Publication: Selected chapters from methods of social work I.

Andrej Mátel, Michal Oláh, Milan Schavel

PREFACE

The main actor in solving the social problems of individuals is not the social worker, but the social work client himself. A social worker is a university-educated specialist who supports, strengthens, empowers and helps the client to improve the quality of his life. In order to fulfill these tasks responsibly, he must have adequate knowledge and skills for professional practice. Undoubtedly, these include basic orientation in methods, techniques and methodologies of social work. The collective of university teachers at the University of Health and Social Work St. Alžbety in Bratislava wants to help 1st degree students in the social work field of study with the presented publication in responsible preparation for the performance of this profession precisely with regard to acquiring basic theoretical knowledge of methods of social work with an individual. Together with the submitted publication, they are published at the University of Zasp St. Elizabeth two publications that are closely related to her: Mátel, A. – Schavel, M. et al. Applied social pathology in social work (2011) and Oláh, M. et al. Methods of social work in practice (2011). Both publications discuss social work methods with regard to their practical use in work with specific target groups of social work clients. The presented Selected chapters from methods of social work I. represent a theoretical introduction to the given issue.

The content focus of the publication corresponds to the bachelor's degree of the social work study program. Readers will be introduced to a brief history and basic terminology of social work methods as a helping profession (Chapter 1) and science (Chapter 2). Social work belongs to the social sciences, for which observation and interview are also basic common methods (Chapter 3). Here we would like to especially thank two important Slovak psychologists PhDr. Miloš Šlepecký, CSc. and PhDr. Peter Ďurný for lending his ideas in the field of communication. From the point of view of specific methods of social work, the central attention is given to case social work (Chapter 4). Other methods of social work include social counseling (Chapter 5), supervision in social work (Chapter 6), mediation in social work (Chapter 7), crisis intervention (Chapter 8), management in social work (Chapter 9) and projecting in social work (Chapter 10). A special (11th) chapter consists of administration and documentation, which integrally belong to the activities of social workers.

The authors hope that the presented texts will help not only to prepare social workers for the performance of their profession, but also to critical thinking, which belongs to the scientific nature of social work.

Authors

CONTENT

1 METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK – HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND DEFINITION 1.1 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 1.1.1 American social work 1.1.2 Social work in selected European countries 1.2 DEFINING SOCIAL WORK METHODS AND OTHER RELEVANT TERMS 1.2.1 Social work 1.2.2 Methods and techniques of social work 1.2.3 Methodology and methodology of social work 1.2.4 Theory and methods of social work 1.2.5 Approaches in social work 1.2.6 Classification of social work methods 1.2.7 Social intervention, social therapy, sociotherapy and social rehabilitation

2 SCIENTIFIC METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK

3 OBSERVATION AND INTERVIEW AS BASIC METHODS OF SOCIAL WORK 3.1 OBSERVATION 3.2 INTERVIEW 3.2.1 Non-verbal communication 3.2.2 Verbal communication

4 CASE SOCIAL WORK 4.1 STAGES OF SOCIAL WORK 4.2 PRINCIPLES OF CASE SOCIAL WORK AT THE PRESENT TIME

5 SOCIAL CONSULTING

6 SUPERVISION IN SOCIAL WORK

7 MEDIATION IN SOCIAL WORK

8 CRISIS INTERVENTION

9 MANAGEMENT IN SOCIAL WORK

10 PROJECTING IN SOCIAL WORK

11 ADMINISTRATION IN SOCIAL WORK 11.1 DOCUMENTATION MANAGEMENT 11.2 CASE STUDY

Annex no. 1 Anamnetic sheets 208 Annex no. 2 Case study 211

doc. PhDr. Ph.Dr. Andrej Mátel, PhD. (chapters 1, 4, 8, 11) doc. PhDr. Michal Oláh, PhD. (Chapters 2, 3) prof. PaedDr. Milan Schavel, PhD. (chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Mgr. Mária Kovaľová, PhD. (chapter 10)

Reviewers: doc. PhDr. Milan Tomka, PhD. University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra PhDr. Peter Brnula, PhD. Comenius University in Bratislava

Language editing: Mgr. Mária Mišovičová Cover photo: Andrej Mátel

Publisher: University of Health and Social Work St. Alžbety Bratislava, 2011, First edition The publication was published with the financial support of the Institute for Further Education of Social Workers.

Print: BEKI Design s.r.o., Košice 214 pages

ISBN: 978-80-8132-027-9