Social Work Intervention with Individuals and Groups

VOL. I

Social Work

Intervention with

Individuals and Groups

Editor

Gracious Thomas

School of Social Work

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Maidan Garhi, New Delhi

October, 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 any

form, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission in

writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Further information on the Indira Gandhi National Open University

Courses may be obtained from the University¡¯s Office at Maidan

Garhi, New Delhi -110 068.

Printed and published on behalf of the Indira Gandhi National

Open University, New Delhi by Director, School of Social Work.

Print Production : Mr. Kulwant Singh

Laser Typeset by : Rajshree Computers, V-166A, Bhagwati Vihar,

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Preface

¡®Social Work Intervention with Individuals and Groups¡¯

has been presented in two volumes comprising thirty

one chapters. The first six chapters deal with casework

which is the oldest and the most developed method of

social work profession. In the initial period when social

work was emerging as a profession and a discipline, it

was through casework that social workers performed

their activities. Subsequently they gained recognition

from the society for their profession. Skills and

techniques of casework are well developed today.

Casework is also important as it is used by those

practicing other methods like group work, community

organisation, social action, social work research and

social welfare administration. The skills and techniques

of casework are used by social workers practically in

every setting. Thus, casework also becomes a base for

other methods.

The first chapter is on ¡®Introduction to casework:

historical development¡¯ which will introduce you to the

history of casework in the West and in India. Basic

assumptions, principles and values of casework are being

discussed in the historical perspective. The second

chapter ¡®Basics of social casework¡¯ deals with the

principles and values of casework in detail. Various

approaches to casework based on different theories will

also be discussed. The third chapter ¡®Practice of social

casework¡¯ shows how casework is done with the

individual. These phases are described so that you

understand the various elements involved in the

caseworker-client relationship, how the caseworker

develops a relationship with the clients and finally how

he/she uses the relation to solve a client¡¯s problems.

The fourth and fifth chapters: ¡®Interviewing and recording

in casework-I¡¯ and ¡®Interviewing and recording in

casework-II¡¯ deal with two important aspects of casework

namely, interviewing and recording. Most of casework

process are performed through interviewing the clients

and others related to him/her. The sixth chapter on

¡®Fields of social casework practice¡¯ provides an overview

of how casework is practiced in various settings and

also shows how these setting affect social casework

practice in Indian context.

Chapters seven to eleven are on ¡®Social work with

groups¡¯. Like casework, group work skills and techniques

can be used in a variety of settings. People live and

work in groups and therefore have an affinity towards

groups. Group work is based on the dependence of

individuals on groups and vice-versa. Chapter seven is

on ¡®Social group work: historical development¡¯ which

traces the historical journey of group work from its origin

to its acceptance as a recognised method of social work.

Chapter eight ¡®Characteristics and significance of group¡¯

gives you the theoretical bases of group work. Various

theories are presented which support the assumption

that groups can be used to influence its members for

the better. The ninth chapter ¡®Principles, skills and

models of social group work¡¯ describes the principles,

values, skills and approaches relevant to social group

work. The tenth chapter ¡®Group formation: stages of

development of groups¡¯ describes how group work is

actually done. Different phases of group work process

are described so that you understand that social

workers do group work systematically and meaningfully.

The eleventh chapter ¡®Role of group worker in group

work process¡¯ deals with the social worker¡¯s role in group

work. This chapter also discusses the usefulness of

this method in different settings.

A social worker often works in problem-afflicted areas

or with problem-afflicted people. They may try to resolve

the problem individually i.e. by helping individuals to

overcome the problem by themselves. For example, the

social worker may encourage a drug addict to go for

rehabilitation. A social worker may also tackle the

problem at the community level. Some of the strategies

can be influencing government policy, persuading the

bureaucracy to take necessary action, conduct

awareness campaigns etc. Whatever may be the

strategy, the social worker should have greater

awareness about the dimensions and the causative

factors of social problems. There are four chapters

dealing with social problems and services. Chapter

twelve ¡®Introduction to social problem¡¯ introduces you

to the concept of social problems and how different

ideologies identify the causative factors which cause

social problems and suggest different solutions to solve

them. Chapter thirteen on ¡®Contemporary social

problem-I¡¯ explains the dimensions and causative factors

of social problems such as HIV/AIDS, migration and

displacement,

environmental

degradation,

communalism, youth unrest and corruption.

¡®Contemporary social problem-II¡¯ deals with another set

of social problems like suicide, substance abuse, adult

crime, juvenile delinquency and problems of

disadvantaged sections like minorities, backward

classes and women which are elaborated in chapter

fourteen. Chapter fifteen ¡®Social defence¡¯ introduces

you to the concept and practice of social defence. The

Institute of Social Defence is the apex institution dealing

with social defence. Hence its programmes and

activities are discussed in details in this chapter.

¡®General Areas of social work practice¡¯ have been

discussed in six chapters. Each chapter deals with a

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