Addressing these growing social concerns, the first United States Charity Organization Society (COS) was introduced in Buffalo, New York in 1877 (McFadden, 2014). This organization focused on the scientific approach to administering assistance to those who were deemed the “worthy poor” (McFadden, 2014). This approach required applicant registration, investigation and supervision. The volunteer workforce of the COS was comprised of mostly upper class women, known as “friendly visitors” (McFadden, 2014). These visitors assisted families by giving advice, supervising family progress, and documenting the interactions and help provided (McFadden, …show more content…
Her notable talents and capabilities quickly led to leadership positions within the COS in Baltimore and Philadelphia. In 1909, Richmond became the director of the Charity Organization Division of the Russell Sage Foundation in New York (Murdach, 2007). Among her accomplishments, Richmond is also considered the founder of social casework (Murdach, 2007). According to Epple (2007), Richmond employed a scientific approach to casework by systematically examining a variety of social work case records. In addition, she wrote several books on the subject and methods of casework addressing the client in the context of their social and cultural environment (Epple, 2007). Casework developed over time, influenced by Sigmund Freud’s ego psychology, sociology, and psychiatry (Epple, 2007).
The Great Depression of the 1930s reshaped the model of casework. During this time, the public’s view on poverty was modified from personal failure, to a result of economic circumstance. Moreover, the paradigm of government responsibility for social welfare had gained a wider degree of public acceptance (Tannenbaum & Reisch, 2001). For this reason, a national social welfare system was established under Roosevelt’s New Deal Administration (Tannenbaum & Reisch,