Marilyn Callahan

Risk Assessment in Social Work

Risk is a ubiquitous concept used in social work and other professions, most frequently meaning the chance of reducing negative occurrences in the future. Other definitions of risk and interrogations about the impact of its use in social work are infrequent, in particular its connections with neoliberal reformation of welfare state policies and programs. Instead, assessing and managing risk has become a central activity in social work, in particular the fields of child welfare, corrections, and community care. The unintended consequences of adopting risk as a core concept in social work are explored and alternative ways of thinking based on social work principles are provided.