SOCIETY & SOCIAL WORK INSTITUTIONS

WHAT or WHO IS SOCIETY?

IS THERE ONLY ONE DEFINITION TO SUM UP SOCIETY?

I´m afraid there isn´t.

BUT HERE IS WHAT A HUMAN SOCIETY COULD BE DESCRIBED AS:

• a group of people who occupy a particular territory and speak a common language and share a common culture.

• a group of humans that is delineated by the bounds of cultural identity, social solidarity, functional interdependence, mutual interests, hobbies, etc.

COMMON SYNONYMS FOR SOCIETY:

Humankind

People

Culture

Civilisation

Company

Public

Nation

Collony

Population

Group

Alliance

Gang

Clan

Network

NOW BE CAREFUL WITH

HUMAN

a) relating to people

b) showing normal human feelings and behaviour, especially showing that you can be weak

HUMANE

means kind, merciful, compassionate, etc.

For example, if you feed a stray cat,you are being humane.

ANY IDEAS WHAT THE DIFFERENCE MIGHT BE?

SOCIETY with its dark side

FALSE IDEOLOGY

HOMELESSNESS

DRUG ABUSE

STRESS

CRIMINALITY

POVERTY

POLLUTION

WAR CONFLICTS

…and its sunny side

Community is where you belong.

A community can be a place, or a group of people.

Either way, a community is where you feel like you “belong” to a group of people who share your interests, goals and attitudes. You also share the same language (slang, for example), manners, and traditions.

Your families are your first and smallest communities. As we get older, we

branch out and become involved in schools, clubs, bands, study groups, staff (work colleagues), etc. Before long, we belong to many overlapping communities!

Venn diagram of the communities you belong to:

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA)

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) was established in 1990. It is responsible for social policy (e.g. people with disabilities, social services, social benefits, family policy), social security (e.g. pensions, sickness insurance, maternity allowance/benefits, social benefits, unemployment benefits, etc.), employment (e.g. labour market, employment support, employment of foreigners), labour legislation, occupational safety and health, equal opportunities of women and men, migration and integration of foreigners, European Social Fund and other social or labour related issues.

WE HELP = WE PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES

Social services mediate assistance and care for a service user/client, provide meals, accommodation, assistance in running a household, care and assistance with bringing up a child, providing information, mediation of contact with social environments, psychotherapy and social therapy, assistance in assuring one's rights and interests.

Social services help people to live a normal life - they allow them to work, shop, attend school and places of faith, participate in leisure time activities, take care of themselves, their home, etc. The services aim to maintain the highest possible quality and dignity in their lives. Social services are provided to individuals, families, as well as to groups of people.

Social work, a proud profession people helping people

WHO FUNDS SOCIAL SERVICES?

• the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA)

• regional authority

• municipal authority

• non-profit organisations

• non-governmental organisations

• the public through charity or various sponsors

A CAREER IN SOCIAL WORK

Social workers are employed by a variety of community organizations and service providers. They help clients with their immediate needs as well as research ways to improve thier lives in the future.

Function

Social workers are people helpers. They aid the homeless, students with academic or home problems, troubled families, senior citizens and emotionally disturbed or mentally disabled people. They may provide direct counselling or serve as conduits, finding resources, programs, jobs or even homes for people in need. Social workers serve in three main fields:

1. child, family and school

2. medical and public health

3. mental health and substance abuse

1. Child, Family and School

Social workers seek foster homes or arrange adoptions for children. They counsel parents (single or married) who need help raising their children. In school, social workers help students achieve their potential, both academically and personally. They counsel students on ways to reduce stress and conflicts with others. In addition, they provide support, protection and assistance to teenage parents.

2. Medical and Public Health

Social workers offer support for people coping with terminal diseases and medical decisions. They advise family and patients on how to deal with such conditions as Alzheimer's and AIDS. They may also help arrange in-home care to assist people with health, nutrition and hygiene. Medical and public health social workers are employed by hospitals, the government and service agencies. Some are self-employed.

3. Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Through methods such as talk and behavioral therapy, we help patients understand and cope with their problems/addictions. Social workers/therapists may meet with individuals for several sessions or regularly for a year or longer.

Aim of social work

● promote development, or at least maintenance, of the existing self- sufficiency of the client

● the clients's return into his/her own home environment, renewal or maintenance of their original lifestyle

● enhance the clients's abilities and enable them to lead an independent life where possible

● limit social and health risks associated with the clients' lifestyle

● social workers works with people who have been socially excluded or who are experiencing crisis. Their role is to provide support to enable service users to help themselves. They maintain professional relationships with service users, acting as guides, advocates or critical friends.

