Multidimensional roles social workers fulfill
Do you consider yourself an advocate, educator, activist, facilitator, mediator, or broker? Social workers take on all of these roles at various times. For example, a social worker may initiate and uphold change through social action. Alternatively, certain factors, such as race, social class, mental health, or sexual orientation may influence the social worker’s role. Therefore, the social worker must understand the client issue in order to be an effective helper. Regardless of the role, the direct practice social worker has the obligation to serve clients in multiple roles on many levels—micro, mezzo, or macro.
In this Discussion, you examine the multidimensional roles social workers fulfill in order to serve the best interest of the client.
Describe how the social worker served in the role of case manager for Sarah.
Identify at least two other roles that the social worker could have filled that would have helped Sarah.
Sample Solution
Multidimensional roles social workers fulfill
Most of us have a pretty good idea of what we expect from a doctor or a teacher. For social work, the role expectations are not quite as clearly understood by the general public. Perhaps this is because there are so many professional roles in social work. The number and diversity of social work roles provide opportunity for a great deal of creativity in practice (Suppes, M., Cressey Wells, C. 2003). Social workers respond to both the demands of living in a changing society and the call for social justice to promote human rights. In practice, social workers address social concerns that threaten the structures of society and redress social conditions that adversely affect the well-being of people and society. The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being.
