Introduction
To a great extent, multiple strategies are deployed to research and accomplish set objectives within the social work workforce. The primary aim is to enhance an individual’s or societal members’ general well-being. Notably, a generalist social worker’s core duty includes meeting the demands of various patients by commanding social order to give assets and advance equality among people (Petruzzi et al., 2022). It is essential to discuss the general model, how it transitioned to become the operational approach in social work and the merits and limitations of a social worker using the methodology.
The Generalist Methodology
A generalist model is a practice approach that integrates societal organization, casework, and group work. It is a problem-solving approach commonly utilized within the social work discipline. Notably, the method deploys an issue-analytics technique to examine a person’s situation, transform the plan, and assess the offered intervention. In addition, it is a multilevel methodology that enables professionals to advocate for patients’ demands when they are not attained (Petruzzi et al., 2022). The generalist model highly concentrates on humans’ diverse socialization, correlation, and the surrounding environment. Its typical phases for effective implementation of the approach include participation, assessment, planning, execution, evaluation, closure, and follow-up.
Operational Model in Social Work
The primary rationale for why the generalist model exists is to enable professionals to effect change and address the problems within social works’ mezzo, micro, and macro levels. Significantly, the generalist social worker can perform varied duties to determine their scope of proficiency. The methodology plays an essential role in the social work discipline, enabling caseworkers to spearhead the much-needed change (Firn et al., 2021). In their careers, social workers do not have a choice of the type of issues they will face and accept. Therefore, upon encountering a particular problem, a welfare worker’s goal becomes assisting in solving the obstacle. Therefore, in social work, the generalist approach became operational after applying its steps to help rectify issues.
In the engagement step, a social worker must concentrate on developing trust and extensive rapport with the client to help identify the main goal between them. However, in the assessment phase, a caseworker gathers critical data and information regarding the patient via interviews and other tools and techniques, including collateral contacts (Petruzzi et al., 2022). The next step is planning, which helps in attaining goal development. The social worker should have a mutual comprehension of the client’s environment, lifestyle, and problems and design a feasible action plan that meets the victim’s unique circumstances (Wu et al., 2022).
Regarding the implementation phase, the social worker and the client mobilize the resources required to execute the action plan effectively by meeting and matching all the agreed expectations. At the same time, the caseworker must track the patient’s progress, while the client must communicate available obstacles and threats.
Furthermore, regarding the evaluation stage, the case worker and the victim concentrate on goal achievements. The client’s progress helps determine whether new objectives should be set by the welfare employee or identify whether earlier ones have been met. During the termination phase, the client reflects on their accomplishments. At the follow-up step, the social worker and the patient work integratively to pinpoint resources and support mechanisms to assist the victim when issues re-occur (Firn et al., 2021). Therefore, the generalist model became an operational approach in social work as it helps identify the caseworkers’ responsibility in solving the client’s problems.
Advantages & Disadvantages
The merits of the generalist model vary since it has multilevel dimensions and it works in a great scope. Notably, the methodology incorporates orientation to advocacy and concentrates highly on people suffering from adverse internal or more arduous challenges than others as the change target. The approach makes social workers extensively creative and flexible while performing their practice duties (Firn et al., 2021). The generalist discipline enables caseworkers to gain skills and competence in other fields, including counseling, biology, and psychology. In addition, another advantage of the approach is that it enables social workers to target the environment for transformation, making them highly committed to the value of social work.
Nevertheless, one of the core demerits of the generalist model is the cost, typically regarding capital and time. For instance, a social worker consumes a massive period of learning diverse skills and methods to increase their proficiency when handling different issues of clients. At the same time, caseworkers spend money attending various seminars and enrolling in courses to develop their work knowledge (Petruzzi et al., 2022).
Another limitation of the generalist model is the challenge of environmental comprehension, whereby people involved understand a particular issue, making it difficult for a social worker to develop the intervention plan (Wu et al., 2022). The demand to comprehend various skills and other disciplines, such as psychology, enables the caseworkers to lose concentration of their professionalism. Finally, the methodology requires diversified training, depending on the patient’s needs, from one setting to another. Therefore, it becomes challenging for the social worker to track the best practices that will affect the change.
Conclusion
Social workers utilize the generalist model to perform their duties, including maneuvering through solving problems. However, for the methodology to become operational, the caseworkers must deploy its phases, including participation, assessment, planning, execution, evaluation, closure, and follow-up to solve the client issues. The generalist model helps caseworkers increase their competency, creativity, and flexibility while performing their practice duties. Nevertheless, one of the core limitations of the methodology is that it enables a social worker to spend massive capital on training to acquire skills and increase their work knowledge.
References
Firn, J., Preston, N., & Walshe, C. (2021). Hospital-based social workers’ perceptions of generalist-and specialist-level palliative social work activities. Journal of Social Work, 21(3), 416-434. Web.
Petruzzi, L., Ewald, B., Covington, E., Rosenberg, W., Golden, R., & Jones, B. (2022). Exploring the efficacy of social work interventions in hospital settings: A scoping review. Social Work in Public Health, 40(3), 1-14. Web.
Wu, H., Greig, M., & Bryan, C. (2022). Promoting environmental justice and sustainability in social work practice in a rural community: A systematic review. Social Sciences, 11(8), 336. Web.