● recommending and sometimes making decisions about the best course of action for a particular service user

● giving evidence in court

● maintaining accurate records and preparing reports for legal action

● offering information and counselling support to service users and their families

As a social worker/pedagogue you deal with people/clients/service users

Over 50% of social workers work with young people and their families:

OTHER CLIENTS/SERVICE USERS:

- young offenders

- people with mental health conditions

- school non-attenders

- drug and alcohol abusers

- people with learning and physical disabilities

• the elderly

• people with financial issues/the unemployed

• unfit mothers/fathers

• child abuse cases, etc.

A CAREER CHART (Australia)

Confession of a social worker

I'm a social worker. Looking back at my life, I think I've always been one. I'm the oldest of 4 siblings, 2 of which I've taken care of since birth. Helping others is my passion and purpose in life and I would never stray from this profession. As I'm sure many people here can understand, social work can be lonely at times. To do this job, you need to have a certain ability to feel for others. It can be difficult to absorb everything you need to and still do your job well. It's hard to explain my difficult days to others who are not in this field because they seem to be missing that essential component that makes someone able to feel (really feel not just sympathise) for others. I'm well aware of my boundaries with clients, and have excellent supervisors that help me process, but it's not as if you can get emotional support from your boss. Show no weakness right? Today was a tough one, as one of my clients took a major step back and two clients straight up yelled at me. It's to be expected, but it's still a slap.

A CAREER x A CARER

professional and work achievements

a caretaker, an assistant,

a care assistant,

a person who takes care of people in need.

● Social counselling

● Domiciliary care

● Personal assistance

● Respite care

● Day care centres and week care centres

● Stays in homes for the elderly and homes for people with learning disabilities

● Protected and supported housing

● Early intervention services

● Shelter services

● Half-way houses

● Hostels

● Emergency assistance (including crisis beds)

● Outreach programmes

● Low-threshold services for children and minors

● Services in contact centres for drug addicts

● Therapeutic communities

SOCIAL COUNSELLING

● provides clients with the necessary information and offers various possibilities on how to solve their problems.

● social counselling is a part of all kinds of social services or is provided as an independent service.

● Individual work with one counsellor and either one client, a couple or some members of a family.

FOR EXAMPLE: Marriage counselling, school counselling.

● Group work where a counsellor leads or facilitates the group.

● Self-help groups where there is no leader. Members attend on an equal basis for mutual support.

A group is called a support group, it may have a counsellor as a leader or facilitator, or it may be a self-help group without a leader. Some self-help groups follow the 12 step program developed by Alcoholics Anonymous.

RESPITE SERVICES

Assistance/relief for families that take all year-long care of a disabled member or senior. The provider supplies services to the individual when the family members are at work, on holiday, do common errands outside the home, etc.

PALIATIVE CARE

Palliative care is not the same as hospice care. The goal of palliative care is to relieve the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness – whatever the prognosis is. It is appropriate for people of any age and at any point in an illness.

HOSPICE CARE

Hospice care is end-of-life care provided by health professionals and volunteers. They give medical, psychological and spiritual support. The goal of the care is to help people who are dying have peace, comfort and dignity. The caregivers try to control pain and other symptoms so a person can remain as alert and comfortable as possible. Hospice programs also provide services to support a patient's family.

Usually, a hospice patient is expected to live 6 months or less. Hospice care can take place

At home

At a hospice center

In a hospital

In a skilled nursing facility

EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES

Offer a variety of therapeutic and support services to eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families, including:

- family education and counseling, home visits, and parent support groups

• speech pathology and audiology

• physical therapy

• psychological services

• nursing services

• nutrition services

• social work services

• assistive technology devices and services

For families with a young child whose development is at risk. (e.g. developmental delay, congenital disorders – Down syndrome, etc.)

DOMICILIARY CARE

This in-home care/service provides assistance in clients's own home, organises meals and assistance in running a household for people with a limited ability in the area of personal and home care.

WHAT DOES A CARER DO?

Practical tasks – washing, and cooking or ironing.

Personal care – bathing dressing.

Emotional support – offering a “listening ear”

Physical lifting and carrying.

Assisting with medication or collecting prescriptions.

Managing the family budget and paying bills.

Interpreting.

LIVE-IN CARE

● live-in’ 24-hour care provides help in every day tasks

● cares for your needs at your own place and attends to your specific care plan, as well as providing companionship

DAY CARE CENTRES AND WEEK CARE CENTRES

Are intended for people whose capabilities are limited, particularly in the areas of personal care and household care and who cannot live at home on a daily basis without someone else's assistance.

Providing temporary housing may be part of the service – week stays.

NURSING FACILITIES FOR BABIES/CHILDREN/MINORS/

CHILDREN´S CARE HOME

CHILDREN´S HOME/TODDLER´S HOME

• In CR it is a type of institutional care which substitutes family - formerly called ORPHANAGE – residential institutional care.

