Study Social Work and Community Development
In 1995, the United Nations recognised Community Development as a process that can be used to create conditions of economic and social progress for the whole community. It can be described as a method, process, programme and strategy that is used to bring about change in all spheres of life such as psychosocial, economic, political, environmental, educational, spiritual-cultural, technological, and more.
But most critically, Community Development is a field of practice in which unemployed youth are trained as community development workers in a programme specifically created to enable them to work in communities and ensure members of society can access government services, while simultaneously bringing the government closer to communities.
Social Work, on the other hand, is an academic and practice-based professional discipline that seeks to facilitate the welfare of individuals, families, groups, and communities. It is underpinned by theories of social science and guided by principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversity.
Social Workers engage with people and structures to address social issues to enhance human well-being and social functioning. Social Work endeavours to promote social change and empowerment of people and promotes socio-economic development by applying the processes of community development and/or social development.
Community Mental Health Promotion
South Africa, like many other countries in the world, is faced with many socio-economic, cultural, environmental and/or political challenges. Many members of our society are dealing with mental health issues in one way or the other.
Research shows that South Africans know of at least one person – either a family member or friend – who lives with a mental health-related condition. However, only approximately 15% of these individuals are able to access mental health care services in the form of traditional counselling.
Alternative mental health care models comprising a team of interdisciplinary mental health care workers with skills beyond being able to conduct counselling or therapy (plus the ability to focus on communities and intervene at a community level) – are critical to bring about both human well-being and community well-being. These teams are also critical in promoting stability, peace and social cohesion.
The course SACAP offers
What do community mental health teams do?
Community Mental Health teams provide varied interventions and services based on the needs that are identified by the community themselves with the involvement of Social Work professionals.
Find out more about our Master’s of Social Science in Community Mental Health Promotion here
What are community mental health services?
These are programmes or projects available to individuals, families or communities. These services aim to help people cope with mental health related issues like depression, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorders, suicide, mental illness or emotional issues.
Find out more about our Master’s of Social Science in Community Mental Health Promotion here
What is a community mental health programme?
Community Mental Health programmes are either short or long-term interventions that have specific goals and objectives, set to address a specific mental health related issue.
Find out more about our Master’s of Social Science in Community Mental Health Promotion here
Why study Community Mental Health Promotion at SACAP?
This master’s degree seeks to develop leaders who can strategically and innovatively address community mental health challenges and enhance community wellbeing.
Our graduates are trained to build a continuous entrepreneurial mind-set to harness opportunities within community contexts. They will also be well-positioned for employment in an extensive range of public and private sector enterprises including, but not limited to, a variety of NPOs, NGOs and corporate sector companies focusing on programme management and leadership, community mental health promotion, human rights and social justice advocacy, policy development and implementation, and change management, with the view to promote social development. In addition to consulting, graduates will be empowered to work in research institutes, education and academia, among others.
Find out more about our Master’s of Social Science in Community Mental Health Promotion here
Social Work
Social Workers are critical to the healthy functioning of society. They provide individual or family counselling, they work with small groups to help them address issues of common concern, Social Workers intervene at a community level to bring about positive change or work at policy level to help improve social policies and enhance service delivery.
What is social work?
Social Work is a dynamic and innovative profession that empowers individuals, families, groups and communities. It engages in problem-solving processes to promote positive and sustainable change at scale. The role has evolved from being remedial to being developmental and has moved from charitable work – such as giving handouts – to empowerment, skills development and advocacy by educating the public on their rights, by fighting injustice and advocating for change to improve people’s social functioning and well-being.
Find out more about our Social Work course here
Why study social work at SACAP?
SACAP has been educating agile and responsive thinkers in applied psychology for more than 20 years. Our Social Work programme is a professional qualification that leads to registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) as a Registered Social Worker.
Find out more about our Social Work course here
Will social workers be needed in the future?
Social Work is one profession that will not be replaced by technology. People need human “touch” when they are most vulnerable. Social Workers intervene at times and in spaces where people are at risk. Social Workers can also provide face-to-face or telephonic interventions.
Find out more about our Social Work course here
What is the difference between a social worker and counsellor?
Counselling forms one of the many methods that social workers use to help people deal with challenges and promote their social functioning and well-being.
Find out more about our Social Work course here
What is the difference between a social worker and a psychologist?
While both professionals work with individuals and communities by providing therapeutic and developmental services, the difference is that Social Workers focus on the structural or systemic issues that affect people’s social functioning. They protect people’s rights by targeting social policies that marginalise people and place them at risk. They target environmental issues that influence people’s behaviour. Social Workers focus on providing developmental services that empower people to be self-reliant in order to avoid relying on social grants.
Find out more about our Social Work course here