This is a glossary about social work, the following terms are commonly used within this field.
Assessment
noun
The process for identifying the needs of individuals and families, reaching decisions on how to intervene, and match them with the social program services that can help.
Example: We need to do a careful assessment of this family.
en: évaluation
Caseload
noun
The number or amount of cases handled by a court, social worker, etc.
Example: Usually, they say that the average caseload for one social worker is 20 families.
en: charge de travail
Direct practice
adj / noun
A domain of social work, in which practitioners interact personally with clients, typically face-to-face using a range of professional skills and methods, to help them achieve their desired goals.
Example: Direct practice is a domain of social work.
en: pratique directe
Empathy
noun
The ability to identify with or vicariously experience the feelings, thoughts, situation, or attitude of another individual.
Example: She has empathy for all her patients.
en: empathie
Etiology
noun
The study of the causes, origins, or reasons behind the way that things are, or the way they function (the underlying causes of a social problem, condition, or behavior).
Example: Their observations were of fundamental importance concerning to the etiology of the disease.
en: étiologie
Foundation
noun
A private organization operated by an individual, family, organization, or
a community that provides funding for the social welfare of specific groups, often
for education, research, social systems, humanities, and innovative programs.
Example: She's at the head of a non-profit foundation.
en: fondation
Guardian
noun
A person appointed by a court to assume responsibility for the custody and the welfare of an individual who is a minor, or incapacitated.
Example: She is the legal guardian of this child.
en: gardien
Human development
noun
The biological, social, cultural, emotional, and spiritual changes in individuals which occur over time, are somewhat predictable but are also subject to individual variation.
Example: Scientists are now able to better define steps of early human development.
en: développement humain
Intervention
noun
The overall term is used to describe all activities by social workers on behalf of and in collaboration with their clients.
Example: Her intervention helped them greatly.
en: intervention
Malpractice
noun
Negligent actions on the part of a professional that violates professional ethics, standards of care, and which causes harm.
Example: Whoever treated her should be sued for negligence and malpractice.
en: faute professionnelle
Negligence
noun
The failure to provide adequate service or protect the rights of clients, which results in harm or damage.
Example: His negligence cost him her custody.
en: négligence
Perspective
noun
A professional view to help a social worker examine and focus on a particular realm of social functioning, necessary to complete a thorough assessment.
Example: You need to see the problem from another perspective to understand.
en: perspective
Practice wisdom
noun
Practice Wisdom is the knowledge and expertise that social workers, therapists, and other care providers draw upon to make professional decisions. Practice wisdom develops through on-the-job training and experience but may also be influenced by theory, research, and life experience.
Example: She has acquired some practice wisdom after all those years working as a social worker.
Public assistance
noun
Government aid to needy, aged, or disabled persons and dependent children.
Example: This family requires public assistance.
en: assistance publique
Referral
Noun
A request from one professional to another to assist a client.
Example: We got a referral from another social worker today.
en: référence
Secondary trauma
noun
Trauma that can be incurred when an individual is exposed to people who have been traumatized themselves, disturbing descriptions of traumatic events by a survivor, etc.
Example: Secondary trauma does not happen to you directly, but you feel its effects.
en: traumatisme secondaire
Self-efficacy
noun
A personal judgment of how well or poorly a person can cope with a given situation, based on the skills they have and the circumstances they face.
Example: You can improve your self-efficacy by coping in your own way.
en: auto-efficacité
Social work
noun
Any of the various professional activities or methods concretely concerned with providing social services and especially with the investigation, treatment, and material aid of the economically, physically, mentally, or socially disadvantaged.
Example: Government must continue to subsidize social work.
en: travail social
Support
noun
To give encouragement, to take care, to offer help, etc.
Example: Is there any support that we can offer them?
en: soutien
Values
noun
The standards, beliefs, and ethics upon which an individual or a professional makes their decisions.
Example: He holds the same values as me.
en: valeurs
Vicarious trauma
noun
Refers to the trauma you may experience when being indirectly exposed to a traumatic event. It could be a situation where the life of another person was being threatened or witnessing the death of someone else.
Example: She has been diagnosed with vicarious trauma.
en: traumatisme par procuration
Voluntary client
noun
A client who seeks services on their own, without being required to do so.
Example: He is a voluntary client, he chose to be here.
en: client volontaire
Voucher system
noun
A system in which clients are provided a subsidy in the form of a coupon or credit that can be used to purchase services.
Example: A voucher system is a method for authorizing the disbursement of cash.
en: système de bons d’achat
Welfare state
noun
A society that assumes responsibility for the welfare of its citizens in the areas of health, protection, education, and financial security.
Example: They aim to reduce people's dependency on the welfare state.
en: état-providence
Youth justice system
noun
The different agencies and professionals that can become involved with the young person who offends; for example, the different courts, prisons, youth offending institutions, secure training centers, and the professional groups such as social workers, probation officers, police, magistrates, and judges.
Example: The youth justice system should reserve its most serious interventions for the most serious crimes.