1. Think of social workers’ activities. Why are they important?

2. Read the article below quickly and decide what kind of social workers’ experience the article describes.

Initiation of social work in ukraine 2568

The social workers activities help decrease social inequality; meet the needs of those people who happen to be on the periphery of society, in social isolation, whose rights are violated. Social work plays the role of an intermediate agency between individuals and social groups, private and public institutions. In the context of post-communist Ukraine, social work is an important partner with other professions, the State and private citizens in insuring that the common good is not neglected.

In 1991, the State Committee on Labor established the study of social work at the BA level, with degrees in “social work” and “social pedagogue.” The “specialist of social work” was also established as a level of university study that requires 5 years of study. The first professional School of Social Work in Ukraine was founded by Volodymyr Poltavets, and now is the part of National Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The first MA degree program opened in 1995. Today, approximately 50 universities and colleges provide degree programs in Social Work and Social Pedagogue graduating about 1,350 students each year. The social work degree programs are in different faculties such as psychology, sociology, social management, etc. In pedagogical universities a double specialty is provided (e.g., social pedagogue/practical psychologist, or social pedagogue/teacher of history, or social worker/economist).

Immediately following the establishment of the social work schools, Centers of Social Services for Youth were established on December 15, 1992. These Centers were created for the primary purpose of implementing the practice of social work with different types of children, youth and families. The Law of Ukraine, dated February 5, 1993, further elaborated the purpose for the centers as contributing “to the social formation and development of youth in Ukraine.” In 2001, social work was defined in the laws on social protection. Both the Law on Social Work with Children and Youth (2001) and the Law on Social Services (2003) defines the social worker as “a professional with specialized education who provides a range of social services specific to the needs of their clients, aimed at improving the quality of life and protecting the rights of persons in vulnerable situation.”

Ukraine has two professional associations: the Ukrainian Association of Social Pedagogues (UASP) and the League of Social Workers of Ukraine (LSWU). They are registered juridical entities but their dependence on membership dues as their primary source of revenue limits their capacity for activities. The UASP is a more theory-oriented organization, involved in developing methodological materials. Professionals in Ukraine feel that increasing the salaries and status of the social worker profession will ensure a higher level of social work education. Public and private partnerships are seen as an important strategy for advocating for these needed changes. International donors and government cannot do it all.