Week three of SOWK 486 is about understanding what direct social work practice and some of what makes social workers unique in our helping style. We will start with an exercise, considering how you have been helped in the past. Many clients we work with as social workers are mandated to participate in services involuntary in some manner. We will discuss how to engage with them through some best practices. The agenda for the session is as follows:

• How we help
• Orienting perspectives for social work practice
• Evidence-based practice
• Involuntary clients
• Ecological Systems Model
• Social work jobs and roles

Learning Objectives

• Identify and describe key roles, settings, and practice areas where social workers operate, including local examples.
• Explain the purpose of social work and how the profession addresses prevention, restoration, and remediation.
• Analyze the ecological systems model and orienting perspectives (e.g., strengths-based, cultural humility, trauma-informed) as frameworks for understanding client interactions.
• Reflect on personal and professional alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics and its core values.
• Describe strategies for building trust and promoting cooperation with mandated clients.