1IASSW Clinical Definition of Social WorkDRAFTInternational Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW- AIETS)Clinical Definition Taskforce

Definition of Clinical Social WorkFor

The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW-AIETS)

June 25, 2023

Prepared by the IASSW-AIETS Clinical Definition Taskforce
Dixon Sookraj (University of British Columbia, Canada) – Chair
Paola Grandon (Instituto Chileno de Trabajo Social Clínico, Chile)
Mariusz Granosik (University of Lodz, Poland)
Chaime Marcuello (University of Zaragoza, Spain)
Orit Nuttman-Shwartz Sapir College, Israel)
Christos Panagiotopoulos (University of Nicosia, Cyprus)David Rose (University of Melbourne, Australia)
Adrian van Breda (University of Johannesburg, South Africa)

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Definition of Clinical Social Work
Clinical social work is a specialized area of practice within social work. It aligns with the Global Definitionof Social Work as it promotes human functioning and well-being, which are critical for achieving “socialchange and development, social cohesion, and empowerment and liberation of people.” (IASSW/IFSW,2014).
Clinical social work is practiced primarily at the levels of individuals, couples, and families and may
extend to groups, such as therapeutic groups and collectives at the mezzo level. The primary targets ofchange are the people served. In this regard, clinical social workers engage primarily in direct, face-toface practice at a micro level rather than practices explicitly aimed at promoting change atorganizational, community, societal, and international levels.
Clinical social workers conduct diagnoses and/or assessments and deliver therapeutically oriented orsocial-pedagogical interventions. At its core, their clinical intervention addresses mental health,emotional, and behavioral issues, including issues related to alcohol and other drugs. Depending on
factors such as the theoretical orientation of the practitioner and the practice context, they may also
provide clinical services to individuals and families experiencing crises and relationship issues andintervene in aspects of environments, including systems affecting the lives of the people they serve.
Some practitioners engage in clinical work as part of their social intervention efforts to influence larger
economic, political, and social structures and processes.
Training and Education
Clinical social work preparation emphasizes specialized knowledge and skills to conduct diagnoses orassessments and deliver therapeutically or pedagogically oriented interventions. It requires advanced
education and training beyond the baccalaureate degree. In USA and Canada, practitioners obtain
master’s degrees in social work, specializing in clinical practice, from social work educational programs
providing clinical specializations. In countries like Australia, the Master of Social Work degree is theinitial qualifying degree. Additional studies and practice experience must be completed to becredentialed as a clinical social worker. Social work education programs in other countries typically do
not provide clinical specializations. However, in some, such as Finland, all social workers must have aMaster’s degree to be licensed and practice as social workers. They may be employed in settings
addressing mental health and substance abuse issues.
A myriad of theoretical perspectives inform clinical practice. At least in the Anglo-American contexts,
many of these approaches originated in other professionals and disciplines. They include systems andecological perspectives, psychodynamic theory, attachment theory (Howe, 2013, p. 417), cognitivebehavioral theory (Teater, 2013a, p.423), EMDR (Bisson et al., 2013), crisis intervention model (Skinner,2013, p. 428), task-centered model (Marsh, 2013, p. 492), motivational Interviewing (Teater, 2013b),
strengths/empowerment perspective, feminist perspective, trauma-informed approaches (Levenson
2020; Bent-Goodley,2019) as well as structural and critical perspectives, which encompass anti-racist
and anti-oppressive practices (Burke, 2013; Payne, 2014). Other approaches, such as narrative therapy(Madigan, 2013, p.455) and solution-focused therapy (Theater (2013c.), originated within social work. In
the European context, much of direct social work practice is informed by social pedagogy, whichemphasizes educational rather than psychological focus for intervention (Payne, 2014, p. 212).

