Types of Writing in Social Work

Overview

Every discipline has specific types of writing that are done within it (genres), and every genre has conventions (i.e., the features of that type of writing). We often recognize genre conventions when we're thinking about books or movies. You don't expect violence and action-packed chase scenes in a romantic comedy, but you do expect a fantasy book or film to have new worlds, magical creatures, etc. Genres apply to academic and professional writing as well. Once you recognize the writing genres in your graduate field of study, you'll be able to learn the genre conventions, which will help you write successfully.

Visit this page to learn more about the types of writing you'll do at the graduate level (and beyond) in the field of Social Work. Note that this page focuses solely on writing types that are unique to this discipline. (For more information about general writing resources--such as materials about writing abstracts, literature reviews, and research papers--visit the Writing Center resources page.

Types of Writing in Social Work

Clinical Records: Clinical records are important tools for mental health professionals. Clinical records are subject to HIPAA laws. They may not be shared without the consent of a client unless there is a court order. Clinical records typically provide information on a person’s name, birthday, demographic details (age, gender, race/ethnicity, languages spoken, etc.), the reason for seeking services, life history, support system, and previous use of services. When these details have been collected, a social worker prepares an assessment and treatment plan. In some settings, the use of the DSM-5 is used to identify a mental health diagnosis. A diagnosis is then used to prepare a specific treatment plan.

Biopsychosocial Assessments: A specific type of clinical record can be a biopsychosocial assessment. This assessment gathers factors related to the biological history, social support system, and psychological history of a client. The details help to promote understanding of a client’s strengths and problems. Most organizations develop their own specific formats for a biopsychosocial assessment (BSP). Usual components of the BSP include gathering identifying and background information, referral sources, describing the client’s presenting problem, history of past treatment/services, a health history, descriptions of how the client is functioning on a social level, any history of incarceration, and their connections to community supports. The social worker gathers this information and finalizes the report with a brief clinical assessment. If the social worker finds enough supporting details, they will provide a mental health diagnosis written in a specific format that conforms to standards defined by the American Psychological Association (APA). The assessment ends with a treatment plan that describes recommendations for services, types of treatment, duration of treatment, and needed supportive services and referrals.

Case Notes: An important component of the clinical record is a social worker’s case notes (sometimes called progress notes). A case can be a person, a couple, a family, group, organization, or even a community. Case notes are the primary form of writing for most social workers. Case notes are records of interactions with and on the behalf of a social worker’s clients. Case notes succinctly describe the services provided and the details that are related to a case. A common saying in social work is “If it wasn’t written down, it didn’t happen.” In some settings, case notes are used to bill for services. In other settings such as child welfare, case notes are legal documents that need to be signed and dated and should not be altered once they have been signed. Case notes can be subpoenaed and used in court settings such as during child visitation and custody hearings and during hearings to maintain or revoke parental rights. There are specific styles of case notes such as “BIRP,” “SBIRT,” and “SOAP” notes. These are acronyms that guide the note-writing process. SOAP notes record Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan details (Podder, Lew, Ghassemzadeh, 2021). BIRP notes record Behavior, Intervention, Response, and Plan details (Boyles, 2021). SBIRT notes record Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment details; this model is often used in substance abuse treatment settings (SAMSHA, n.d.). The links below provide more information.

Podder et al. (SOAP Notes)

Boyles (BIRP Notes)

SAMSHA (SBIRP)

Grant Applications: Social workers can work across multiple client levels. This is often defined within a systems theory perspective as working on micro (indvidual), meso (family or group), or macro (policy and community) levels. Macro practice social workers design and develop program plans. One way to receive funding for these plans is to prepare grant applications. Grant applications often have specific formats based on their intended recipient. Funders are often divided into private and public funders. Grant applications submitted to public/government funders often require detailed program designs with well-developed evaluation plans. Logic models can be used to help describe and program services and desired changes. Changes are often defined as outputs and outcomes. Outcomes can be classified as short, medium or long-term changes. Grant applications typically define a program's goals and objectives.

Program Reports: Social workers who receive grant funds and/or who become program managers will be responsible for developing program reports. Program reports typically provide details on the progress an agency or program has made in a specific time period. (Annual and quarterly reports are common.)

Strategic Plans/Reports: Social workers may also work alone or in teams to conduct community assessments and develop plans to provide future services. Strategic plans often help governmental agencies set priorities for funding. Examples of strategic plans include reports such as the three-year plans required by the California Department of Mental Health Services that allocate Mental Health Services dollars.

Research Reports: Social workers who evaluate their programs and those who work on research projects will prepare research reports. These reports may be for internal use by an agency and/or they may lead to publications in professional journals. Each journal has specific standards that they would like followed. Most social work research reports follow guidelines set out by the APA and use the most current APA format in the preparation of their reports. Typically, components of research reports include presentation of a social problem, background details that quantify the scope of the social problem, a research question that guides the development of a literature review, and the description of research methods that have been refined through the literature process. The research methods typically explain how research participants will be recruited for a study (including the description of recruitment materials that will be used), what methods will be used to collect the data, what research materials will be used (e.g., surveys, interview guides, data collection instruments), and which consent forms will be used and the processes that will be employed to protect research participants from harm or exploitation.

Conference Presentations: Similar to research reports, social workers may present at conferences where they share viewpoints on how to improve their own and their colleagues' professional practice. Conference presentations are often developed as posters, round table discussions, and/or as oral presentations. Oral presentations may involve reading a prepared paper. Poster presentations typically include a short problem statement, research question, description of methods, and then a presentation of key findings. Posters should be visually interesting and highlight the most significant ideas or findings.