ABSTRACT
Social workers turn to human behavior theories to provide a knowledge base for understanding and action. Human behavior content also deals with the impact of social and economic forces on individual and social systems. Both historical and conceptual reasons can explain the shifts in theoretical emphases of social work’s guiding theory base. A major reason was social work’s historical shifts between individual therapy on the one hand, and social reform on the other. A basic ingredient of social work practice is an evaluation of a client’s ability to move through a series of lifelong biopsychosocial transitions. Based on a biopsychosocial paradigm, social work practice with diverse populations requires an understanding of the psychological and social issues of wellness and illness. Social work practitioners also are increasingly working with people with developmental disabilities. Therefore, social work practice within a diversity framework must address the various societal institutions and community systems of which the client is a part.
