Contemporary Direct Practice Roles

Abstract

A model of direct social work practice is presented, including four categories of roles. Results of a survey of schools of social work and an examination of actual practice in one state in dicated that important roles are not taught to all direct prac tice students. The need for more research and scholarship on the nondirect client in tervention roles is discussed. Most direct practice—and even Larry Lister mutually exclusive. For example, the role most general social work practice— of case manager always includes brokerage texts present nondirect client intervention and teamwork and frequently may include roles in a cursory, general, and descriptive advocacy, negotiation, and mediation. The manner. Many of these texts do not provide A model of direct soc ork important point of this conceptual model, information to teach the nondirect roles in pra tice is presen , including however, is that each of the roles involves the detail with which they present interfour cateaories of roles Results a comPlicated array of skills, processes, and viewing, relationship building, or steps in f Z. i„ r ■ i techniques. Additionally, the details of most the basic social work process—assessment, °f f*UrVf¥ ° focia^ of the roles have not been documented as problem formulation, goal setting, intervenwork and an examinatio f frequently in social work education and in tion, evaluation, or other components of actual practice i e State inpublications as have the direct client in direct work with clients.1 This article dicated that important roles tervention roles. presents a conceptualization of the direct are nQ^ fought to all direct oracGenerally, system planning, organiza practice of social work in which a number The nf>e>d for tion'311(1 administration often are delegated of practice roles are needed to accomplish SlUaeniS. 1 ne neea jor to social workers with doctorates or those goals in the categories of four systems. more research and Scholarship social workers whose MSW training has A survey in 1984 was conducted to deteron the nondirect client inbeen in macro areas such as program plan mine which four categories of roles wer ervention role is discussed. ning and administration, and social considered most important and which were development. Therefore, the development taught. The survey elicited information and maintenance system categories are about clinical theories taught and about the ^focused at the mezzo-level to represent the teaching of the other, nonclinical roles from territory usually covered by the direct prac schools of social work throughout the displacement or organizational inertia that tice social worker. This is the territory where United States. In 1985, another survey of can cause human service systems to lose the background knowledge and expertise of practitioners in one state was taken to docutheir vitality and purpose.2 the direct practitioner, including knowledge ment the actual roles used in current prac3. System linkage: the social worker uses of human behavior, clinical nomenclature, tice. The conceptual model of direct practice the roles to link clients (individuals, interpersonal influence, and community as well as the results of the two surveys are families, groups, or community segments) resources, is viewed—both within and out presented. Based on these sources, this arwith resources. side the social work profession—as relevant tide concludes with a discussion of the need 4. Direct client intervention: the social to carrying out mezzo-level activities. The for more research and scholarship to proworker uses clinical roles for direct infollowing example illustrates how the micro vide teaching materials for social workers to tervention with clients. Table 1 lists the level and mezzo-level activities might occur learn the nonclinical roles. clusters and presents the goals, the roles, in practice: and the focal systems toward which each nmirrr dd Ar>'rrr>ip moopt role activity (involving processes, skills, and In a hospital, it is not uncommon for iJiKE/ls 1 rKAt X ICI!/ MUUE/1/ techniques) is directed.3 a new MSW direct practitioner to begin Direct social work practice can be concepConceptually, the categories of four professional practice using mainly the tualized as a series of roles clustered into systems move from the mezzo-level (system direct intervention and system linkage the following four categories: development and maintenance) to the clusters of roles because beginning prac 1. System development: the social micro-level (linkage and direct interventice usually requires social workers to worker helps to create organizations and tion). The contemporary direct practice focus on chent functioning and the need resources to meet the psychosocial needs of social worker performs the many roles or ^e®°^ces'. 311 weyer' 'r consumers. (Examples of such organisaassociated with at least the maintenance, Si^ce mli S Scon thmsi lnch.de transitional residential linkagerand direct Intervention categories. ŒoTMMe7IrofSS°, facilities for the mentally ill, quality day Depending on other demands such as inleadership on a team, or supervision of care for children, and a hospital social serterests, experiences, and training, the direct paraprofessionals in the social service vice department.) practice social worker also may perform the department. Before long, opportunities 2. System maintenance: the social roles required for system development. or demands—will arise whereby new re worker uses a variety of roles to maintain In Table 1, roles have been designated for sources may need to be created, such as and enhance resource systems so that they only one of each of the categories of four a new program for AIDS victims or a sat do not succumb to the not infrequent goal systems; in practice, the roles are not ellite clinic in a setting more accessible

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