The Collaborative Role of Social Workers and Counselors in Managing Challenges of the Marginalized Group

Abstract

This study aimed to classify and analyze the challenges faced by marginalized groups and examine the collaborative role of social workers and counselors in addressing these difficulties. These challenges were analyzed based on their severity levels and further classified according to psychological, social, and economic dimensions. A descriptive correlational research design was used in this study. Key challenges related to senior citizens aged 70+ years and persons with disabilities (PWDs) were identified from Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija. Further, the KABISIG Collaborative Framework was developed to integrate selected intervention strategies as included in the professional practice guidelines. The framework includes coordinated assessment procedures, joint intervention planning, integrated support services, and collaborative case management. The results indicated that there were 1,458 total responses across all challenge indicators classified into three main dimensions. It is also found that social work and counseling interventions could be integrated in collaborative practice using different approaches besides being very rich sources of developing professional competency for both practitioners and marginalized populations. Therefore, it is recommended that collaborative or integrative practice should be encouraged for social workers and counselors considering that the professions are highly complementary and supplementary to each other.