Social Work Jargon

Here is a list of some social work jargon and terms:

Micro level- when a social worker conducts practice, one on one counseling, or small group therapy.It means to be working with one person or small groups.

Mezzo level- Working at a mezzo level means a social worker is working with a medium sized group such as a community, small town, or maybe an organization.

Macro level- Macro level work is done usually on a statewide, county wide, or federal level. It mostly involves legislation, grant writing, and non-profit work.

Systems theory- A theory that explains how an individual (client) is affected by all the systems or groups in their environment. Examples: family, school, church, government

Co-morbid- This is used to describe an individual who has a mental illness along with an addiction problem.

Compassion Fatigue- this is just a fancy/nicer term for "burnout".

DCS- department of children services

DSM-IV- Diagnostic and statistical manual 4. This is a reference for clinicians to use when they're trying to diagnose someone with a mental illness.

HUBSE- pronounced "hub see"  stands for understanding human behavior in the social environment. HUBSE 1 and 2 are classes that social workers must take.

Practice- counseling/therapy. Micro work.