© British Association of Social Workers
Strengthening Professional and Paraprofessional Contributions to Social Service and Social Development
Allan Brawley is Professor of Social Work at The Pennsylvania State University where he teaches social policy and social work with the ageing. He has a doctorate in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and is the author of numerous publications, including The New Human Service Worker (Praeger, 1975), Mass Media and Human Services (Sage, 1983) and with Ruben Schindler, Social Care at the Front Line (Routledge, 1987).
Ruben Schindler is Dean of the School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, where he teaches social policy and social work supervision. He has a doctorate in social work from Yeshiva University, New York. His work has been published in Britain, India, Israel, and the USA.
Correspondence to Prof. E. Allan Brawley, Professor of Social Work, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Sociology, 414 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16803, USA.
Summary
Based on a long-term research project that has generated data on paraprofessional social service personnel in fourteen developed and developing countries, this paper presents some findings that, if acted upon, could strengthen the contribution of both professionals and paraprofessionals to social service and social development goals. The type of frontline workers who are generally regarded as paraprofessionals have always been important participants in social service activities throughout the world. This continues to be the case in the countries studied. This article identifies conditions under which the service activities of professionals and paraprofessionals can be more productive and where their joint contribution to human well-being can be enhanced.