Social Work Macro Practice Flashcards
1
Q
Campaign (Macro Change)
A
Strategy used to gain support and acceptance for community or organizational change. Is used when the target system needs to be convinced of the importance of the change or to allocate resources but communication is still possible between the action and target systems. Related tactics include education, persuasion, co-optation, lobbying, and mass media appeal
2
Q
Centralization
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The concentration of the administrative power of a group, organization, or political body
3
Q
Collaboration (Administration)
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In social work administration, an agreement (joint venture) in which two or more agencies agree to work together to set up an operate a new program or service
4
Q
Community Self-Help
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Entails having community members, including volunteers, become involved in decision-making, planning, and working with professionals and agency personnel. Control and responsibility are decentralized from national, state, or local organizations to community groups and individuals
5
Q
Cost-Sharing
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Budgeting system that involves dividing the cost of various resources between different organizations (e.g., two schools might share the cost of one social worker who will spend time in both facilities). Allows organizations to use services that they might not otherwise be able to afford
6
Q
Dual Perspective
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Proposes that the social environment includes two sets of influences: The nurturing environment is composed of individuals with whom a person interacts frequently and sometimes in an intimate way, and the sustaining environment includes individuals a person encounters in the wider community and broader society. Ideally, a person is accepted, respected, and supported in both environments
7
Q
Gantt Chart
A
Scheduling technique that graphically represents all of an organization’s or program’s activities, the people responsible for performing the activities, and a time-line for completing each activity. Horizontal bars on a calendar show the time allotted to each activity. The chart does not indicate the relationship among activities and, therefore, is less detailed than a PERT chart.
8
Q
Horizontal Community
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Consists of linkages between and among organizations and neighborhoods that are located within the same geographic region and, usually, serve the community
9
Q
Individualism (Social Policy)
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In regard to social policy, an ideology that attempts to place few restrictions on personal freedom and individual will
10
Q
Legislative Advocacy
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Efforts to influence legislation to benefit a category of clients (e.g., urging state or federal lawmakers to support or oppose certain bills). May involve the use of ‘lobbying tactics’ to influence legislative committee consideration of a bill
11
Q
Mechanical Analogy
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A way of viewing social systems that compares them to machines. All parts of the system work closely together - they are integrated and well coordinated. Practice models that derive from this analogy aim to organize the community or organization to make conditions more pleasant and restore order
12
Q
Nominal Group Technique
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Technique used to help consensus-oriented committees or groups arrive at a decision; encourages active involvement by all group participants
13
Q
Participatory Administration
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An approach to social agency administration that allows democratic involvement in the formulation of agency policies and procedures. When agency staff are part of participatory administration, they tend to perform better, which, in turn, improves the performance of the agency
14
Q
Program Evaluation
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In social work, assessments carried out to obtain information that can be used to improve social programs and social service accountability. Involves using applied social research to discover the extent to which social programs are carried out efficiently and effectively
15
Q
Quality Circles
A
Participatory management approach in which a group of workers at an agency or elsewhere voluntarily meets to identify, study, and solve work-related problems. Representatives of the quality circle then present their solutions to management
16
Q
Social Darwinism
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Ideology that assumes that income differences between the wealthy and the poor occur because the wealthy inherently are ‘more fit’
17
Q
Sunk Costs
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Associated with social welfare planning and administration. The amount of effort and time used to develop, maintain, and facilitate current relationships, power structures, and standard ways of operating in an organization
18
Q
Access Provision
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Actions taken by social agencies to ensure that their services (or a program’s services) are available to the target population. Examples include educating the public about the service, establishing convenient referral procedures, and having ombudsperson services to deal with obstacles to getting the service
19
Q
Case Advocacy (Client Advocacy)
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A form of advocacy that involves working with and on behalf of a client to ensure that the client receives the services and benefits to which he is entitled and that the services are delivered in a way that protect his dignity
