APPLICATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Keywords:
social work, ICT, benefits, challengesAbstract
We are witnessing the ubiquitous penetration of modern information and communication technologies (ICT) in all spheres of life, giving rise to new social interactions and unprecedented challenges. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have changed our behavior, habits, institutions, professions, reshaped many human activities and become an indispensable part of people's daily lives around the world. Adapting social work, both as a scientific discipline and as a helping profession, to the new demands and needs of the modern digital society is one of the main challenges before it.
The purpose and tasks of the present study are limited to revealing the potential of ICT, with the aim of enriching the methodology of social work by adding to traditional and modern tools and forms of intervention to improve the benefits for users and to use technological progress for social good.
A survey was carried out with the subject: Revealing the real state of the problem regarding the application of information and communication technologies in the field of social work and more specifically in social service institutions. The purpose of the survey is to reveal and register the state of the investigated phenomenon in the formed representative sample of 25 institutions for social services on the territory of Blagoevgrad and Kyustendil regions. For this purpose, the indirect evaluation method was used by researching the web pages of the studied social service institutions, the direct observation method - visits and conversations with the staff, and a survey method aimed at revealing the state of the phenomenon.
The results of the study confirmed our initial assumptions. In social service institutions, there is a relatively good base for providing the most sought-after information services, but there is still a lack of commensurability with world standards, the available information environment is insufficient, and in this sense, ICTs have not found their more complete, radical presence.
The field under consideration is extremely current and will undergo continuous development in the coming years.
References
Цветанова, Й. (2022). Етични предизвикателства пред практиката на съвременната онлайн социалната работа. В: Станчева-Попкостадинова, В., М. Чолакова. Социална работа – минало, настояще, бъдеще. Университетско издателство „Неофит Рилски“ Благоевград, (62-67).
Цветанова, Й. (2022). Потенциалът на социалните медии в социалната работа. В: Станчева-Попкостадинова, В., М. Чолакова. Социална работа – минало, настояще, бъдеще. Университетско издателство „Неофит Рилски“ Благоевград, (268-276).
Цветанoва, Й. (2022). Прoфесиoнален прoфил и пoдгoтoвка на специализирания възпитател във Франция. Издателствo Бoн. ISBN 978-954-395-299-1.
Механджийска, Г. (2019). Нoвите технoлoгии и метoдите на герoнтoлoгичната сoциална рабoта. В: Възрастни хoра и нoви технoлoгии. Издателствo: Авангард Прима, Сoфия, (122-136).
Antonio López Peláez & Chaime Marcuello-Servós. (2018). e-Social work and digital society: re-conceptualizing approaches, practices and technologies. European Journal of Social Work, 21: 6, (801-803). DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2018.1520475
Boyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13 (1), (210–230).
Cwikel, J., & Friedman, E. (2019). E-therapy, and social work practice: Benefits, barriers, and training. Int. Soc. Work, 6, (730–745).
Halverson, G., Brownlee, K., & Delaney, R. (2009). Ethical issues in Northern social work practice. In R. Delaney & K. Brownlee (Eds.), Northern and rural social work practice: A Canadian perspective, (pp. 130-146). Thunder Bay, ON: Centre for Northern Studies, Lakehead University.
Reamer, F. G. (2012a). The digital and electronic revolution in social work: Rethinking the meaning of ethical practice. Ethics and Social Welfare, 7(1), 2–19.
Schwab, K. (2015). The fourth industrial revolution: What it means and how to respond. Snapshot, (1-9).
Smith, K. (2010). The use of virtual worlds among people with disabilities. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Universal Technologies, (15–21).
