NCJ Number
16514
Journal
Social Work Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: (JULY 1974) Pages: 412-419
Date Published
1974
Length
8 pages
Annotation
SUGGESTED FORMAT FOR CASEWORK RECORDS, CALLED THE 'PROBLEM-ORIENTED RECORD,' WHICH ALLOWS THE SOCIAL WORKER TO PLAN AND ASSESS INTERVENTIONS IN TERMS OF HIS PREDEFINED GOALS.
Abstract
THE PROBLEM-ORIENTED RECORD (POR) PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK OF ORGANIZATION THAT PERMITS EVEN LONG RECORDS TO BECOME COHERENT, USABLE, AND GOAL ORIENTED. POR RECONCILES THE NEED FOR FLEXIBILITY AND USABILITY. THE READER DOES NOT HAVE TO MAKE HEROIC EFFORTS TO DECIDE OR GUESS WHICH FACTS ARE 'SIGNIFICANT,' BECAUSE ALL ENTRIES ARE LINKED TO PREVIOUSLY DEFINED PROBLEMS. SUCH A FRAMEWORK NEITHER DICTATES NOR STIFLES CONTENT BUT ALLOWS IT TO EMERGE IN A MEANINGFUL FORM. POR CONSISTS OF FOUR COMPONENTS THAT CORRESPOND TO FOUR TASKS IN PROBLEM-SOLVING: (1) ACQUISITION OF AN ADEQUATE DATA BASE, (2) IDENTIFICATION OF PROBLEMS DERIVED FROM THE DATA BASE, (3) DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN FOR EACH PROBLEM IDENTIFIED, AND (4) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN. THESE FOUR COMPONENTS FOLLOW LOGICAL STEPS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING. POR MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE ENTIRE GROUP OF PROBLEMS AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIP IN MIND AND PROHIBITS THE RECORD FROM FOCUSING ON DIAGNOSIS RATHER THAN ON INTERVENTION. A SYSTEM SUCH AS POR ALLOWS A REVIEW OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT ACHIEVES ITS OWN OBJECTIVES. FOR THIS REASON, POR COULD BE A USEFUL TOOL FOR SUPERVISION, ADMINISTRATION, AND TEACHING, AS WELL AS A MEANS FOR THE PRACTITIONER TO ADDRESS THE TOTAL SITUATION. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)