20
Q
Centralized Communication Networks
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Networks in which all communication must pass through a central person or position within the organization. These networks work best for simple tasks
21
Q
Collaboration (Macro Change)
A
Strategy used to gain support and acceptance for community or organizational change. Is used when there is a working relationship in which the action and target systems agree that change must occur, and the target system supports the allocation of resources. Related tactics include implementation and capacity building (e.g., empowerment)
22
Q
Conflict Induction
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Community organizing technique used to compel community members to actively debate issues or value differences and form new coalitions. The social worker brings up issues and differences directly to motivate group members to work on them
23
Q
Costing
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Involves estimating in advance all of the costs associated with a plan or program that seeks to meet a specified goal. Also called ‘costing out’
24
Q
Empowerment
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The process of helping individuals, families, groups, and communities increase their personal, interpersonal, socioeconomic, and political strength and develop influence toward changes their circumstances
25
Gemeinschaft And Gelellschaft
Gemeinschaft' refers to community. It focuses on intamacy and relationship and emphasizes the mutual, common, and intimate bonds that bring people together in local units. The group is valued whether or not its members are creating a product or achieving a goal. Examples include the domestic unit, neighborhood, and groups of friends. 'Gesellschaft' refers to society or association (e.g., the city or state). It represents formalized, task-oriented relationships in which people organize to achieve a purpose, goal, or task. People may benefit personally from these relationships, but their purpose is to create a product, achieve a goal, or complete a task
26
Human Relations
Management theory that developed as an alternative to scientific management and places greater emphasis on worker needs, motives, and relationships
27
Input, Throughput, and Output
Systems (e.g., organizations) are made up collections of parts that receive inputs, operate on these inputs via throughput, and produce outputs. In social agencies, 'inputs' include resources, clients, the types and severity of clients' problems, and the values, expectations, and opinions about the agency held by community members, funding sources, regulatory bodies, and other parts of the environment. 'Throughputs' are the services provided by the agency and the way the agency is structured to apply its technology to the inputs it receives. 'Output' is the completion of a service to a client - the key aspect of service output is outcome, which is a measure of quality-of-life change for the client
28
Liberalism
Ideology that embraces the values of egalitarianism and social responsibility as means of achieving social and economic change and the belief that, as societies become more complex and its members less self-sufficient, government should take action to address the problems of individuals who are less able to cope
29
Mezzo Practice
Level of social work practice that usually takes place with small groups and families. Activities emphasize facilitating communication, mediation, and negotiation, educating, and bringing people together.
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Nonprofit Private Agency
A social agency operated to achieve a service provision goal rather than to make a financial profit for its owners
31
Permanency Planning
Child welfare strategy used to provide alternatives to temporary foster care placement through organized efforts to provide long-term continuity in the care of dependent children
32
Program Evaluation Criteria
(a) Effort: Evaluates the resources needed to reach program objectives. (b) Impact: Examines the program's effect on broad social change. (c) Effectiveness: Determines how well the objectives of the program were met in terms of client change. (d) Efficiency: Assesses the economics of program operation in relation to its accomplishments (the ideal is maximum performance using minimal resources). (e) Quality: Examines professional competence and standards of service
33
Risk Technique
Technique used to facilitate committee or group members in expressing their concerns about an issue or proposed action
34
Social Networks
Networks that include individuals or groups linked by a common bond, shared social status, similar or shared functions, or geographic or cultural connection. They develop and discontinue on an ad hoc basis, depending on specific need and interest. Types of social networks include support systems, natural social networks, self-help groups, and groups of formal organizations
35
Task Groups (Task Forces)
Temporary groupings created to achieve a specific, predefined goal or function. At an agency, for example, task group meetings of various forms provide a forum for staff to exchange information and give and receive feedback and support, for tasks to be distributed, and for planning, decision-making, and problem-solving
36
Basic Needs
Items considered by social planners to be necessary for maintaining personal well-being. Include adequate food, shelter, clothing, heating fuel, clean water, and security from bodily harm
37
Case Management
A procedure used to identify, plan, access, coordinate, and monitor services from different social agencies and staff on behalf of a client. Clients needing case management services usually have multiple problems that require assistance from multiple providers, several problems that need to be addressed at the same time, and special difficulties in seeking and using help effectively
