Social work is the unspoken and often unnoticed part of the community, there to boost development, assist in creating stability, and making an impact in so many ways. The role of community social work is to help the people of a community work towards leading a better lifestyle in terms of their personal relationships, resolving racial and social tensions, and bringing stability to all aspects of our lives.
Our communities are a living environment with issues that need resolving and people that are eager to make their worlds a better place to live. These are just a few ways community social work boosts development.
Neutral Intervention
When communities and relationships split up because of conflict, it is important to have a neutral party intervene. Community social work in these instances can help segments of the community empathize, see the other side, and begin to heal and work together. Through intervention, the community begins to work together and the chance of it happening again is significantly reduced.
Bringing Awareness to Issues
Through social work, a community as a whole is able to bring awareness and understanding to a myriad of issues plaguing the community as a whole or a certain segment of the community. Any negative stereotypes or ideas around an issue can be addressed and voiced, and members of the community begin working to resolve or minimize the negative impact certain issues can create.
Creating Stability
One of the main signs of a community in need of support is the lack of stability in all areas of the daily to day lives of individuals. From housing to schools to faith centers, if there are negative social issues there is going to be instability in the community. With the help of social workers, these issues can be dealt with and the community is boosted when people can stay and work, live, and play in the community for longer periods of time.
Providing Therapy and Treatment
Often, when there is little to no support in a community it can be difficult to recognize when therapy, treatment, and support are needed. It can be even harder to know where to look or turn to for this type of help. Social work and social workers are there for this purpose, to help a community find and access these resources.