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No general agreement exists on which theoretical perspectives should be prioritized in informing clinicalpractice. Practitioners select theories based on factors, including those they learn in their educational
programs, their values and personal or professional preferences, their job requirements, and thepractice standards set by regulators. Some of these perspectives, models, theories, and approachesprovide psychological explanations, while others emphasize structural and systemic explanations for thedifficulties that people experience. The Clinical Social Work Journal (Springer, 2023) provides in-depth
clinical theory, research, and practice coverage.
Since the theories informing clinical practice are grounded primarily in Western cultures, it is incumbent
upon clinical practitioners to ensure that these theories are adapted for practice with other cultures. In
addition, Indigenous knowledge and other culturally appropriate theories should be incorporated intopractice with diverse populations, including local populations of different cultures, immigrants, andIndigenous peoples. Moreover, regardless of the origins of the theories informing practice, clinicalpractitioners are ethically obligated to ensure that the approaches used uphold social work values andethical principles and are supported by existing evidence. Their obligations include promoting andprotecting the rights of their clients (or service users) and ensuring that their voices, lived experiences,needs, and aspirations are accounted for in practice decisions and interventions.
Context of Clinical Social WorkAs with all other practice areas, sociocultural, economic, and political contextual factors influence
clinical social work education and practice. This specialization is readily available in higher-income
countries identified with or influenced by the Anglo-American culture. The US has the highest number ofMaster of Social Work (MSW) degree programs with clinical specializations. Clinical specialization isavailable in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Israel. It also exists on a smaller scale in othercountries, such as South Africa, Chile, and Poland, either as part of a Master’s degree or through a postqualification process. The nature of clinical social work education and practice varies from country tocountry, depending on professional regulations and educational contexts.
In countries where clinical social work education is readily available, the specialization is recognized as ahealth-related profession, and practitioners can find jobs specifically designated as clinical social workpositions. Moreover, unlike other areas of social work practice, clinical practice may be highlyregulated. Some clinical social work positions, especially those in institution-based health and mental
health settings, require clinical social workers to be registered or licensed. To be registered or licensed,
practitioners obtain advanced education in clinical social work from accredited educational programs,
complete many hours of supervised clinical practice, and pass their clinical social work examinations.
Regulatory and accreditation bodies serve several functions, including ensuring that practitioners meetestablished requirements in relation to education and practice competence and follow the profession’scode of ethics. They ensure that the regulated practitioners engage in ongoing professional
development, including emerging research evidence, to keep up with new developments and integratethem into their practices. The regulatory bodies may also discipline practitioners found guilty ofpractices violating the code of ethics and other standards and guidelines for practice.

4Employment settings.
In countries where clinical social work is an established occupation, practitioners find employment invarious settings. For instance, they may hold clinical social work positions in hospitals, mental healthorganizations, and agencies delivering services related to loss, trauma, domestic violence, and substanceuse. Some clinical social workers are self-employed. Private practitioners deliver services to their“clients” for a fee. Some are also reimbursed through public and private insurance schemes.

REFERENCES

Bent-Goodley, T. B. (2019). The Necessity of Trauma-Informed Practice in Contemporary Social
Work, Social Work, 64(1), pp. 5–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swy056
Bisson, J., Roberts, N.P., Andrew, M., Cooper, R. & Lewis, C. (2013). Psychological therapies for chronic
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,
2013, DOI: 10. 1002/14651858.CD003388.pub4
Burke, B. (2013). Anti-oppressive practice. In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to social work
(4th ed.) (pp. 415–416). Wiley Blackwell.
Howe, D. (2013). Attachment theory. In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to social work (4thed.) (pp. 417–419). Wiley Blackwell.
IASSW/IFSW (2014). The global definition of social work. https://www.iassw-aiets.org/global-definitionof-social-work-review-of-the-global-definition/

Levenson, J. (2020). Translating Trauma-Informed Principles into Social Work Practice. Social
Work, 65 (3), pp. 288–298. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swaa020
Teater, B. (2013c). Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion tosocial work (4th ed.) (pp. 480–483). Wiley Blackwell.
Marsh, P. (2013). Task-centered practice. In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to social work (4thed.) (pp. 492–495). Wiley Blackwell.
Payne, M. (2014). Modern social work theory. (4th ed.). Illinois: Lyceum
Skinner, J. (2013). Crisis theory. In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to social work (4th ed.) (pp.
428–431). Wiley Blackwell.
Springer.com (2023). Journal of Clinical Social Work. https://www.springer.com/journal/10615
Teater, B. (2013a). Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion tosocial work (4th ed.) (pp. 423–427). Wiley Blackwell.
Teater, B. (2013b). Motivational interviewing (MI). In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion to socialwork (4th ed.) (pp. 451-454). Wiley Blackwell.
Teater, B. (2013c). Solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). In M. Davies (Ed.), The Blackwell companion tosocial work (4th ed.) (pp. 480–483). Wiley Blackwell.

5Electronic resources
https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Clinical-Social-Work
https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/adult-social-care-workforce-data/Workforceintelligence/publications/Topics/Social-work/Approved-Mental-Health-Professionalworkforce.aspx