38
Chaos Theory
A theory concerned with the way systems change over time. It focuses on feedback systems that, despite their underlying simplicity, demonstrate complicated and unpredictable behavior. Underlying this unpredictability is a 'sensitive dependence on initial conditions' (butterfly effect), which refers to the fact that future events in complex systems can be affected in profound ways by minor variations that take place early in an interaction - in other words, a seemingly minor initial event can produce profound effects later on
39
Community Decision Network
All of the important individuals and organizations in a community who have formal or informal power to decide on the actions taken by the community. Its membership may include political leaders, industrial leaders, religious groups, and civic associations
40
Contingency Theory
Management theory suggesting that different organizational approaches can be appropriate depending on the circumstances faced by an organization. The key issue is not how closely an organization follows a certain model but rather how well it structures itself to accommodate to its unique environment (i.e., an organization's structure and leadership are "contingent" on a variety of factors that are specific to that organization)
41
Decentralized Communication Networks
Networks in which information flows freely between people in an organization without going through a central person. These networks work well for complex tasks
42
Force Field Analysis (FFA)
Technique used to identify and assess significant factors that promote or inhibit change in a community or organization. Involves analyzing social forces supporting an intended program or policy change (driving forces) and those opposing it (restraining forces): This includes rating each force's strength (power, consistency, openness to outside influence) and identifying and rating entities who might successfully oppose a driving or restraining force and, thereby, change its strength. These assessments are used to guide intervention planning
43
Grass-Roots Organizing
Community social work method directed toward helping community members develop shared goals, strengthen their relationships, and organize in a way that will help them achieve their goals. The emphasis is on organizing all people who will be affected by a change rather than just the community's leaders. It differs from a more bureaucratic means to social change, or one involving decisions that come from power centers in the community
44
In-Service Training
Planned, formal training provided to a group of agency personnel with the same job classification or the same job responsibilities and designed to meet their general educational needs. The generic content is useful for all the members of the group but is specifically relevant to none of them
45
Integrated Communities
A 'well-integrated' community is associated with a low rate of mental disorders. Indicators of high integration include strong community associations and groups, able and adequate leadership, diverse recreational and leisure opportunities, cohesive informal social networks, high income level and stable incomes, acknowledgment and resolution of differences between cultures, and an emphasis on religious and spiritual values
46
Macro Orientation
Orientation to social work that emphasizes the sociopolitical, economic, historical, and environmental factors that affect the human condition. These factors either cause problems for people or afford them opportunities for growth, satisfaction, and justice
47
Models of Decision-Making (Simon)
(a) The 'rational-economic model' proposes that decision-makers attempt to maximize benefits by systematically searching for the best solution. (b) The 'bounded rationality (administrative) model' proposes that rational decision-making is limited by internal and external constraints so that decision-makers often 'satisfice' rather than optimize (i.e., consider solutions until a fairly good one is encountered and them stop searching due to limited time and resources)
48
Outcome Model
Approach to social program evaluation that emphasizes the evaluation of expected results. If productivity is being evaluated, a 'quantitative outcome model' is used to measure, in numbers, program factors such as activity, revenue, and so forth. If clients' perceptions of a program are being evaluated, a 'qualitative outcome model' is used
49
Prevention (Community Mental Health)
An approach to the alleviation of mental disorders that is associated with both community mental health and public health. Preventions are classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary: Primary preventions make an intervention available to all members of a target group or population in order to keep them from developing a disorder. Secondary preventions identify at-risk individuals and offer them appropriate treatment. Tertiary preventions are designed to reduce the duration and consequences of an illness that has already occurred
50
Proprietary Practice
The delivery of social services for profit, typically by self-employed professionals in nonclinical settings. The term 'private practice' has a similar meaning, but usually refers to clinical practice. Social workers in private practice assume responsibility the services they provide to clients in exchange for direct payment or third-party reimbursement
51
Social Action
An organized effort to bring about institutional change; the goal is usually to meet a certain need, address a social problem, correct an injustice, or improve quality of life. An effort may be organized by professionals or by the people who are directly affected by the desired change or the problem.