(for healthy but abandoned or orphaned children)

• Abroad -this facility offers support to disabled children and young people aged 5-17 years and their families. This home provides long term care planning and support to improve life chances for the children who live there.

CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS - Underaged criminals/offfenders

NURSING INSTITUTIONS/NURSING HOMES

A nursing home, convalescent home, Skilled Nursing Unit (SNU), care home or rest home - a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Residents include the elderly and younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. Eligible adults 18 or older can stay in a skilled nursing facility to receive physical, occupational, and other rehabilitative therapies following an accident or illness.

STAY-IN HOMES/CARE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY AND HOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Provide housing or accommodation that is specifically designated for seniors and substitutes homes for the clients.

The service is not time limited.

The user participates in the funding of the service.

PROTECTED AND SUPPORTED HOUSING

Is intended for people whose capabilities are limited, particularly in the areas of personal care and household care and who want to live independently in the standard environment.

Providing housing in an apartment that represents a home for the user, is managed by the provider and is part of a standard housing complex, is a part of the service. The user participates in the funding of the service.

SHELTER SERVICES

Are intended for homeless people who are interested in acquiring their own housing. The basis of the service is to provide temporary accommodation together with possible methods to obtain housing and improve living conditions.

The services are provided in specialised asylum institutions.

The user usually participates in the funding of the service.

HOSTELS

Are intended for homeless individuals who are only interested in overnight stays. No active interest in obtaining their own housing is required.

The service involves, primarily, a shelter for the night and possibly food but also the provision of information on the following social services available for the resolution of problems.

The user usually participates in the funding or running of the service if possible.

HALF-WAY HOUSES

Halfway houses offer temporary residence services for persons aged 17 up to 26 years of age, who leave educational facilities for institutional or protection care after reaching the age of 18. In some cases, they provide services also for persons from other institutional facilities for children and youth care. The services provided include the following: accommodation, mediation of contact with social environment, therapeutical activities and assistance in advocacy of rights and interests. The services are charged.

It also provides community-based care and treatment for alcohol/drug users in need of transitional arrangements, support and counselling, room and board, social and recreational activities, and vocational opportunities in a moderately structured drug-free environment; focused on re-socialization and encouragement to resume independent living and functioning in the community.

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

(including crisis beds)

This is an urgent kind of assistance for people who fail to cope alone with a bad experience or situation in life in the time period necessary. The assistance in crisis is a short-term service provided non-stop that includes a crisis bed within reach.

It is usually provided free of charge.

LOW-THRESHOLD SERVICES

The service is intended for children and minors facing the risk of social exclusion, in particular "street kids". Most often this is a street job. The social workers offer a meaningful way of spending free time and assistance in the neglected family or those with personal problems.

The low-threshold character of the service means that the children can use the service without the necessity to fulfil conditions, such as presenting proof of identity or obligation to participate in the activities on offer – activities and presence are purely voluntary.

The service is provided free of charge.

SERVICES IN CONTACT CENTRES FOR DRUG ADDICTS

The service is intended for people who abuse addictive substances, live in undignified conditions or in a risky way and whose lifestyle leads to their failure or refusal to solve their negative social situation. The principle of the service is to create conditions for establishing contact and, if requested, providing information and advice on how to solve their problems. The service is provided free of charge.

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES

The service is intended for people who are addicted to addictive substances (and have received detoxification treatment) and are interested in changing their lifestyle and returning to normal life. The service is provided in a residential institution with a set regime. The length of stay in the therapeutic community is usually for a maximum of one year. The user participates in the funding of the service.

OTHER KINDS OF THERAPY:

• art therapy

• animal assisted therapy: Canis therapy, Equine therapy etc.

• talk therapy

OUTREACH SERVICES

Outreach services, mobile youth work and youth drop-in centres, streetwork today are a professional method of performing social work and of social pedagogy. It is also concerned with street children and street youths, drug addicts, homeless, people living in socially excluded areas and prostitutes. Their problems include isolation and poverty, physical hunger, lack of affection and respect, drug consumption, an inclination towards violence, extremist tendencies, homelessness, and boredom.

SHELTERED WORKSHOPS

It is a service (e.g. Laundry, pottery), which creates a normal working environment for job training and social rehabilitation. A standard definition of sheltered workshops - company that has at least 50% of the disabled/disadvantaged workers. They are leaning/acquiring basic skills they need to enter the open labour market and earning financial means to run the workshop by selling their products.

Many workshops have to deal with financial problems and often close down due to money issues.

People with mental disabilities and other disadvantaged do regular and steady work activities. Typical client is a person of legal age (18) with his/her own family background or long-term living in a nursing home capable of making decisions about their work and private life and is able and willing to work.