Occupational social work for the 21st century

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Urban Studies
• Public Policy

Background:

• Economic restructuring and welfare policy shifts create significant employment dislocation for urban populations.
• Vulnerable groups including women, racial/ethnic minorities, and youth are disproportionately affected by these changes.
• The social work profession, despite its commitment to the poor, has limited reported advanced practice in work-enhancement programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the employment-related needs of impoverished individuals within the current economic and policy landscape.
• To propose an expansion of occupational social work practice to better address work-enhancement needs.
• To identify necessary role definitions, practice settings, and skills for this expanded practice.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on successful work programs and traditional occupational social work.
• Analysis of employment-related needs in the context of economic and policy changes.
• Conceptual reformulation of social work practice for work-enhancement.

Main Results:

• Identified specific employment-related needs among urban poor populations facing economic and policy shifts.
• Proposed a framework for expanded occupational social work practice.
• Defined new roles, settings, and skill sets required for social workers in work-enhancement.

Conclusions:

• Social work must adapt and expand its practice to effectively address the employment challenges faced by vulnerable urban populations.
• Occupational social work offers a viable pathway for intervention and support in work-enhancement programs.
• Implications for social work education and practice are significant, requiring a focus on new competencies and approaches.