What Are Generalist Social Work Practices?

A generalist social worker is a professional who is trained in the basic tenets of social work theory and practice. Social workers trained as generalists may work with issues such as homelessness, child or spousal abuse, addiction and medical problems. Generalist social workers possess skills in the areas of assessment, planning and intervention, which enable them to work with a wide range of people in a variety of situations (see Reference 1).

Person-in-Environment

• Generalist social workers use a person-in-environment perspective to help clients. This means they have a solid understanding of how an individual's social and political environments impact his life. It also means the social worker is able to take micro-, mezzo- and macro-level perspectives of the situation and make interventions on each of these levels in order to best serve the individual (see References 2 & 3).

Assessment

• Being able to perform thorough and accurate assessments is a necessary skill for all social workers. Assessments include identifying a client's strengths and challenges. The specifics of an assessment depend upon the situation and setting; however, generalist social workers should be able to thoroughly assess what the client wants and needs in order to be most helpful and plan solid goals and interventions (see Reference 4).

Planning and Intervention

• Using a solid assessment, generalist social workers create treatment plans and develop interventions that will best suit the individual client. Goal setting should be done along with clients, creating mutually agreed upon goals and planning specific steps that work towards these goals. Connecting the client with needed resources, developing crisis plans, and helping the client talk to family members, significant others or care providers are all interventions that generalist social workers can utilize (see Reference 4).

Advocacy and Self-Advocacy

• Concentrating on client strengths and encouraging client empowerment are key aspects of generalist social work practice. Towards this end, generalist social workers should be capable of working with a wide range of clients in a way that is culturally competent, advocating for clients who may face stigma and systematic challenges due to cultural bias. Towards this end, social workers also encourage clients to advocate for themselves, giving them the skills necessary to navigate systems independently to the extent possible (see References 4 & 5).