direct practice skills

The ability to put social work knowledge into effective intervention activities with individuals, families, groups, and communities. According to Ruth R. Middleman and Gail Goldberg Wood (Skills for Direct Practice in Social Work, New York: Columbia University Press, 1990), these skills are inner (perception and cognition), interactional (setting the stage, dealing with feelings and information), and strategic (dealing with behavior and coping with conflict). Additional skills for working with groups include building groups, facilitating the work of groups, working with groups that do not verbalize readily, and providing nontalking times with groups. See also social work skills.