Skills and knowledge for community work: Informing social work practice for the 21st century

The social work profession appears to be on the verge of another transition in its dominant practice assumptions and activities. This practicum report describes an Action Research approach to exploring the skills and knowledge base which may assist social workers in making the transition towards more community-based, community-focused social work practice. The Children Services Initiative of the Commissioner of Services for Children and Families in the province of Alberta provided the practice context for this research-based practicum. This report on the practicum experience includes a brief history of the Children's Services Initiative and a description of the larger social policy context of the Initiative. The use of Action Research as a practicum framework is described. Themes emerging from interviews with four key participants of the Initiative are outlined. A schema of skills and knowledge relevant to community work is developed from these themes. Implications of these findings for social work practitioners and those concerned with the needs of children and families at risk are then explored.