Proposed PowerPoint presentation for World Social Work day. Included for your perusal.

1. Proposed PowerPoint presentation for World Social Work day.Included for your perusal.

2. We would like to begin by acknowledging the Darumbal peoples, the Traditional Owners of the land now named Rockhampton.

3. 15th March 2011 CQUniversity’s World Social Work day

4. Social Work through the hands of time

5. The History of Social Work Practice in Mental Health

6. Social Work Timeline

7. 1950’s – 1960’s • The role of the early social worker in the field of mental health was individual case work, advocacy, and family therapy. These functions where all in an institutionalised setting. • Orientation of the community mental health movement was receptive to social work ideas and practice, and absorbed a higher number of social workers into the mental health system Social work practice in mental health expanded greatly particularly after World War II. • During the 1940’s more social workers were hired by mental hospitals. Their role was divided between serving as the liaisons between the institutions and their environment and help maintaining the institution itself .

8. 1950’s – 1960’s • Changes in history within this period of time that has impacted on social work practice: • The emergence of deinstitutionalisation began to occur, causing a major shift towards families and community providing the care of people suffering mental illness, rather than institutions. • Two changing policy issues: designing individual plans for community based mental health care instead of institution based mental health care services and shifting the focus within the community setting of the understanding and integration of mental illness as a part of everyday life. • Until such time of the 1960’s many patients with ongoing mental illness remained in the psychiatric hospital generally on a long term basis.

9. 1970’s – 1980’s • Within this period of time saw the role of the mental health social worker increase with the introduction of new functions and duties, for example organising accommodation for those suffering from a mental illness

10. 1990’s – 2000’s • Community base service greatly expanded in the 1990’s • 2003 – The Practice Standards for Mental Health Social workers were developed and implemented by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), to give a practical guide for social workers in this field, with the expectations of the knowledge, skills, values and ethical practice within the everyday roles and functions highlighted and ways in which the services of social workers are to be delivered underlined. • The growth of the consumers movement in mental health, the development of self-help groups, and the greater involvement of families as care givers and advocates have changed the scene of the mental health services.

12. Social Work Theories and their change over time. • Social work theories are what define the practical approach that social workers use as a guideline to achieve their purpose as explored in these theories. • Social work theories and practices within Mental Health continue to grow and change in a positive element as the stigma surrounding Mental Health reduces.

13. Social work theories and their change over time. • The 21st Century promised to develop and offer opportunities for substantive reforms of mental health practice and policies, to improve the lives of people who suffer from serious mental health illnesses, their loved ones and their community. • Action Theory relates to looking at useful conceptual frameworks that are used throughout clinical practice. • There are many frameworks of theory that surround mental health with some of these being: Psychodynamic, Crisis Intervention and Task-Centred, Social Psychological/Construction and Empowerment and Advocacy.

14. Psychodynamic Theory • Psychodynamic theory is critical. It was the starting point for social work theory during the 1930’s-1960’s when social work was first becoming established. • Relates to the behaviour, movements and interactions in the human mind. • Looks at using numerous techniques to understand how the human mind works by observing the behaviour of people

15. Crisis Intervention Theory • Utilises elements of psychodynamic perspective and recent developments included in the use of cognitive therapy. • Focuses on the emotional reactions to the outside environment or events and how to control these emotional reactions reasonably. • Focuses on the prevention rather than the treatment of mental illness.

16. Task-centred Theory • Looks at the treatment being both long-term and short-term as being effective in recovering from problems associated with mental illness. • Social workers incorporated these theories into practice for the benefit of their clients who suffer from serious mental illnesses to look at the effectiveness of treatment associated with the illness, along with the prevention of it occurring.

17. Social Psychology and Social Construction Theories • Social Psychology Theory relates to the relationship and understanding of the influences between groups and social identities. • Social Construction theory focuses on successful therapies that are flexible and responsive towards clients that are involved.

18. Empowerment Theory • Focuses on helping clients gain power and take control of the decisions and actions within their own lives by reducing personal doubts and reducing the effects of negative influences from others. • Seeks to increase self-confidence to help clients gain power and control within themselves and their life, along with transferring this towards others

19. Advocacy Theory • Seeks to allow clients that feel powerless to become powerful and confident within themselves and in their social environments. • Social worker becomes advocate (speaking to and for their client).

21. Dispelling the Myths. • Social workers strive to provide maximum benefits to their clients; this is achieved by using the theoretical and empirical knowledge accumulated by the social work profession to work towards ameliorating social injustices. • Historically there has been talk of the atheoretical orientation of social work. This has seen a trend towards the need to ‘professionalise’ social work by utilising a solid theoretical and empirical base

22. Dispelling the Myths. • Academics are arguing that empirical research is imperative to effective social work practice. • Evidence Based Practice (EBP) uses knowledge to make predictions about client welfare and to test practice methods. • Using empirical knowledge and evidence based practice is the best way to enhance the credibility of professional social work.

23. Dispelling the Myths • Social work may be a relatively new profession but it has some distinctive qualities that set it apart from the other social sciences. • Practitioners use a variety of knowledge including empirical knowledge, theoretical knowledge, practice wisdom and personal knowledge to inform their practice.

25. Social Work and the ability to adapt (1950’s) • As the mental health sector changes, a theoretical context is provided for the establishment and progression of social policies and services. • The 1950’s saw an emergence of the psychoanalytic psychotherapy theory developed by Sigmund Freud. • Discussions of research and practical research were facilitated within the sector and practitioners began to go outside their own area for further research during this decade. • saw institutions, asylums and the deinstitutionalisation of mentally ill people.