52
Social Policy
Laws and regulations established by a government that determine which social programs exist, what categories of clients are served, and who qualifies for a program. Social policy also sets standards regarding the type of services to be provided, the qualifications or service providers, etc., and rules for how money can be spent to help people and how these people will be treated
53
Time-Series Comparison
Technique for collecting and displaying data that provides data from repeated observations over time. It displays trends in the variable(s) of interest, which can help predict future needs and cost based on assumptions about these trends
54
Board Of Directors
A group of people authorized to establish an agency personnel who have day-today responsibility for implementing those policies. In a private or voluntary social agency, the board of directors has ultimate responsibility for the agency's programmatic and financial operations. In public agencies, a board has less power and takes on more of an advisory or administrative role
55
Catastrophic Analogy
A way of viewing social systems. Proposes that they change so much and so often that they appear chaotic - there is extreme conflict in the system and a lack of order and predictability, and it can be difficult to determine the system's future direction
56
Child Protective Services (CPS)
Social, residential, medical, legal, and custodial care services given to children whose parent or other caregiver is not meeting their needs. Social workers who work in government agencies often help law enforcement personnel with investigations to find out if children need these services and help children get the services when they need them. The social workers may also provide the services themselves. In most states, the child protective service (CPS) unit of the Department of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, or Department of Public Welfare is the primary agency responsible for decisions related to the prevention, investigation, and treatment of child abuse and neglect. The foremost goal of services provided by CPS units is the protection of abused and neglected children
57
Community Development
Community organizing effort made by professionals and community members to improve social ties among residents of a community, motivate residents for self-help, develop reliable local leadership, and create or restore local institutions. Relies on a grass-roots, non bureaucratic approach that emphasizes community solidarity. Efforts are purposeful and involve a clear strategy and set of activities. Associated interventions include social action, public education, national and local planning, and community organizing
58
Continuity of Care
The cooperative functioning of an organization (or a group of related organizations) to ensure that clients are provided with the services they need without repetition of services from various departments of facilities
59
Decision Support Systems (DSS)
In an agency, the use of computers to collect and organize information and make decisions from among specified choices. A computer program uses a predefined set of facts and rules to determine the best decision, and an administrator then either agrees with or rejects the computer's decision
60
Formative Evaluation
Describes the research goal when a program is in the process of being developed: The goal is to determine what modifications are needed so that the program achieves its goal and objectives. Formative evaluation is most useful when observational methods are used. Compared to summative evaluation, formative evaluation tends to be less threatening to program personnel because its results are used to modify a program rather than to make decisions about whether or not it should continue. Results of formative evaluation are not usually generalizable to other programs
61
Groupthink
Mode of group thinking in which group members' desires for unanimity and cohesiveness override their ability to realistically appraise or determine alternative courses of action. Can be alleviated by encouraging dissent, having someone play devil's advocate, and refraining from reaching a decision or solution too quickly
62
Incentive Contracting
Procedure used by public agencies to improve the quality and delivery of services. The contractor (provider) is promised more compensation if his services meet specific time and quality standards
63
Joint Budgeting
Financial relationship in which two or more organizations are linked when making financial decisions about current and future services. For example, two family planning clinics may join together to provide adoption services; instead of each incurring the expense of an adoption program, the agencies link their resources for one program, thereby eliminating duplicate services and reducing their expenses
64
Macro Practice
Social work activities undertaken to benefit large groups such as a particular client population, the residents of a community, or the personnel at an agency, and designed to improve the quality of life for clients or communities served or the quality of work life for employees at an organization so that they can provide the best possible services to clients or communities
65
Morphogenic Analogy
A way of viewing social systems that applies when change is ongoing and the structure of the system is continually emerging. Under these circumstances, fundamental change can occur because there is no chance of returning to how things were before. Change is likely to be unpredictable, and social workers should be open to a wide variety of solutions and interventions
