Clinical Social Work

Clinical social work provides direct therapeutic services to individuals, families, and groups to address psychosocial problems and mental health.

Scope

It covers assessment and diagnosis, casework and therapeutic methods, and direct practice across mental-health and family settings.

Core questions

• How are clients' problems assessed?
• What methods guide direct practice?
• How does clinical social work relate to therapy?
• How is the person-in-environment perspective applied?

Key concepts

• Social diagnosis
• Casework
• Person-in-environment
• Therapeutic relationship
• Assessment
• Direct practice

Key theories

Social diagnosis

Richmond systematized individualized assessment ('social diagnosis') as the basis of casework.

Problem-solving casework

Perlman framed casework as a problem-solving process.

History

Clinical social work grew from Richmond's casework method through psychodynamic, problem-solving (Perlman), and later cognitive-behavioural and evidence-based approaches to direct practice.

Debates

Clinical focus versus social-justice mission

Whether direct clinical work or structural change should be social work's priority.

Key figures

• Mary Richmond
• Helen Harris Perlman

Seminal works

• richmond-1917
• perlman-1957

Frequently asked questions

What is the person-in-environment perspective?

Social work's framework for understanding individuals in the context of their social environments and relationships.