. The sixth chapter on Fields of Social casework practice provides an overviewof how casework is practiced in various settings andalso shows how these setting affect Social caseworkpractice in Indian seven to eleven are on Social work withgroups . Like casework, group work skills and techniquescan be used in a variety of settings. People live andwork in Groups and therefore have an affinity towardsgroups. Group work is based on the dependence ofindividuals on Groups and vice-versa. Chapter seven ison Social group work: historical development whichtraces the historical journey of group work from its originto its acceptance as a recognised method of Social eight Characteristics and significance of group gives you the theoretical bases of group work.

5 Varioustheories are presented which support the assumptionthat Groups can be used to influence its members forthe better. The ninth chapter Principles, skills andmodels of Social group work describes the principles,values, skills and approaches relevant to Social groupwork. The tenth chapter Group formation: stages ofdevelopment of Groups describes how group work isactually done. Different phases of group work processare described so that you understand that socialworkers do group work systematically and eleventh chapter Role of group worker in groupwork process deals with the Social worker s role in groupwork. This chapter also discusses the usefulness ofthis method in different Social worker often works in problem-afflicted areasor with problem-afflicted people.

6 They may try to resolvethe problem individually by helping Individuals toovercome the problem by themselves. For example, thesocial worker may encourage a drug addict to go forrehabilitation. A Social worker may also tackle theproblem at the community level. Some of the strategiescan be influencing government policy, persuading thebureaucracy to take necessary action, conductawareness campaigns etc. Whatever may be thestrategy, the Social worker should have greaterawareness about the dimensions and the causativefactors of Social problems. There are four chaptersdealing with Social problems and services. Chaptertwelve Introduction to Social problem introduces youto the concept of Social problems and how differentideologies identify the causative factors which causesocial problems and suggest different solutions to solvethem.

7 Chapter thirteen on Contemporary socialproblem-I explains the dimensions and causative factorsof Social problems such as HIV/AIDS, migration anddisplacement, environmental degradation,communalism, youth unrest and corruption. Contemporary Social problem-II deals with another setof Social problems like suicide, substance abuse, adultcrime, juvenile delinquency and problems ofdisadvantaged sections like minorities, backwardclasses and women which are elaborated in chapterfourteen. Chapter fifteen Social defence introducesyou to the concept and practice of Social defence. TheInstitute of Social Defence is the apex institution dealingwith Social defence. Hence its programmes andactivities are discussed in details in this chapter.

8 General Areas of Social work practice have beendiscussed in six chapters. Each chapter deals with aspecific area of Social work Intervention . Although areasof Social work Intervention are many, we have chosenjust six most important settings in the Indian sixteen on Social work with family deals withmultiplicity of family problems, dynamics of familysystem, Intervention methods in Social work and eclecticapproach for handling family related problems. Chapterseventeen on Social work in educational settings provides you conceptual clarity about Social work ineducation, historical development, and models of schoolsocial work practice. Chapter eighteen is on Socialwork in health care sector . This chapter introducesyou to the meaning of health and health care, conceptof patient as a person, Social and psychological factorsinvolved in disease and their treatment and role of socialwork in the health care nineteen on Social work in industrial sector explains about Social work Intervention in industry, Social responsibility of industry, scope of Social work inindustry, applicability of Social work methods inindustrial sector, place of Social work in industry andproblems and prospects of Social work in industry.

9 Thechapter on Social work among communities describescommunity as a Social system and Social work withrural, urban and tribal communities. Chapter twentyone Social work in correctional setting deals withcharacteristics of Social work in the context ofcorrection, values of Social work in correction,correctional settings and tasks of Social workers, socialcasework in correctional settings, Social group work incorrectional settings and Social work in policedepartments and are five chapters on Social development and socialwork . These chapters will give you an introduction tothe often-used concept namely, development .Development means positive Social change. In a countrylike India, it is a major concern of politicians and policymakers.

10 Social workers cannot neglect this importantarea when they deal with Social and individual workers, unlike others, have to actually seedevelopment as a practical issue rather than atheoretical one. In other words, they have to be catalystsin the process of development. They have to implementprogrammes and motivate people to use them to improvetheir lives. Chapter twenty two on Development andunderdevelopment will give you an overview of theconcept of development and various theories explainingdevelopment and underdevelopment. Chapter twentythree on Concept and dynamics of Social development gives you an introduction to the concept of socialdevelopment, which is of special interest to socialworkers. It will show why in a country like Indiaeconomic development alone will not be sufficient andwhy Social attitudes and practices have to change.