66
Outreach
Public relations approach in which efforts are made to bring an agency's services and information about its services to people in their homes or other natural environments. Avenues used to achieve outreach include case finding, public speaking, interagency collaboration, and written material
67
Primary Groups
Informal community groups (e.g., families, peer groups, neighborhoods) that emphasize long-term emotional relationships. Their purpose is to meet the emotional and social needs of their members but a primary group may also be concerned with changing institutions
68
Protective Services
Intervention on behalf of individuals who may be in danger of harm from others or who are unable to care for themselves (e.g., children, the elderly, the disabled). The main activities include investigating situations in which a person is alleged to be at risk, minimizing further risk, improving current conditions, accessing resources, and facilitating placement in alternative environments when necessary
69
Social Action Model
Community organizing model that focuses on redistributing power and resources through institutional change. The client system is a segment of the community that has experienced social injustice and, therefore, has difficulty making demands in the larger society. Community power centers are the targets of social change
70
Stakeholders
People in a community with a particular interest in what happens with a social agency or program; they may be for or against the service or program. For a typical social service, there are usually three kinds of stakeholders: (a) patrons (those who provide support and/or legitimacy for the service or program), (b) agents and the social service agency (those who carry out the patrons' wishes and provide the services), and (c) clients (those who receive the services)
71
Utilization Review
Method of service evaluation that assesses the kind and amount of service that exists and is provided in order to determine if the service is warranted. May be used to determine the over - or underutilization of services. Most often conducted when an agency receives governmental or other outside funding
72
Anomie
A social condition that may develop when a society or community experiences unusual stress. Is characterized by a lack of societal norms, a lack of social structure, and, among individuals, apathy, isolation, and a loss of personal and social values
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Case Finding
Outreach approach in which social workers seek and identify individuals or groups who are vulnerable to or are experiencing the problems for which their social agency has responsibility to provide services or other forms of assistance
74
Change Residue
Side-effects (which may or may not be desired or planned) that always occur when macro practitioners bring about change in community structures. Community workers usually incorporate ways of dealing with change residue into their change plans
75
Collective Action
An organized effort that includes many people and attempts to effect political, economic, or cultural change
76
Consensual Validation
Associated with all levels of social work practice (macro, mezzo, and micro). Refers to using mutual agreement as the criterion for defining what is true. Often used to define goals and assess progress toward goal achievement
77
Cross-Sectional Analysis
Technique for collecting and displaying data that provides several perspectives on a single population at a specific point in time; it does not reveal changes over time. The data collection may sometimes be 'retrospective,' which involves asking people to reflect back on their past experiences and attitudes
78
Factional Analogy
A way of viewing social systems. Assumes that conflict is fundamental and instability and change are ongoing:A social system is seen as made up of competing subunits that are disposed to conflict; and conflict is seen as so basic that change is likely to be disorderly and unstable. Rather than assuming that order can be restored, social workers using this analogy face conflict head-on
79
Grant
A transfer of money or other assets from a government, organization, or person to another organization or person so that the latter can achieve a particular function or purpose (typically, to educate or otherwise improve the well-being of people and cultural institutions
80
Human Resource Planning
The process used by an agency to predict personnel needs to implement its mission. Human resource plans include job analysis (which is used to develop job descriptions); a recruitment and selection strategy; plans for staff orientation, supervision, training, and development; a performance-appraisal system based on the job analysis; and policies and procedures for termination
81
Input-Output Analysis
Graphic illustration of the linkages between organizations. Allows policy planners and others to see which organizations have overlapping resources and which agencies operate alone with little or no interaction with other organizations. Involves listing all agencies along both horizontal and vertical axes and noting the frequency of their contact with each other
82
Line-Item Budgeting
Simple budgeting technique that involves identifying expenditure categories and estimating the number of dollars that would be needed to cover all expenses in each category for one year. Categories typically include personnel and operating expenses such as rent, utilities, supplies, and travel, etc.
