Standards for Social Work Practice Consultation
The purpose of social work practice consultation is to ensure the professional accountability of social workers, to enable and ensure high quality, ethical, social work practice, to clarify performance in relation to service and professional goals and objectives, and to ensure social workers receive regular education, guidance and support.
Consultation also provides a forum for the social worker to clarify or deepen understanding of a client situation or treatment intervention. The purpose is achieved through the mutual exchange of opinions or ideas, or through the giving of advice by the consultant. It also serves to identity unmet educational or learning needs of social workers and gaps in services and areas requiring program development.
Standard 1
Each practitioner shall have an identified social work supervisor for direct practice who shall have a Master of Social Work degree, and who shall be registered or certified with the provincial governing body.
Standard 2
The services shall have policies and procedures governing the frequency of consultation. Frequency may be influenced by:
- level of training
- years of experience in profession and/or area of practice
- complexity of caseload
Standard 3
There will be a variety of modalities of consultation. These may include:
- individual consultation
- group consultation
- peer consultation
Standard 4
Consultation shall establish the boundaries of direct practice. Boundaries may be determined by:
- the mission of the service
- the statement of purpose and principle functions of the service
- the goals and objectives of the social work service
- the goals and objectives of the program
- the policies and procedures for service delivery
- the standards of social work practice
- the quality assurance program of the service
Standard 5
Consultation shall utilize social work ethics, philosophy, values and theory as a basis for discussion of assessment and intervention. Relevant social work theory may include:
- systems theory
- biopsychosocial theory of development
- communication theory
- grief and bereavement
- abnormal personality development
- theories of individual, couple, family and group therapy
- crisis intervention
- post-traumatic stress
- discharge planning
- goal attainment
- solution focused
- advocacy
- Community development
Standard 6
Consultation shall provide ongoing discussion with social workers regarding performance in relation to established performance standards and competencies.
Standard 7
Social workers shall consult as necessary within the limits of confidentiality in order to provide quality service.
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Last updated March 26, 1999.