The Importance Of Applied Psychology In Social Work

Social work is analogous to applied psychology in the sense the principal purpose is not only to understand human behavior but rather to improve the social and psychological functioning of people, groups, and communities (Hopps, Lowe, Stuart, Weismiller & Whitaker, 2008). The social work profession is about social change at the individual as well as at the community level. Although social workers rely heavily on sociological and psychological research and theory, the applied science is different from that of sociology and applied psychology because of its practical orientation (Macionis, 2014). In modern times, the profession addresses an array of societal concerns associated with poverty, child welfare, family relations, malnutrition, and healthcare including infant mortality (Hopps et al., 2008). The field of social work is complex because of the many areas of specialization and settings in which social work services are provided. In public child welfare, a field led by social work, the duties are multifaceted. Child maltreatment is the most common reason that parents and children are referred for child welfare agency services (Pecora & Courtney, …show more content…
The occupation is high on the practitioner scale because it involves personally working with and providing information to other service agencies for both clients and the community’s wellbeing. The field has been described by scholars as a social group that is a social invention that was purposely designed as a helping form (Shapiro, 2003). The term group is a collaboration of many professionals working towards specific goals of positive change for families which include psychological, domestic violence, and substance abuse