83
Micro Practice
Level of social work practice that usually takes place on a case-by-case basis or in a clinical setting. Micro social workers use their technical skills to help solve the psychosocial problems of individuals, families, or small groups
84
Opportunity Costs
Associated with social planning. The value of the resources that must be used to achieve a certain goal as weighed against the cost of other opportunities that would have to be abandoned to achieve that goal
85
PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique)
Program management technique used to systematically relate goals to the means of achieving them. PERT assesses program objectives, the activities, resources, and time needed to achieve the objectives, and the order in which the activities should be performed
86
Program Planning and Budgeting Systems (PPBS)
Planning and budgeting technique that relates spending to outputs (services) rather than inputs (capital, etc.) and specifies objectives and measures progress in terms of end products. The essential concept is that each program component included in a budget must carry a stated objective; this way, spending can be justified in terms of how a program's various activities contribute to its overall objectives. The focus is on a program's individual components and how each fits in terms of a cost-benefit analysis into an overall, long-range plan. Agencies using this process must analyze their goals, priorities, and capabilities every year
87
Scientific Management
As described by Taylor, involves scientifically analyzing jobs into their component parts and then standardizing those parts; scientifically selecting, training, and placing workers in jobs for which they are mentally and physically suited; fostering cooperation between supervisors and workers to minimize deviation from scientific methods of work; and having managers and workers assume responsibility for their own share of their work. Taylor believed that employees are motivated primarily by economic self-interest and argued that money is the most effective motivator
88
Social Planning
The use of organized procedures to achieve improved socioeconomic structures and manage social change in a rational way. Usually includes assigning an individual or organization to collect facts, defining several courses of action, and making recommendations to those with the power to carry out the plan
89
Tertiary Prevention
Community mental health intervention that attempts to reduce the duration of mental disorders by reducing their duration and consequences (e.g., rehabilitation programs and halfway houses)
90
Appropriation
The designation of funds to a specific group, agency, or program. These funds are typically allocated by a governmental agency to enable a recipient to meet a specific goal
91
Case Integration
Involves coordinating the activities of all providers who are serving the needs of one client. The goal is to ensure that the providers' services are consistent, additive, nonduplicative, and pursuing the same goals. Occurs both between and within organizations
92
Channeling
A process associated with case management in which social agency staff direct clients to relevant programs in the community for additional or supplementary services during the helping process
93
Collectivism (Social Policy)
In regard to social policy, an ideology that assumes that some individual choice must be limited to better serve the common good
94
Contest (Macro Change)
Strategy used to gain support and acceptance for community or organizational change. Is used when there is deep disagreement or conflict between the action and target systems. Related tactics are confrontational and include bargaining and negotiation, large group or community action, and class action lawsuits
95
Decentralization
The delegation of responsibilities and activities by the leadership level of an organization to lower-level organization members who are closer to the problem or activity
96
Feasibility Study
A concurrent evaluation of (a) the resources needed to achieve a specific goal and (b) an organization's current and expected ability to provide these resources
97
Grant Applications
Used to secure funding from a governmental agency or private foundation, usually so that an agency can test or demonstrate program innovations (i.e., initiate a project) or conduct research on an aspect of the agency's program
98
Impact Analysis
Policy evaluation technique used to measure the effects of a new social policy or law; indicates the extent to which the targeted community has been affected
99
Institutional Racism
The denial or restriction of material conditions (e.g., access to health care) and access to power to members of minority groups
100
Locality (Community) Development Model
Community organizing model that focuses on promoting economic and social development for the whole community and helping the community help itself. The client system includes all groups within a geographic-spatial community, and community power centers are viewed as potential collaborators in an action. Emphases include voluntary cooperation, self-help, development of local leadership, education, and democratic processes
101
Minimum Needs Estimation
Methods used by social welfare planners to set income poverty lines - the least amount of housing, food, clothing, and goods needed for survival
102
Organismic Analogy
A way of viewing social systems that compares social systems to living organisms. Each part of the system has a special function, and, if each part performs its function as intended, the parts work together for the common good. This analogy may apply if key people in a community or an organization can agree on how to resolve a problem
103
Power Group
The individuals in a community who have the greatest access to resources and who, due to their social status, influence the decisions made on behalf of the community. These individuals are often political leaders, financial and industrial executives, clergy members, and indigenous community leaders
104
Proprietary (For-Profit) Agency
A social agency that provides designated social services that often are similar to those provided by nonprofit private social agencies, but one of its major purposes is to make a financial profit for its owners
105
Secondary Prevention
Community mental health intervention that attempts to reduce the prevalence of mental disorders by reducing their duration through early detection and intervention (e.g., training teachers to recognize the early signs of behavior disorders and 24-hour emergency services such as walk-in clinics and hotlines).