26. Social Work and the ability to adapt (1960’s) • As the interest for practical and theoretical research grew within the mental health area, the 1960s saw a plateau of information and reports being produced. • Increasing recognition for practitioners to conduct their own practice research.

27. Social Work and the ability to adapt (1970’s) • Family therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapies were of high interest. • The mental health sector was advancing and focusing on community services and non-government agencies.

28. Social Work and the ability to adapt (1980’s) • Humanism, Existentialism and Marxism were typically popular. • Politically fuelled and mental health practitioners continue to evaluate their practice more efficiently towards the end of the 1980s. • The Strengths Perspective, or commonly known as Solution-focused therapy founded by Shazer (1988) focuses on discovering and highlighting solutions for clients, surrounding resources and encouraging client competency.

29. Social Work and the ability to adapt (1990’s) • A progressive relationship continued between social work practitioners and government departments. • Further public funding was utilised to further research for the social work practice. • Postmodernism and social construction ideas heavily impacted the mental health practice. • Cognitive-behaviour therapies and attachment theory were also more prominent.

30. Social Work and the ability to adapt (2000’s) • Rise in self-psychology and ego psychology practice. • Mental health sector is widely accepted by the general public. • Public funding continues to allow research and further evaluations.

32. Contemporary Social Work in Mental Health • 20% of population will be affected with a mental illness. • Mental Health Act 2000 states that social workers role includes: detection, examination, assessment, admission and treatment of persons suffering with mental illness.

33. Contemporary Social Work in Mental Health • Social Work practice has become: professionalised, bureaucratised, politicised and globalised. • Critically reflective practice allows conscious attention on the whole self of practitioner. • Large amount of practice models designed to assist clients with improved well-being.

35. References/Further Reading • Australia Association of Social Workers (AASW), 2003 ‘Practice Standards for Mental Health Social Workers’ accessed 19th May 2010, www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/17 • Aviram, U 2002, ‘The changing role of the social worker in the mental health system,’ Social Work in Health Care, Vol. 35, no. ½ • Beth, C.R., 2000, ‘A History of Australian Social Work Practice Research’, Sage Publications, Australia • Cha, T, Kuo, E & March J 2006, ‘Useful knowledge for social work practice’, Social Work & Society, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 111-122, viewed 15 May 2010, http://www.socwork.net/2006/1/debate/chakuomarch/ChaKuoMarch.pdf

36. Chenoweth, L., & McAuliffe, D., 2005, ‘The Road to Social Work & Human Service Practice: An Introductory Text’, Thomson, Melbourne Collingwood, P, Emond, R & Woodward, R 2008, ‘The theory circle: a tool for learning and for practice’, Social Work Education, vol. 27, no. 1, February, pp. 70-83, (online Ebscohost). Davidson L, Flanagan E, Roe D & Styron T 2006, ‘Leading a horse to water: An action perspective on mental health policy, Journal of Clinical Psychology, vol. 62, no. 9, pp. 1141-1155, accessed on 22nd May 2010, (Online EBSCOhost). Geldard, D., & Geldard, K., 2001,’Basic Personal Counselling: A Training Manual for Counsellors’, Pearson Education, 4th edn, Australia. Healy, K 2005, Social work theories in context: creating frameworks for practice, Palgrave Macmillan, London. Lewis, I & Bolzan, N 2007, ‘Social work with a twist: interweaving practice knowledge, student experience and academic theory’, Australian Social Work, vol. 60, no. 2, June, pp. 136-146, (online Ebscohost).

37. O’Hara A & Weber Z, 2006, Skills for Human Service Practice, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne Parton, N 2000, ‘Some thoughts on the relationship between theory and practice in and for social work’, British Journal of Social Work, vol. 30, pp. 449-463, (online Ebscohost). Payne, M 2005, Modern social work theory, 3rd edn, Palgrave Macmillan, London. Robson, B 2008 ‘From Mental Hygiene to Community Mental Health: Psychiatrists and Victorian Public Administration from 1940s to 1990s’ Public Record Office Victoria, Government of Victoria accessed 18th May 2010, http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/provenance/no7/MentalHygiene1.asp Rosen, A 2006, ‘The Australian experience of deinstitutionalization: interaction of Australian culture with the development and reform of its mental health services’, Acta Psychiatr Scand, vol 113, pp 81 – 89, accessed 19th May 2010 (Online Ebschost) Seymour, K 2006, ‘From ‘doing’ to ‘knowing’: becoming academic’, Qualitative Social Work, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 459-469, (online Sage).

38. Shazer, 1988, cited in Geldard, D., & Geldard, K., 2001,’Basic Personal Counselling: A Training Manual for Counsellors’, Pearson Education, 4th edn, Australia Weber, Z & Bugarszki, Z 2007 ‘International Social Work’ International Social Work, vol 50, no 2 pp145 – 155 accessed 18th May 2010, (Online Ebscohost) Wolin, S.J. & Wolin S, 1993, The resilient self: How survivors of troubled families rise above adversity, Dillard Books, New York. Yunong, H & Fengzhi, M 2009, ‘Reflections on reasons, preconditions, and effects of implementing evidence-based practice in social work’, Social Work, vol. 54, no. 2, April, pp. 177-181, (online Ebscohost). Zittel, K, Lawrence, S, Wodarski, J, 2002, ‘Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Healing: Implications for Health Social Work Practice’, Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, Vol 5, no. 1, (online EBSCOhost).