It has been well-documented that during the Soviet era, social problems were either unrecognized or minimized in the Europe and Eurasia (E&E) region. As social sector reforms have taken root, so has an increased awareness that a well-trained social work workforce is key to the creation of an effective system of social services. Social work as a profession is relatively new to the region thus impacting the path and outcomes of these reforms. USAID Missions with an interest in social services programming in child welfare, disabilities, trafficking in persons (TIP) and domestic violence, and social assistance [social benefits and cash transfers] have identified an active and viable social work profession as critical to the success of such programming.
This report, prepared for the Social Transition Team in the USAID Bureau for Europe and Eurasia (E&E), is an outgrowth of personal interviews from the field, as well as a review of documents and literature exploring social work education and the social work practice environment in twenty-one countries of the former Soviet Bloc. The purpose of this study is to inform stakeholders about the current status of social work in the region, describe the practice environment, identify gaps between what is expected of social workers and the reality, provide examples of best practices, and make recommendations for furthering the development of social work in the region. The target countries for this study are: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
According to the International Federation of Social Work (IFSW) and International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the social work profession “promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.” As such, social workers are a key component of modern social service provision. Among other things, they provide counseling, assist individuals in accessing social services and other benefits, lobby for the disenfranchised, and engage in actions designed to influence social policies. Building the social work profession is a complex undertaking that involves creating legislation and education programs, developing and strengthening curricula, helping to nurture professional associations for social workers, developing licensing and practice standards, and raising awareness about the need for social workers, among other things. This paper is an exploration of each of these issues and an analysis and synthesis of data, much of which is anecdotal.
Utilizing principles and practices of family and community-based social work practice, this report highlights best practice models in the region, identifies common themes based on the four-pillar framework, and makes recommendations for continued development and cross-border collaboration.