106
Social Planning Model
Community organizing model that focuses on providing needed goods and services through a technical process that emphasizes fact-gathering, rational decision-making, and regulated change by experts, usually with the backing of an existing organization. The client system may include all residents of a geographic-spatial community or one of its segments. Community power centers are regarded as potential sponsors of social programs
107
Theory X and Theory Y
According to McGrefor, Theory X managers believe that employees dislike work and avoid it whenever possible and, as a result, must be directed and controlled. In contrast, Theory Y managers view work as being 'as natural as play' and assume that employees are capable of self-control and self-direction
108
Broker
A social worker role that involves linking clients with the resources they need. To perform this role effectively, workers must be familiar with community resources and their eligibility criteria
109
Catchment Area
The geographic area served by a social agency
110
Co-Optation (Informal and Formal)
Tactic used to manage opposition to change by absorbing target system members and other opponents into the action system. Once people become part of the action system, they are likely to assume some 'ownership' of the change effort. Co-opting individuals is called 'informal co-optation.' Formal co-optation of a number of groups leads to coalition building
111
Community Of Identification And Interest
A nonplace community in which people are united by common interest, values, and commitments or brought together based on their shared ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, social class, ideology, lifestyle, profession, or workplace
112
Cost Effectiveness/Cost-Benefit Analysis
Budgeting technique that quantitatively evaluates different program alternatives. The cost effective analysis (CEA) component evaluates the costs and benefits of a given program approach. The answer is a 'cost-benefit ratio' (the cost over the benefit). A program's cost-benefit ratio is then compared to the cost-benefit ratios of other program alternatives to determine which approach is most cost effective
113
Descriptive Survey Design
May be used to obtain measures on dependent variables at different points in time and to estimate client satisfaction with programs and to conduct needs assessments. In program evaluation, relies on representative sampling and is used to obtain explicit, quantitative data that can be generalized to other populations. Subjects participate in an interview or fill out a questionnaire and then data from these are analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics
114
Functional Budgeting and Program Budgeting
Relatively sophisticated budgeting techniques that are based on program planning and budgeting systems (PPBS). These approaches produce cost and expenditure data in relation to programs rather than in relation to the entire agency; and produce data such as total program costs, cost per unit of service, cost per output (client completion of program or service), and cost per outcome (the cost of producing measurable change in a client's quality of life)
115
Hawthorne Effect
Refers to a change in performance resulting from participation in a research study (the novelty of the situation, increased attention, etc.)
116
Incrementalism
Used in social planning. Involves compromising and reaching agreements based on the needs and wishes of various political and pluralistic forces
117
Joint Funding
Linkage between organizations in which two or more providers or two or more funding services fund a project or service together
118
Management By Objectives (MBO)
Management approach that focuses on results or outcomes. Emphasis is placed on producing clear statements about expectations for the coming year and making these statements available to all employees; breaking goals and objectives into tasks; and monitoring progress throughout the year. Success is measured by the extent to which objectives were achieved
119
Natural Helping Network
Informal linkages and relationships between people who voluntarily provide services to people in need and those to whom they provide the services. For example, this type of network often includes the needy person's friends and family, neighbors, fellow employees and church (or other religious body) members, altruistic community members, etc.
120
Paraprofessionals
Individuals with specialized training and knowledge who work with and are supervised by professionals and who perform many tasks that used to be done by the professionals. For example, social work associates
121
Primary Prevention
Community mental health intervention aimed at reducing the prevalence of mental disorders by reducing the incidence of new cases. Examples include prenatal nutrition programs for lower SES mothers and public education programs on drug abuse
122
Purchase Of Service (POS) Contract
A financial arrangement between two or more social agencies or between an agency and a government organization. When the agreement is between a private agency and a public (governmental) agency, the private agency is paid to provide particular services (i.e., the private agency is funded, in part, by tax dollars); the government retains control over financing and decision-making functions but the delivery of services is moved to the private sector
123
Social Agency
An organization or facility that delivers social services under the auspices of a board of directors and provides a range of social services for members of a population group that has or is vulnerable to a specific social problem
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Subtle Racism
Term used to describe a less blatant (more covert) form of racism, which some authors contend has replaced 'old-fashioned' (overt) prejudice and discrimination. Typically refers to the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of individuals rather than institutions
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Vertical Community
Consists of external linkages that connect community units (people, groups, organizations) to units outside the community and provide a way for local communities to reach out to other systems (groups, organization, other communities). Decisions made by organizations outside the boundaries of a local community may not always be in the best interest of the community
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Bureaucracy
A highly rational, stable, and predictable organizational structure that consists of different units that are hierarchically arranged (delegation of authority), with each unit performing a specialized function according to clearly defined rules (division of labor)
