Social workers aim toward assisting individuals, families and other groups in society. In order to form a foundation of assisting the society, social workers need to determine the theories, beliefs, values and traditions that govern a particular behavior or situation. Critical thinking comes as a basis to form a theory that can explain certain behaviors that control a certain individual or situation through careful assessment of the situation and identifying the center point of a certain difficulty in society. Knowledge of the source of certain behaviors or characteristics is essential in determining the best course of action.
Critical thinking is essential in the development of effective communication skills, both oral and written, in the social work environment. This process is facilitated with the skills and techniques employed in social work, including analysis, assessment, synthesis and evaluation of situations and individuals. This thought process allows development of clear though-out procedures that direct social workers in developing a communication process which will efficiently reach out to the community.
In the social work field, the goal is to provide an intervention strategy that will reach out to the individual or group and achieve the desired goal. Critical thinking enables social workers to assess situations separately and through a systematic thought process, and come up with an intervention strategy particular to the individual, group or situation. Critical thinking also provides guidance in determining what information to relay during an intervention and what to avoid mentioning in order to achieve the desired effect.
Social work requires development of long-lasting success strategies in different situations and interventions. Critical thinking discourages simple approaches to situations which result in temporary solutions; rather, it encourages in-depth thought process before embarking on an intervention strategy. Social workers need to weigh the benefits and risks of every decision they intend to make, to assist in predicting long-term factors that facilitate social services, and the quality of work which results from the decision. Critical thinking thus presents a high potential benefit for long-lasting solutions.