ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the social work profession and the development of its mission. It explores different ways of thinking about social work practice, types of client groupings and processes, professional tensions within social work, the way the profession has dealt with theory, and contemporary practice commitments. The chapter describes a few of the many types of social work practice and clients. It also describes the collective focus of the profession on societal challenges. Social work practice is a licensed profession shaped by competencies and behaviors, client populations, settings, practice frameworks, professional history, and its purpose. Generalist social work practitioners bring a set of competencies and behaviors to serve clients. Professional knowledge is made up of facts and research findings as well as less concrete elements such as intuitional and cultural awareness. Social work has always strongly identified itself as a profession of values, which are strongly held beliefs about preferred conditions of life.
