**2.1 Global definition of social work**

Social work is the inclusive term referring to methods of practice, provision of services, and the organization of occupational groups and professions that seek to improve social relations. It includes ideas such as social assistance, social development, and social pedagogy, which are, in some countries, the basis of one or more "social professions" [21]. As "Offer" defines it as a profession with diverse approaches to practice and organizing services. Always, however, social work involves a trained employee engaging in relationships with individuals, groups, or broader communities of people to help them manage social difficulties through better social interactions and engage with social structures within their society. It also involves developing social structures, including volunteering and formal social services to respond to social needs [22].

Specialists in the social work profession seek to establish a specific definition of the profession that fits the nature of developments at the level of professional practice. Although definitions of social work are contested and evolving, social workers carry on many tasks that vary across different countries and different types of welfare regimes. A newly agreed global definition of social work seeks to capture the values of social work, its knowledge base, and practice methodologies [23]. These values are evident in many professional codes of ethics in all countries. However, these values are more specifically expressed in the Global Definition of Social Work. That definition has given it particular importance among all professions recognized locally and internationally.

European Association for Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and The International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) introduced the following global definition of Social work: Social Work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility, and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by social work theories, social sciences, humanities, and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing [24].

The author can offer a practical concept of the social work profession. A human and institutional profession qualified social workers practice. It employs three primary methods (social casework, social group work, and community organization) and two secondary methods. The profession aims to enhance the capability of individuals, groups, and communities to satisfy their basic needs and solve their problems in a manner guided by a set of humanitarian, religious, moral values, principles, and society's culture.

#### **2.2 Private practice social work**

Building a private practice social work is a challenging endeavor that requires initiative, professional experience in the field, organization, business savvy, and maintenance of relevant licenses and certifications [25]. To answer the question, what is the private practice of social work? The author should discuss the definition. Numerous definitions have been introduced for the private practice of social work. "Barker", for example, developed one of them, and it states that private practice social work is the provision of professional services by a licensed\qualified social worker who assumes responsibility for the nature and quality of the services provided to the client in exchange for direct payment or third-party reimbursement. Moreover, the process in which the value, knowledge, and skills of social work, are acquired through sufficient education and experience, and used to deliver social services autonomously to the client in exchange for mutually agreed payment [26]. Likewise, it was defined by "Al-Sokary" as the process in which social work's value, knowledge, and skills are acquired through sufficient education and experience and used to deliver social services autonomously to the client in exchange for mutually agreed on payment [27].

Some think that there is a close relationship between the concepts of private practice and clinical social work; this view is based on the fact that the latter is considered the most significant embodiment of the earlier concept. For example, "Abdul Majid" cited the view of "Munson", who indicated that clinical social work is one of the contemporary applications of the professional practice and that it is the most widespread concept. It is also the natural extension of some forms of traditional practice that have already prevailed in social work, e.g., Social Casework, Psychiatric Social work, and Social therapy [28].

By reviewing the definitions mentioned above, the author could define the private practice of social work as "the professional practice by the social workers that are applied through private agencies of multiple disciplines, where services are provided to individuals, families, and groups in exchange for contracted payment which is paid by the client themselves or by a representative third party".

#### **2.3 Private practice agencies**

The concept of private practice agencies can be clarified by reviewing the patterns of practice agencies of social work in Omani society, like the following:


citizens or services in exchange for nominal fees used to finance the development of the provided services and activities.


In this chapter, the private practice agencies for social work belong to the latter two kinds, i.e., profitable private agencies, social clinics, and private centers.

#### **2.4 Private practitioner**

In the beginning, the question is who is the private practitioner of social work? The author will adopt the definition of NSCSW for Private practitioners. Private practitioner social workers are self-employed and solely responsible for the liability of their practice. Before beginning a private practice, a social worker must demonstrate that they have advanced skills in one or more specialized areas of social work and can apply them independently. In private practice, social workers can offer to vary services widely. According to their experience, skills, and qualifications, they may provide family counseling, mental health services, support community development, facilitate education and training, complete specialized assessments, etc. [29].

Private practitioners shall adhere to the values and ethics of the social work profession, utilizing the NASW Codes of Ethics as a guide to ethical decision-making [30]. These values are represented by the importance of professional responsibility to the client, respect for human dignity, respect for human diversity, and honoring the uniqueness of each client. as well as the client's right to self-determination, the client's right to privacy, and confidentiality, the client's right to informed choice, services rendered with maximum client collaboration, the duty to protect individuals, communities, society, and ethical and lawful practice [31].

#### **2.5 Leadership and organization**

In order for us to ensure that our organizations continue to be led by social workers, we must adapt. We, as social workers, have not done our parts to change the course that has already begun [32]. Because of this, we should help our social work students to become leaders for social organizations in the future.

