Three-dimensional model of social work practice

Nancy K. Carroll, Ph.D., is Associate Professor, School of Social Work and Community Planning, University of Maryland at Baltimore. The author acknowledges with thanks the assis tance of Prof. William E. Gordon in reviewing earlier drafts of this article. The search for organizing concepts parallel tracks. The divergent views and ideas to describe and classify of Mary Richmond and Jane Addams professional social work practice has about what needed to be done and been a recurring theme in the social how it should be accomplished have work literature. Bartlett has stated epitomized the two major perspectives the rationale for this continuing effort on social work practice. On the one as follows: hand, there is social work's concern _ . , , for the well-being of the individual, The effective operation of a profes. ° . , » c who is seen as the ultimate beneficiary sion rests on a body of com on sym1 bols, ideas, and concepts through a" social work efforts. On the which the practice can be described other hand, there is the profession's and the practitioners can communiconsistent and continuing concern for cate with each other. One of the probthe well-being of larger collectivities, lems in social work has been the lack such as families, communities, and of adequate words, terms, and coneven nation.stateS) as well as for cepts to represent the important facets broad ^ issues and conditions that and components of the profession s . practice as a whole.' imPlnge on '"dividual well-being. As theories of social causation Within the general search for orgained or lost currency and the social ganizing concepts and ideas about problem was viewed as either individ professional social work practice, ual error or malfunctioning of the three specific themes have been promsystem, social work practice oscillated inent: (1) the need to identify the between primary emphasis on in common substantive elements of practerpersonal relationships—sometimes tice that provide internal coherence called "clinical practice"—and undif for the profession and a sense of proferentiated activity with reference to fessional identity for its practitioners, larger social systems and social issues (2) the need to account for the exten—traditionally called "social reform," sive diversification of professional and more recently termed "social practice in terms that are both compolicy." prehensive and succinct, and (3) the The persistence of this classic di need to locate and organize conceptchotomy, which has also character ually the substantive knowledge reized the curriculum of the graduate quired for professional practice. schools of social work, is especially This article represents a continuaremarkable in that it not only fails to tion of this stream of thought about classify practice usefully, but also professional practice. The major ways leads to invidious comparisons of the in which social work practice has preferred or even the "right" way to been thought about, described, and practice social work. Greenblatt and classified over time are examined Katkin have observed that this dichot briefly but critically, and a threeomy between clinical practitioners dimensional model of professional and those who consider themselves practice is proposed that draws on, but social change agents leads not only to is different from, these earlier formusimplified ideas about the interrela lations. The article concludes with a tionships of individuals and social discussion of the utility of this model situations, but also to simplified ideas for identifying the common elements about social work practitioners. One of professional practice, for accountsuch idea is that clinical practitioners ing rationally and economically for are not seeking change, but are the social work's extensive diversification, preservers of the social status quo, and for locating and organizing the whereas social change agents are at various bodies of theoretically based tempting to institute radical changes.2 and research-supported knowledge on Some recent efforts have been which professional social work pracmade to differentiate social work tice depends. practice with "micro" systems from Almost from its beginning, social social work practice with "macro" work has appeared to run on two systems.2 This terminology is useful