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Cause (Class) Advocacy
Work on behalf of groups of people who lack the resources or ability to advocate for themselves
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Coalition (Organizations, Communities)
An alliance of organizations or other groups brought together to achieve a common goal. May be 'ad hoc' (organized to address a single issue only), semipermanent (organized around longer-range goals), or permanent
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Community Organizing
A type of macro (indirect) practice used to help individuals and groups resolve social problems and improve social welfare through organized collective action. Key objectives are to help community members achieved social justice and economic and social development and to develop the capacity of community members to help themselves. The individuals or groups who are helped have common interests or are from the some geographic region. Community organizing models include social planning, social action, and locality or community development
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Cost-Benefit Analysis
Management/budgeting plan involving an evaluation of programs and services based on the cost of the program. The results of this analysis help the organization determine if programs are worthwhile
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Direct Practice
Social work activities, such as individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy, in which treatment goals are reached through personal contact and direct influence with clients
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Functional Community
A community defined in terms of a purpose, function, or problem that needs to be addressed. Social workers, for example, belong to the welfare or human services functional community
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Helping Social Network
Networks that allow individuals in a community to give and receive reciprocal help for specific problems and that exist whether a person uses them or not. They differ from close-knit networks because their concerns are specialized (i.e., they are problem-anchored), their membership is heterogeneous, and their members may lack other common values
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Indirect Practice
Social work activities undertaken to provide services more effectively and efficiently and to bring about changes in policies, programs, or budgets. Indirect practice activities do not involve personal contact with clients and usually are undertaken with a committee, coalition, or other group
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Leadership Styles
(a) 'Autocratic leaders' make decisions alone and instruct subordinates what to do on the basis of those decisions. (b) 'Democratic leaders' involve subordinates in the decision-making process. (c) 'Laissez-faire leaders' leave it up to their subordinates to make decisions with little guidance or help
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Management Information Systems (MIS)
Systems used in social agencies to acquire, process, analyze, and disseminate data that are useful for carrying out the goals of the organization. May be used to track staff activity and the services provided to clients and are believed to enhance goal attainment
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Needs Assessment
Technique used to identify the nature, incidence, and prevalence of a condition or problem in a community in order to determine the adequacy of existing services and resources for addressing the condition or problem. Results should provide information about the quantity (does the level of service meet the need?), quality (are the services effective?), and direction of existing services (e.g., are service delivery approaches appropriate to the real needs of clients?). The most useful approach for needs assessment is survey research
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Participatory (Participative) Management
Decision-making strategy in which administrators involve all those who are likely to be affected by a proposed organizational decision or change. Includes building voluntary consensus and commitment among personnel, clientele, sponsors, and other interested parties to achieve organizational goals
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Private (Voluntary) Agency
A social agency that is privately owned and is operated by people who are not employed by a government. A board of directors has ultimate responsibility for a private agency's programmatic and financial operations
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Quality Assurance
A.K.A. Quality control. Procedures and steps undertaken by an organization to determine whether its goods and services meet the standards established for them. Quality assurance programs usually examine whether professionals complied with standards, rather than the outcome of their services. Quality assurance procedures for social workers include the requirement for adequate education from an accredited school of social work, supervision, licensing and certification, and continuing education requirements. For the profession, sample procedures include a code of ethics, peer review, utilization review, program evaluation, professional sanctions, and lawsuits
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Social Capital
The collection of values, beliefs, and behaviors that are followed by the members of a society and that contribute to the well-being of all. Social capital tends to be higher when people's sense of community is strong
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Summative Evaluation (Program Evaluation)
Describes the research goal once a program has been developed and implemented - i.e., the goal is to evaluate the program's effects. Summative evaluation is most useful when it involves a true or quasi-experimental research approach. Summative evaluation results may be generalized to other programs, situations, and populations and used to make decisions about closing programs or opening other programs similar to the one that was evaluated
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Zero-Based Budgeting
Budgeting system in which an agency starts from scratch, or with a 'clean slate,' at the beginning of each year (i.e., it starts with no money) and must describe and justify every financial request it makes for the coming year