In the past, there were not enough possibilities for social workers to manage social and educational organizations in Arab countries. Teachers, for example, should head schools; physicians should head hospitals, and so on. Nowadays, Circumstances and conditions have changed, and social workers have the opportunity to lead a variety of social and educational organizations. This occurred as a result of social work educational institutes recognizing the value of leadership skills in the preparation of social workers. One of the major factors that contributed to this is the achievement of many skilled social workers in demonstrating the profession's significant role in addressing a wide range of social circumstances and problems. This was reflected positively in the change of law and administrative rules to allow social workers to take on managerial and leadership roles in all professional organizations. For example, the law regulating and establishing private practice social work agencies in the Sultanate of Oman expressly requires that the agency's director be a social worker with experience and competence, and the law has specified many other conditions that ensure the success of managing these types of agencies.

## **3. Methodology**

The entrance of mixed methods research forces itself on contemporary research. The idea of merging social scientific research methodologies has lately acquired traction through a study series titled mixed methods research (MMR) through the social and behavioral sciences [33]. The employment of the descriptive analytical approach with content analysis of the theoretical literature on the development of the profession demonstrates the dependence on the mixed approach. Then, a research sample was used, which included several studies, research, and theoretical literature dealing with the global and local development of the social work profession from its recognition stage until now. These studies and theoretical literature were collected through the Internet and manual research. The researcher completed this chapter by giving the findings and suggestions of one of his descriptive-analytical studies on private practice in the Sultanate of Oman. The researcher employed both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The social survey method by sampling to obtain data for that study. The sample includes school social workers and experts from the Sultanate of Oman's Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Education, as well as two groups of recent social work graduates. Then, the school social workers in the Sultanate of Oman (n = 1170) serve as the sample frame. According to Cochran, the sample size is adequate when the sample taken from the study population is between (5%, 7%, or 10%) of the total population [34]**.** After analyzing a list of all of the Sultanate of Oman's schools, which were classified according to the educational stage, the sample's 117 units were drawn using systematic random sampling. Then, out of tens of social workers, one social worker was picked at random. The questionnaire forms were distributed to all of the sample units. 110 forms were returned by the sample population. Six of the forms were eliminated after a thorough examination because their data was incomplete. As a result, the sample size was limited to only 104 units. The sample for the qualitative research method consisted of seven experts and twenty-six graduates divided into two focus groups. The first group had 14 graduates, while the second had 12.

#### **3.1 The reality of private practice social work agencies in the Omani sultanate**

The enduring profession of social work is now in its second century. Grounded in core values, it has withstood major political, social, and economic changes over time. The scope of its knowledge and skill continues to grow as the profession responds to

#### *Private Practice Social Work in the Arab World: Sultanate of Oman as a Model DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.106284*

developing needs in the United States and all over the world.. Many social workers are in the forefront, shaping public policies, advancing client interventions, and influencing research agendas [35]. The reality of private practice social work varies greatly among societies; this distinction may be attributed to a society's culture, differentiation, and the nature of its problems. For the Arab world, every Arab country has its unique culture, which might influence the kind and level of private practice social work.

Social work will continue to strive to prove its efficacy in society, either by boosting social workers' professionalism and competence in well-known conventional domains or by entering new areas forced by rising and evolving social requirements. To be qualified to execute the duties that society expects of it, it must respond to societal needs and progress the components and parts of the profession [36]. Those who are aware of the state of professional social work practices in many Arab countries recognize the significance of making further efforts to enhance and develop this situation. As a result, it has been regarded as suffering from numerous crises in terms of research and practice, as well as a lack of conceptualizing.

Saleh [37] conducted descriptive research to become familiar with the realities of private social work practice and the extent of the need for it in Omani society, as well as identify the obstacles that hinder the spread of the private practice of social work agencies in Omani society, in addition to offering suggestions to overcome these obstacles. This research yielded several relevant findings concerning the reality of private social work practice and the obstacles that hinder its agencies in Oman, which will be discussed in the following pages.

Despite the high level of demand in society, the growth of private professional practice agencies in Oman is limited in comparison to the growth of such agencies in Arab and Gulf countries. While many school-based social workers have stated that the lack of private practice social work agencies puts them in a difficult position, they have only limited options for a referral from government or commercial agencies. Saleh's 2006 study confirmed this, emphasizing the lack of specialized agencies in school social work (governmental or private), which may limit social workers' thinking in implementing referrals for cases that require it, and they are satisfied with the services they can provide based on their qualifications. This may limit social workers' thinking in implementing referrals for cases that require them, and they are satisfied with the services they can provide based on their skills and experience, as well as the fact that Omani society lacks such organizations that can contribute to providing social, psychological, and counseling services for schoolchildren [38].

Due to the growth in divorce rates in Omani culture, Saleh [37] and Al-Hashemia [39] showed that Omani society needs a variety of private practice agencies, including family and marital counseling clinics [39]. The need for counseling and psychological guidance centers, psychiatric clinics, and psychological and behavioral rehabilitation centers also appears; Al-Subhia [40] emphasized the urgent need for counseling services in various fields and educational, social, and educational agencies [40]. Al-Wahaibia [41] also emphasized the need for addiction treatment centers [41]. On the other hand, The National Center for Statistics and Information report emphasized the low need for private organizations to care for older adults. The Omani family provides excellent care for the older adults and does not allow their residents in private organizations unless there are no relatives to care for them [42]. Recently, a report from the Ministry of Social Development stated a noticeable spread of private rehabilitation centers, which reached 37 centers in Oman.
