social work social work social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. social work practice draws from areas, such as psychology, sociology, health, political science, community development, law, and economics to engage with systems and policies, conduct assessments, develop interventions, and enhance social functioning and responsibility. the ultimate goals of social work include the improvement of people's lives, alleviation of biopsychosocial concerns, empowerment of individuals and communities, and the achievement of social justice. social workoccupationnameslicensed clinical social worker, licensed master social worker, licensed advanced practicing social worker, registered social workeractivity sectorssocial welfare, social services, government, health, public health, mental health, occupational safety and health, community organization, non-profit, law, corporate social responsibility, human rightsdescriptioncompetenciesimproving the social environment and well-being of people by facilitating, and developing resourceseducation requiredbachelor of social work (bsw), bachelor of arts (ba) in social work, bachelor of science in social work (bsc) or a postgraduate diploma in social work (pgdipsw) for general practice; master of social work (msw), master of science in social work (mssw) for clinical practice; doctorate of social work (dsw) or professional doctorate (profd or dprof) for or specialized practice; accredited educational institution; registration and licensing differs depending on statefields ofemploymentchild and women protection services, non-profit organizations, government agencies, disadvantaged groups centers, hospitals, schools, churches, shelters, community agencies, social planning services, think tanks, correctional services, labor and industry services social work practice is often divided into three levels. micro-work involves working directly with individuals and families, such as providing individual counseling/therapy or assisting a family in accessing services. mezzo-work involves working with groups and communities, such as conducting group therapy or providing services for community agencies. macro-work involves fostering change on a larger scale through advocacy, social policy, research development, non-profit and public service administration, or working with government agencies. starting in the 1980s, a few universities began social work management programmes, to prepare students for the management of social and human service organizations, in addition to classical social work education. the social work profession developed in the 19th century, with some of its roots in voluntary philanthropy and in grassroots organizing. however, responses to social needs had existed long before then, primarily from public almshouses, private charities and religious organizations. the effects of the industrial revolution and of the great depression of the 1930s placed pressure on social work to become a more defined discipline as social workers responded to the child welfare concerns related to widespread poverty and reliance on child labor in industrial settings. definition social work is a broad profession that intersects with several disciplines. social work organizations offer the following definitions: social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities, and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance well-being. —international federation of social workers social work is a profession concerned with helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. it aims to help people develop their skills and their ability to use their resources and those of the community to resolve problems. social work is concerned with individual and personal problems but also with broader social issues such as poverty, unemployment, and domestic violence. — canadian association of social workers social work practice consists of the professional application of social principles, and techniques to one or more of the following ends: helping people obtain tangible services; counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, families, and groups; helping communities or groups provide or improve social and health services, and participating in legislative processes. the practice of social work requires knowledge of human development and behavior; of social and economic, and cultural institutions; and the interaction of all these factors. —national association of social workers social workers work with individuals and families to help improve outcomes in their lives. this may be helping to protect vulnerable people from harm or abuse or supporting people to live independently. social workers support people, act as advocates and direct people to the services they may require. social workers often work in multi-disciplinary teams alongside health and education professionals. —british association of social workers history a marylebone slum in the 19th century the practice and profession of social work has a relatively modern and scientific origin, and is generally considered to have developed out of three strands. the first was individual casework, a strategy pioneered by the charity organization society in the mid-19th century, which was founded by helen bosanquet and octavia hill in london, england. most historians identify cos as the pioneering organization of the social theory that led to the emergence of social work as a professional occupation. cos had its main focus on individual casework. the second was social administration, which included various forms of poverty relief – 'relief of paupers'. statewide poverty relief could be said to have its roots in the english poor laws of the 17th century but was first systematized through the efforts of the charity organization society. the third consisted of social action – rather than engaging in the resolution of immediate individual requirements, the emphasis was placed on political action working through the community and the group to improve their social conditions and thereby alleviate poverty. this approach was developed originally by the settlement house movement. this was accompanied by a less easily defined movement; the development of institutions to deal with the entire range of social problems. all had their most rapid growth during the nineteenth century, and laid the foundation basis for modern social work, both in theory and in practice. professional social work originated in 19th century england, and had its roots in the social and economic upheaval wrought by the industrial revolution, in particular, the societal struggle to deal with the resultant mass urban-based poverty and its related problems. because poverty was the main focus of early social work, it