Maximizing the Potential of the Social Work Team: Some Organizational and Professional Considerations

The effective use of different kinds and levels of personnel is a major concern of the social work profession at the present time. A 1974 policy statement of the National Association of Social Workers recognizes several levels of practitioner engaged in the provision of social services: (1) the social service aide who has no formal training; (2) the social service technician who has an associate degree in a social service field or a bachelor\u27s degree in a field other than social work; (3) the social worker with a BSW degree; (4) the graduate social worker with an MSW degree; (5) the certified social worker who is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW); and (6) the social work fellow who has a doctorate or substantial specialized experience beyond the ACSW.