The Impact of Information Technology on Social Work Practice

In this pioneering volume, international experts confront the urgent need for social work practice to move into the computer age. They explore the reasons why social work has made little effort to adopt the new information technologies and why it should actively remedy the situation. The Impact of Information Technology on Social Work Practice is divided into three parts. The chapters in Part I explore ways in which computers can be used directly in the day-to-day treatment of clients by the front line staff working with them. The chapters in Part II focus on the administrative use of computers in two very different agencies, illustrating that administrative computerization depends upon and has implications for front-line staff. The final section of the book raises some of the ethical and conceptual issues highlighted by computerization and examines their impact upon practice.Aimed at administrators, professional staff, and students in the social welfare and human services, this valuable book highlights the recent developments in information technology applicable to the field and addresses the positive and negative impact of computer use on the profession.