THE HISTORY OF CASEWORK
WESTERN BEGINNINGS
Casework began with the diverse humanitarian efforts of volunteers in the 19 th century.
Through casework as a mode of helping people on the basis of a person-to-person relationship
was present in every society from ancient times, the professional method of casework originated
in U.S.A.. One of the earliest organized efforts in U.S.A. to help the poor establishment of the
Charity Organization Society in 1877 . One of the aims of the society was to find out ways and
means of helping poor and needy thus to organized individualized services geared to this
purpose. The society used volunteers, who were called friendly visitors, to visit the homes of the
poor for purposes of assessing their need for rendering material assistance and for giving
guidance and advice. The friendly visitors were subsequently supplemented by ‘paid agents’.
These paid helpers gradually developed systematic procedures in performing their tasks, collects
data about the needy individuals and families, and helped them after assessing their need. They
also maintained records in which they kept all the information including the personal data, as
well as the type of help rendered. It was out of practice of these early workers that casework
developed into a professional method in subsequent years. Their collective experience of
knowing the poor families and their problems and the concurrent studies of poverty by social
scientist broadened the understanding of human behavior. In course of time the terms “paid
agents” and the “poor” were supplanted by caseworkers and clients respectively in the
terminology of help giving organization and the office of the organization came to be known as
agency.
Prior to First World War, major emphasis was given on the social factor, which
influenced individuals who had problems. The causes of these problems were found in the
environment and the larger social economical pressure under which people lived. The primary
basis of social casework was human behaviour. In the Second World War there was increase in
personal problems on the part of clients due to financial crises. Emotional problems also
increased.
1914-1917
The first training programme for the casework started at this time. Casework at this time
was based more on medical model. For sometime casework was only confined to sick persons,
i.e. a sick person to be treated was the priority. The term “work with case” was used for the first
time in national conference in USA. The first professional training programme especially for the
casework was started in the form of summer training. The impact of this training programme
resulted in the need for more substantial training and schools of social work attached to the
agencies came into existence. When these schools started regular training programme, they were
recognized as professionals.
1950s
In this era private practice in the social work began. Professional agencies were started
growing in the field of case study. Now the caseworker started going to community and the
problems of community were taken care indirectly through solving individual problems. It was
the period of resettlement, revaluation, and upgradation for social worker. 1960s Here the most
promising development increased stress on importance of research. The past overemphasis on
either environment or personality gave away the awareness of interdependence of these two
factors. In this era social action was more focused to bring about change in the society. Casework
method adopted new techniques and principles.
Mary Ellen Richmond
She gave the deepest insight into the nature of social work and social case work. In 1917
she published the book Social Diagnosis that may be considered as the first book in casework. It
set forth the methodology of helping clients through systematic ways of assessing their problems
and handling them. The boom also introduced the principle of individualization and
acknowledged self-determination. The first training programme for caseworkers was in the form
of summer courses. Then the need for more substantial training was found necessary and schools
of social work attached to agencies, came into existence.
Social evidence was defined Richmond as “all facts as to personal or family history are
taken together indicates the nature of a given clients in social difficulties and means to their
solutions”. She also recognized that the client’s own hopes, plans and attitude towards life are
more important than any other information. Richmond made the first exclusive effort to analyse
casework process. This was the first truly professional approach in casework. The contribution
of Richmond has always been held in respect by modern caseworker because of many reasons. It
contains the concept of self-determination which has become very important in modern casework
philosophy. Richmond’s interest was dual. On the one hand it was a social and on the other hand
it was psychological. It was concluded that forces within the individuals and outside him/her
influence his/her behaviour and his/ her nature in the society. Richmond attempted to combine
this dual interest and she suggested that there ought to be a profession called “Sociatry”.
