Professionals unprepared: A critical appraisal of social work practice at the Drugs Abuse Rehabilitation Centres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Social work is a practice-based profession that facilitates, enables, and rehabilitates the neglected segments of society facing various issues, including substance abuse. However, social workers' efficiency in substance use rehabilitation is constrained by several factors. Pakistan follows the imported theoretical models of social work, which face enormous challenges during implementation for lacking contextual understanding. This study examines professional social workers' role to examine the challenges in providing institutional service delivery in substance (drugs) abuse treatment centres in Pakistan. The study found that the social work theory and practice gap hurts services delivery in Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Centres through qualitative approaches. Training in social work theory does not adequately equip the students to provide the required social services at the drugs rehabilitation centres. Donor-driven social work drives and demotivated social workers testify to the mismatch between social work theory and practice. Indigenous philanthropy models and broadening institutional support could remedy the situation.

Ubuntu and its potential impact on the international social work profession

Ubuntu is the current theme for the Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development and represents the highest level of global messaging within the social work profession for the years 2020–2030. This article presents an in-depth description of Ubuntu as a philosophy of social development that can strengthen social work theory and practice in its global aims of supporting community systems of social protection and social justice. The article concludes with advancing proposals on how the learnings from Ubuntu can strengthen international social work ethics, principles and practice.

Karls, James M.

James M. Karls (1927–2008) had an extensive career as a clinician, administrator, and teacher in social work. He significantly advanced social work theory and practice through his conceptualization of the person in the environment (PIE) assessment system.

What is the Unit of Empowerment? An Ecological Perspective

This article sets out to examine the meaning of empowerment in social work theory and approaches this task by asking what is the unit of empowerment? The article begins by exploring the spectrum of definitions of empowerment and of power, recognising the latter as the root concept of empowerment. Three units of empowerment are then identified: the individual, societal and ecological. Two forms of ecological empowerment, weak and strong, are detailed. It is then argued that empowerment is best understood from a strong ecological perspective. We define ecological empowerment as the liberation of the Earth system, so as to optimise its functioning, and, in turn, empower all levels of its organisation, including societies and individuals. The article ends with an exploration of the implications of such integration at a policy level relating to all actors in a social work setting.

Psychodrama and Social Work Theory

This chapter includes an overview of foundational psychodrama theories—action theory, catharsis, and surplus reality. The three phases of a psychodrama group (warm-up, enactment, and sharing) and the five elements of a psychodrama (stage, protagonist, director, auxiliary egos, and audience/group) are described. Morenean philosophy and sociometric theory are revisited as they relate to psychodrama. The similar elements of psychodrama theory and social work are underlined including the importance of mutual aid, spontaneity, creativity, empowerment, self-determination, interpersonal skills, relationships, group stages, and roles.