Creating a Space for Social Work in Post-Communist Society

“What is a social worker?” Ask this question on the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia, and you might be pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the answer. Yet social work has little tradition as an academic or professional path in most former Soviet countries.  The need for well-trained social workers is grave in all post-communist societies, with Georgia no exception.

On a recent visit to Georgia, I had the pleasure of spending several days with two Open Society Social Work Fellowship Program alumni, Marina Ushveridze and Salome Namicheishvili. Both have continued to follow their passion for the field by also receiving an Open Society Scholarship Programs Alumni Grant.

Along with three other Social Work Fellows—Natia Partskhaladze, Nino Shatberashvili, and Shorena Sadzaglishvili—Marina and Salome founded a professional touchstone for all social workers, the Georgian Association of Social Workers.  GASW has grown to around 200 members since its inception in 2004, when Georgian social work had no professional body or a code of standards, and few concrete opportunities to work in the field.

“We grasped the moment and looked ahead in 2003 when we came back. We were so inspired by what we saw in America and thought how we could apply it in Georgia,” Salome told me.

Founding a professional body from scratch is no mean feat.  The GASW mandate has expanded over time to encompass advocacy for state-level recognition of social work, coordinating field placements for students, developing teaching and training in regional areas, and preventing "brain drain."

Many health workers, teachers, and psychologists in Georgia have been practicing what qualifies as social work, but lacks the official title. With sustained pressure and a systematic approach, social work was finally recognized as an independent profession in 2003.  Building on this foundation, GASW conducted training sessions covering introductory classes on social work, as well as teaching effective methods for allocating services.

Despite these considerable advancements, for Salome the biggest achievement for GASW is the development of an innovative, practiced-based social work curriculum in Georgia.  With funding from the EU Tempus Program and the Open Society International Higher Education Support Program, both Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University introduced competing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work. Open Society Alumni form the core faculty of both programs and work on a part- to full-time teaching basis, with GASW coordinating field placements for both universities.

In what is effectively a post-conflict area following the 2008 conflict with Russia, GASW seized a critical moment to develop social work services for  internally displaced persons. International funding has poured into region, and as social work opportunities grew, GASW identified an excellent outlet for field work placements.

With the help of GASW, many social work graduates are now employed in the field, including all 22 of the first cohort of Tbilisi State MSW graduates. However, the challenge to develop the profession in the rest of the region remains. “Everything is happening in Tbilisi,” says Salome.

To counteract this, GASW has created two large regional programs, one of which, run in partnership with the Czech organization People in Need and the European Union, is based in Zugdidi.  Targeting internally displaced populations, local social workers are trained on the supervision of social work. Training in the region has had the knock-on effect of freeing the regions from dependence on Tbilisi and creating permanent social work jobs for local and returning graduates. The project also aims to develop a social work service network in the region, based on a code of ethics.

“These standards aid us when many ideas exist on what social work is.  It helps those social workers in the regions to develop their own service,” says Salome.  Thus far, two organizations will use the standards to hire qualified social workers for the region.

For those returning to Georgia with an MSW from the West, the prospects for employment within the field can seem deflating. “When Western-educated scholars return, they may not see any avenues in their field, therefore they switch to any which would offer employment” outlines Marina Ushveridze, another Social Work Fellowship Program graduate and GASW board member. “If you create an organization like GASW, the first thing graduates do when returning is to call to find out what's happening in the field. You can then grasp the opportunities at the start which then keep you in the field.”

GASW staff also act as a guide for those returning home. “We help with the cultural shock of returning. A small project can help graduates financially, but most importantly they get acquainted with the network here which they don’t have access to otherwise,” says Salome.

Despite the success of the alumni efforts, social work has suffered several drawbacks in recent years, not least the revoking of Georgian State accreditation in 2009.  “If we had met a year ago, we would have better news,” sighs Salome. “It's problematic, as without accreditation, social work can be used as an arbitrary term by anyone.  State certification gave us clarity and protection.”

Challenges exist for the GASW, but with their track record of resourcefulness and belief in the benefits to Georgian society, social work will continue to have a solid foundation in Georgia in the years to come.

For more information, contact GASW chair Salome Namicheishvili at salome.n@gasw.org.