Activity Lesson 9 – The Clientele and Audiences of Social Work

A. Describe at least three types of clientele for counselling and briefly describe their characteristics. Use
the table below. 

 
Clientele Characteristics

 The individual  Individuals who need assistance fitting into a larger context or who have
been deprived of space by the larger environment, requiring modification in
the environment or merely improving one's ability to cope with it, are
usually worked with at the individual level.
 The group and  People who share a similar or common identity form groups. People with
organization substance abuse and addiction, gay men and lesbians, migrants, women,
abused or neglected children, the elderly, pensioners, veterans, military
service men and women, people in conflict with the law, unemployed, and
people with substance abuse and addiction are some of the groups that
social work may serve. Members of an organization or place of employment,
as well as pupils and students in a school setting, are examples of groups.
They are categorized as groups because they establish collectivises based on
the level of services they must obtain.
The community  Because people and families are fundamentally members of the
community, community has the largest proportion of the clientele and
audience of social work. Everything takes place in a community, and
everyone claims to be a part of it. A community may be classified as a
marginalized group, in which case social work services may be geared
toward their liberation and empowerment. They may form the majority in
some situations, imposing general standards that strive to marginalize
minorities and people who are different from them. In this situation, social
work might focus on community transformation to bring about
environmental change, allowing minority persons and groups to achieve
social well-being, social justice, and respect for their rights.

B. List down specific needs of the types of clientele you mentioned above (exercise A).

 
Clientele Needs
 The individual  It must have an impact on people's transactional connections with their
social settings. They must also study how to recover, maintain, and promote
social functioning in individuals, families, and small groups through social
work practice approaches. Multiculturalism, diversity, and social justice
problems are all integrated. You'll look at how race, ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and ability affect social
work practice. You'll learn how to play a variety of social work roles (such as
counselor/clinical social worker, group facilitator, mediator, and advocate),
 while keeping in mind that these roles must follow social work ideals and
ethics. You'll understand the value of cultivating connections with clients,
co-workers, supervisors, other professionals, and other stakeholders. You'll
learn how to put abilities like active listening, empathic response,
contraction, and critical and creative thinking to use in the real world.
 The group and  In all situations where social work is conducted, social workers work with a
organization variety of groups. It indicates that within a group of people, they must share
a shared identity or be similar to one another. It's similar to a small group
that works in the service industry, such as a group of organizations or places
of employment, or students and pupils in a school setting. Social work
engages with client systems, conducts assessments, and develops
interventions to solve social and personal problems, as well as create social
change, using social sciences such as sociology, psychology, political science,
public health, community development, law, and economics. Micro-work,
which is dealing with people or small groups, and macro-work, which entails
working with communities and within social policy to effect change on a
broader scale.
The community  One of the most important approaches of social work has been community
organization. Individuals and families are essential members of the
community, hence the community has the largest share. A community can
be a powerless sector, which means that the social work service can be
liberated from the influence or power of others. A group of people or
families who share specific ideals, services, institutions, interests, or are in
close proximity geographically. A functional special unit that satisfies
people's nutritional needs, contributes to the formation of collective
identities, and facilitates patterned social interaction. To attain social well-
being or social justice, social work may focus on community transformation
to cause environmental change.

II. A. Describe the individual as client of social work. Give three instances when an individual would
benefit from social work.

Answer: Individual social work, together with group and community work, is the foundational
methodological complex of social work.  They will be taught in data collection, assessment,
planning, and evaluation of direct work with individuals and families on an individual and team
basis. 

B.  Describe the group and organization as client of social work. Give three instances when a
group and organization would benefit from social work.
Answer: Group social work encompasses a wide range of direct social work practice. In all
situations where social work is conducted, social workers work with a variety of groups. While
some have suggested that social work practice with groups include all groups in whom social
workers work, different definitional characteristics have been created. Four conditions have
been proposed by group social workers for practice to qualify as group social work: the worker
should focus attention on helping the group members become a system of mutual aid; the
group worker must understand the role of the group process itself as the primary force
responsible for individual and collective change; the group worker seeks to enhance group
autonomy; the group worker helps the group members experience their group up close and
personal. 

C. Describe the community as client of social work. Give three instances when a community
benefit from social work.

Answer: Community social workers assist in the functioning of communities. Some work with
individuals one-on-one, completing needs assessments and referring them to community
resources. Community organization is one sort of community social work practice. Community
builders and organizers are two types of social workers.