¶ … Eras in Human Services The Industrial Revolution created tremendous wealth for certain segments of the population -- but also tremendous poverty. The expansion of the nation's urban population, particularly its urban poor, created the need for more effective social services. These needs were first fulfilled by private organizations like the American Charity Organization Society (COS). City slums were growing fast in all areas affected by industrialization -- during the late 19th century approximately 30% of all London residents lived below the poverty line (The Settlement Movement, 2013, Columbia Federation of Settlements). The Settlement Movement, a community-based approach to social welfare which set up neighborhood welfare centers began in London but soon spread to America. It came to embody one approach to social work, one which stressed the need for "a holistic approach to neighborhood improvement and a belief that social change comes through indigenous leaders and organizations" (The Settlement Movement, 2013, Columbia Federation of Settlements).

Organizations like Jane...

However, an individualized approach to social work was still present during this era. Religious charities often focused on the salvation of the individual's soul rather than the community.
World War I's expansion of social services to veterans, as well as a general government initiative to increase "medical, psychiatric, and school social work" to citizens created the first "public sector departments devoted to social welfare" (From charitable volunteers to architects of social welfare, 2013, University of Michigan). Social work became more institutionalized, and more of a servant of generally defined government needs, rather than the vision of specific charitable or community-based organizations.

Another great shift in the history of social work took place during the 1960s,…