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Technology has changed and still is changing the field of social work. Some feel that the changes being made are good while others insist that this shift is bad. Some others say it is too soon to tell if the impact will be more positive or negative.

Computer Files

You may not think of computer files as being anything special but when you realize how cumbersome paper files can be then you will understand. Keeping track of every client in the social work system requires a lot of paper, storage space, and an immaculate filing system if you want to be able to find everything. Computer files allow social workers to find files with ease, which saves a lot of time on its own.

These computer files also allow for the updating of files without having to find space or scribble in the margins. It provides twice the bonus when you realize that when anyone goes back to read the added notes that they will be able to do so without trying to decipher chicken scratch. This saves time and irritation and helps to avoid mistakes.

The final big benefit is that sharing files with other agencies has never been easier. Instead of having to send paper files from one building to another, the computer files can be sent via email. Or, even better, the files can be accessed from a database without having to request them from another human being. This is a lot of time saved.

Less Time On Paperwork Means More Time With Clients

What all this means is that, thanks to technology, there is more time for social workers to spend with clients because less time is being spent on dealing with paperwork. Social workers are overwhelmed so allowing them to handle paperwork with greater ease and efficiency should lessen that burden, even if the burden is only slightly lessened. Technology is actually helping to make social work more about people.

Twitter

Twitter may not seem like a great tool for the field of social work but it is great for social workers. Twitter allows social workers to connect and share their experiences. Twitter is not the only tool for this but it is probably the best tool of its kind for making these types of connections at the moment. Social workers no longer need to feel so isolated in doing such a difficult job.

Blogging

Bloggers have started telling the tales of their lives in social work. This has allowed everyone to have a more honest look at what social workers do and what challenges they face, both from clients and from the social work system. This has created a greater awareness of social work and the problems that social workers face which could lead to changes in time. At the moment it at least allows for anyone who wishes to know about social work to have a greater understanding of its realities.

The concerns that some have with all these marvelous advances is that somehow the work will become less personal, that the focus will shift from people to technology and statistics. Whether these fears have real foundations will be revealed in time. Until then, technology appears to be changing social work for the better.

T D Rheinecker enjoys writing extensively on the career benefits for graduates of masters in social work programs.