Authority in Social Casework

Authority in Social Casework reviews the various settings in which social work is practiced. This book describes the presence of some component of authority in all casework situations while distinguishing the modes suitable to each setting and to the various needs of clients.

Organized into three parts encompassing 10 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the practice of social casework in an authority setting. This text then examines the different concepts of authority as they affect the casework process. Other chapters consider the ways in which authority inheres in the role and function of workers in various casework settings. This book discusses as well the ways in which the nature of the setting determines the types of authority its workers possess. The final chapter deals with the use of a more assertive casework methods of support, which depends on the accurate assessment of the degree of maturity indicated by the client. Caseworkers will find this book useful.