was intricately linked with the idea of charity work. other important historical figures that shaped the growth of the social work profession are jane addams, who founded the hull house in chicago and won the nobel peace prize in 1931; mary ellen richmond, who wrote social diagnosis, one of the first social workbooks to incorporate law, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, and history; and william beveridge, who created the social welfare state, framing the debate on social work within the context of social welfare provision. united states during the 1840s, dorothea lynde dix, a retired boston teacher who is considered the founder of the mental health movement, began a crusade that would change the way people with mental disorders were viewed and treated. dix was not a social worker; the profession was not established until after she died in 1887. however, her life and work were embraced by early psychiatric social workers, and she is considered one of the pioneers of psychiatric social work along with elizabeth horton, who in 1907 was the first psychiatric social worker in the new york hospital system, and others. the early twentieth century was a time of progressive change in attitudes towards mental illness. the community mental health centers act was passed in 1963. this policy encouraged the deinstitutionalisation of people with mental illness. later, the mental health consumer movement came by 1980s. a consumer was defined as a person who has received or is currently receiving services for a psychiatric condition. people with mental disorders and their families became advocates for better care. building public understanding and awareness through consumer advocacy helped bring mental illness and its treatment into mainstream medicine and social services. the 2000s saw the managed care movement, which aimed at a health care delivery system to eliminate unnecessary and inappropriate care to reduce costs, and the recovery movement, which by principle acknowledges that many people with serious mental illness spontaneously recover and others recover and improve with proper treatment. social workers made an impact with 2003 invasion of iraq and war in afghanistan (2001–2021); social workers worked out of nato hospitals in afghanistan and iraqi bases. they made visits to provide counseling services at forward operating bases. twenty-two percent of the clients were diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, 17 percent with depression, and 7 percent with alcohol use disorder. in 2009, there was a high level of suicides among active-duty soldiers: 160 confirmed or suspected army suicides. in 2008, the marine corps had a record 52 suicides. the stress of long and repeated deployments to war zones, the dangerous and confusing nature of both wars, wavering public support for the wars, and reduced troop morale all contributed to escalating mental health issues. military and civilian social workers served a critical role in the veterans' health care system. mental health services is a loose network of services ranging from highly structured inpatient psychiatric units to informal support groups, where psychiatric social workers indulges in the diverse approaches in multiple settings along with other paraprofessional workers. canada a role for psychiatric social workers was established early in canada's history of service delivery in the field of population health. native north americans understood mental trouble as an indication of an individual who had lost their equilibrium with the sense of place and belonging in general, and with the rest of the group in particular. in native healing beliefs, health and mental health were inseparable, so similar combinations of natural and spiritual remedies were often employed to relieve both mental and physical illness. these communities and families greatly valued holistic approaches for preventive health care. indigenous peoples in canada have faced cultural oppression and social marginalization through the actions of european colonizers and their institutions since the earliest periods of contact. culture contact brought with it many forms of depredation. economic, political, and religious institutions of the european settlers all contributed to the displacement and oppression of indigenous people. the first officially recorded treatment practices were in 1714, when quebec opened wards for the mentally ill. in the 1830s social services were active through charity organizations and church parishes (social gospel movement). asylums for the insane were opened in 1835 in saint john and new brunswick. in 1841 in toronto care for the mentally ill became institutionally based. canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867, retaining its ties to the british crown. during this period, age of industrial capitalism began and it led to social and economic dislocation in many forms. by 1887 asylums were converted to hospitals, and nurses and attendants were employed for the care of the mentally ill. the first social work training began at the university of toronto in 1914. in 1918 dr. clarence hincks and clifford beers founded the canadian national committee for mental hygiene, which later became the canadian mental health association. in the 1930s hincks promoted prevention and of treating sufferers of mental illness before they were incapacitated (early detection). world war ii profoundly affected attitudes towards mental health. the medical examinations of recruits revealed that thousands of apparently healthy adults suffered mental difficulties. this knowledge changed public attitudes towards mental health, and stimulated research into preventive measures and methods of treatment. in 1951 mental health week was introduced across canada. for the first half of the twentieth century, with a period of deinstitutionalisation beginning in the late 1960s psychiatric social work succeeded to the current emphasis on community-based care, psychiatric social work focused beyond the medical model's aspects on individual diagnosis to identify and address social inequities and structural issues. in the 1980s mental health act was amended to give consumers the right to choose treatment alternatives. later the focus shifted to workforce mental health issues and environmental root causes. in ontario, the regulator, the ontario college of social workers and social service workers (ocswssw) regulates two professions, registered social workers (rsw) and registered social service workers (rssw). the ontario association of social workers (oasw) is the professional body of social workers, while the ontario social service worker association (osswa) is the professional body of social service workers. india the earliest citing