Schild S
Health Soc Work. 1977 Feb;2(1):59-77.
The generic utility of social work practice skills and knowledge applies to this field of practice as to any other. What is required is a delineation of the role that social workers are to take, a clear articulation of what they can do and do well, and their acquisition of the specific knowledge related to genetic problems that would provide the framework in which to practice social work in this area. From their practice experience, social workers in genetics are in a unique position to contribute important knowledge about their clients that would help to provide essential and needed services as well as guide social work intervention. The key role for social workers in genetics is the provision of supportive counseling to help clients deal with the social dimensions of their genetic problems. In other words, genetic social work focuses mainly on assisting clients with problems in living that are generated by a genetic diagnosis and that may be more problematic or distressing than the genetic defect itself.
社会工作实践技能和知识的一般效用适用于这一实践领域，也适用于其他任何领域。所需要的是明确界定社会工作者要扮演的角色，清晰阐述他们能够做且做得好的事情，以及他们获取与遗传问题相关的特定知识，这些知识将为在该领域开展社会工作提供实践框架。从他们的实践经验来看，遗传学领域的社会工作者处于独特的地位，能够贡献有关其服务对象的重要知识，这有助于提供必要且急需的服务，并指导社会工作干预。社会工作者在遗传学领域的关键作用是提供支持性咨询，以帮助服务对象应对其遗传问题的社会层面。换句话说，遗传社会工作主要侧重于协助服务对象解决因基因诊断而产生的生活问题，这些问题可能比基因缺陷本身更具问题性或更令人苦恼。
