Generalist practice is an approach to social work that focuses on the interaction between individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Generalist practitioners use a variety of methods and techniques to help people address their problems and achieve their goals. They also work to promote social justice and advocate for the rights of marginalized groups.

The levels of intervention in generalist practice are:

• Micro: This level of intervention focuses on the individual client. It may involve providing counseling, support, or case management.
• Mezzo: This level of intervention focuses on the family or group. It may involve providing family therapy, group work, or mediation.
• Macro: This level of intervention focuses on the community or society. It may involve policy advocacy, community organizing, or social planning.

Generalist practice is a versatile approach that can be used to address a wide range of problems. It is also a foundation for advanced social work practice. As a social worker, you will need to be able to work at all levels of intervention, depending on the needs of your clients and the situation.

Here are some examples of how generalist practice can be used in your future plans as a social worker:

• You could work as a school social worker, providing counseling and support to students and their families.
• You could work as a child welfare social worker, investigating cases of child abuse and neglect.
• You could work as a mental health social worker, providing therapy to individuals and groups.
• You could work as a community organizer, working to improve the lives of people in a particular community.
• You could work as a policy advocate, working to change laws and regulations that affect people’s lives.

The levels of intervention that you see used in your internship will depend on the setting and the clients that you are working with. For example, if you are interning at a mental health clinic, you may see more micro-level interventions, such as individual counseling and group therapy. If you are interning at a community organization, you may see more macro-level interventions, such as policy advocacy and community organizing.