the values of the social work profession support an empowerment base for practice. Social work adopts a view that suggests that humans are “striving, active organisms who are capable of organizing their lives and developing their potentialities as long as they have appropriate environmental supports” (Maluccio, 1983, p. 136). Note how this view emphasizes humans’ capac-ity for adaptation and opportunities for growth throughout the entire life cycle. The view links with the purpose of social work as a way of releasing human and social power to promote personal, interpersonal, and structural competence