Principles of SOCIAL CASE WORK PRACTICE Case work

Principles of SOCIAL CASE WORK PRACTICE

�Case work is one of the three primary methods that are employed in dealing with the problems of people in Social work. �Social Work is a practice based profession which aims at ameliorating the suffering of the vulnerable population at the individual, group and community level.

�Case work practice is concerned with the adjustment and development of the individual towards achieving more satisfying human relationships. �For this purpose, an individual is viewed as a bio psychosocial phenomenon who is conditioned by the biological, psychological and social factors.

Caseworker uses the techniques and skills of case work practice for understanding the Client as a… ‘person-in-context’

Five Prepositions by Grace Mathew (1992) � An individual’s behaviour is conditioned by his /her environment and his/her life experiences. � For human growth and development, it is essential that certain basic needs be met. � Emotional needs are real and they cannot be met or removed through intellectual reasoning. � Case work is a systematic process in which an individual is enabled and empowered to develop problem solving skills. � The case work process is based on the relationship building between client and the case worker. This relationship is founded on certain principles which aim at regulating the case work process.

Principle of Individualization �This principal stresses that the individuals be viewed as human beings with unique physical, mental and psychological endowments. �A person has to be individualised on the basis of the unique personality traits, heredity, environment, innate intellectual capacity, strengths and limitations. �Thus the individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour have to be assessed in the unique context of the client.

Principle of Purposeful Expression of Feelings �Emotions are the integral part of the psychological make up of an individual. They serve as a source of information to the case worker, which enables him to assess the strength and weaknesses of the client. �Purposeful expression of feelings also gives recognition to the client’s need to express the negative feelings. �Clients expression of feelings should have a valid purpose in Case work.

Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement �According to Biestek, the caseworker has to exhibit sensitivity towards client’s feelings and developing an understanding of their meaning, empathetically. The caseworker has to give a purposeful and appropriate response to the client’s feelings. �The caseworker has to have a Controlled and objective emotional involvement in the client’s problem.

Principal of Acceptance �This principal guides the case worker to accept the client with his strengths, weaknesses, negative, positive feelings, weaknesses and potentialities. �Acceptance has a therapeutic effect on the client which also enables the caseworker to understand the problem from the perspective of the client. �Acceptance does not mean approval of client’s deviant behaviour, destructive thoughts and feelings.

Principle of Non Judgemental Attitude �The case worker is not to attach guilt or innocence and blame the client for the problematic life situations. �The case worker can however make evaluative judgements of the thoughts, feelings, actions and behaviour of the client during the course of the problem solving process.

Principle of Self Determination �This principal recognises the right of the client to exercise freedom in making choices and facilitation in taking decisions during the problem solving process. �The client seeks professional help from the caseworker in arriving at alternatives and evaluating them before taking the final decision. �Thus the client plays an active role in solving his problem and the case worker plays the role of a supporter and facilitator.

Principle Of Confidentiality � Confidentiality is an ethical issue in the caseworker and client relationship. The caseworker is expected to preserve the information of personal nature shared by the client in order to avoid social exclusion from the family and society at large. � However, this right is not absolute as the caseworker may have to share the information with the agency in the best interest of the client. � The confidentiality issue becomes complex in nature if there is a threat to the client, any other individual or society at large.

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