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Generalist Social Work Practice

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Generalist Practice
Generalist social work practice is the ability of the social worker to employ various theories, practice skills, and interventions in a variety of settings with a diverse population (Miley, O’Melia, DuBois, 2013). The generalist social worker should work to advocate social justice and promote human dignity while upholding the NASW Code of Ethics. The generalist social worker may work on the micro (individual), mezzo (client system), macro (community or systems of care) levels (Miley et al., 2013). The social worker may begin working with an individual and discover the issue they are facing causes them to now advocate on a higher level such as in the case of Carol and Joseph.
Case of Carol and Joseph
History of Case
Carol …show more content…

Some of these techniques may include but not limited to collaboration, engagement, listening, communication, showing empathy, and self-awareness. It is important for the social worker to use these skills to draw on the strengths of the client and the client system in order to assist in bringing about positive change.
Practice Skill One: Collaboration. The social worker in this case study collaborated with Carol, her husband, the client’s family system, substance abuse treatment centers and the Department of Child Services to formulate a treatment plan which would best serve the client. According to the NASW (2013), social workers are to “collaborate with clients to plan, implement, monitor, and amend individualized services that promote clients’ strengths, advance clients’ well-being, and help clients achieve their goals.” This collaboration had to include communication with the client/client system to complete assessments, treatment plans and visitation for Carol to see her daughter. Collaboration with the family was not as effective in that they withheld vital information on the depth of Carol’s alcohol abuse leading to further problems which possibly may have been avoided had the social worker understood and known (Plummer et al., 2014). Once the family/family system built trust and rapport with the social worker, they were able to work closer together …show more content…

According to Toller (1999), listening to the client promotes growth and change (as cited in Levitt, 2002). As a result of using active listening the social worker was able to confront Carol with the problems she faced and the danger she had not only placed herself and others, but her child as well (Plummer, et al., 2014). The social worker listened to the concerns of Carol and Joseph which allowed them to come to a mutual understanding of what strengths the family held and the areas that needed to be

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