ABSTRACT

Existing international research that tracks technology use in social work practice often focuses on specific forms of technology. The study outlined in this article explored Australian social workers’ understanding and use of technology related to their practice experiences more broadly. With a sample of 100 participants who had less than 12 months to 20+ years of social work experience, the study found that Australian social workers utilise technology without clear boundaries, policies, or professional access. It found that organisations prioritise technological resources for outcomes measurement rather than finding ways technology could benefit service user relationships. Social workers attempt to mediate practice tensions and complexities by understanding client-centred approaches rather than specific theories or social work models with technology. This study suggests that guidelines and conceptualisations for social work practice with technology require further development. This article argues for a social work–based understanding of technology as a context of practice, requiring social workers to navigate profession-specific knowledge, skills, and values to contribute to social work–led technology.

IMPLICATIONS

• Technology in social work practice is yet to fully support client connection, engagement, advocacy, and interaction.

• Organisational contexts shape and often limit technology use by social workers, thus minimising the potential for social work–led conceptualisations and practice.

• Social workers individually navigate limitations presented by practice contexts without drawing on social work–specific knowledge of technology, inhibiting the profession from contributing to practice-led technology.

摘要

追踪技术在社会工作实践中的使用的现有国际研究通常侧重于特定形式的技术。本文概述的研究更广泛地探讨了澳大利亚社会工作者对与其实践经验相关的技术的理解和使用。该研究以 100 名社会工作经验不足 12 个月至 20 年以上的参与者为样本，发现澳大利亚社会工作者在使用技术时没有明确的界限、政策或专业准入。它发现，组织优先考虑技术资源来衡量结果，而不是寻找技术可以使服务用户关系受益的方式。社会工作者试图通过理解以客户为中心的方法而不是特定的理论或使用技术的社会工作模型来调解实践的紧张和复杂性。这项研究表明，使用技术进行社会工作实践的指导方针和概念化需要进一步发展。本文主张以社会工作为基础，将技术理解为实践的背景，要求社会工作者掌握专业知识、技能和价值观，为社会工作主导的技术做出贡献。

影响

• 社会工作实践中的技术尚未完全支持客户联系、参与、宣传和互动。

• 组织环境塑造并经常限制社会工作者对技术的使用，从而最大限度地减少以社会工作为主导的概念化和实践的潜力。

• 社会工作者在没有利用社会工作特定的技术知识的情况下单独应对实践环境带来的限制，从而抑制了该行业为实践主导的技术做出贡献。