This article comprises the scope and guide to clinical social work. Clinical social work is a specialized area of social work practice that involves diagnosing, treating, and preventing mental illness. With the right social work skills and knowledge, it helps individuals address psychological, emotional, behavioural, and social challenges. Such challenges affect people’s quality of life. They include trauma, family conflict, physical illness, and stressful life situations such as unemployment or substance addiction. This makes the roles of clinical social workers vital in society. Clinical social workers use a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, and various case management responsibilities to support their clients. Clinical social workers’ precise duties depend on their work environment and the populations they serve.
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OVERVIEW OF CAREERS IN CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK
Clinical social work happens in environments in which people need support in managing and navigating challenging life situations. There are various types of clinical social workers. Child and Family Social Workers work with children, adults, families, and couples. They help them address mental, emotional, social, and behavioral challenges. Clinical social workers must possess various social work skills and knowledge in their particular fields. Child Welfare Social Workers provide support to children and families who require foster care and adoption services. This includes those who are in the dependency court system. Depending on the field, the roles of clinical social workers vary. Criminal Justice Social Workers provide mental and emotional support, psychotherapy, and case management services to individuals involved in the criminal justice system.
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TECHNIQUES USED BY CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS
This section reviews the social work skills and knowledge. Clinical social workers use a variety of methods to evaluate, treat, and case-manage clients’ struggles. Psychosocial assessments involve a holistic evaluation of an individual’s mental and emotional health. Here, clinical social work is in the context of the individual’s social, financial, familial, and cultural circumstances. Risk assessments draw upon data from the psychosocial assessment to determine the chances of an individual experiencing adverse outcomes. The roles of clinical social workers during diagnosis involve using the information from the psychosocial and risk assessments. This helps them to make a diagnosis of a client’s condition.
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