Revisitando el trabajo social clínicoa propósito del casework

Laburpena

The roots of clinical social work are found in the origins of social work, but still many people are surprised when they discover it. Today, throughout the world, social work professionals carry out a wide variety of clinical practices with a wide range of people, families and groups in various health and social services and organizations. There are clinical workers in the health field, in children and family services, in social and health services, in education, in the justice system and in many more. Its origins go back to the development of case work or social work cases, psychosocial intervention procedure inaugurated by Mary Richmond (1917), and although the name clinical social work will appear decades later in the United States, it will be progressively extended in other latitudes. At the beginning of this century it can be affirmed that the clinical practice of social work is well established, although in our context this denomination is still somewhat unknown. The recent publication in Spain of the book Practices of Clinical Social Work (Ituarte, 2017) gives us a new opportunity to clarify its nature, revisit the foundations of its practices and reflect on its implications for the future. We also take the opportunity to pay a posthumous tribute to three clinical social workers who have recently abandoned us for the immeasurable legacy they have left us. We refer to Michael White (1940-2008)1 Eda Goldstein (1944-2011)2 Y Carolyn Saari (1939-2016).