Private Practice Social Work in the Arab World: Sultanate of Oman as a Model

Abstract

This chapter aims to discuss the reality of the private practice social work profession in the Arab world from both research and practice perspectives. Furthermore, it identifies the most significant obstacles to the spread of its agencies. Additionally, this chapter discusses several fundamental concepts in this field, such as private practice, private practice agencies, and private practitioners. By referring to scientific research undertaken in the Arab world and, in particular, Oman society, a systematic scientific approach is significant to private practice and its themes. Finally, the author will wrap up the chapter by discussing the findings of one of his studies that identified the obstacles to the spread of private practice.

1. Introduction

The social work profession was not initially planned or thought out. It was born out of human needs and suffering. A helping hand was instinctive in various parts of the world. Social, political, and professional pressures all influenced the development of social work. Economic changes, wars, and the rise of other helping professions all contributed significantly to the development of social work as a profession. Social work must be recognized as a profession so that clients can feel confident that they are receiving services from practitioners who adhere to an ethical code of conduct [1]. The social work profession is a relatively recent one. Despite its modernity, it established a professional and value framework for itself, allowing it to continue and flourish while also delivering professional services with a high degree of efficiency and adequacy at all levels of professional activity (micro, middle, and macro). As a result, it has gained social recognition as a vital profession, allowing it to be practiced at all levels of society, including educational institutions and professional practice organizations, and in all aspects of life and work. Furthermore, at the local, national, and worldwide levels, the establishment of professional federations and unions representing program planning and design allows for coexistence.

The rapid development of the profession of social work at both academic and practice levels has enabled it to have a significant impact in most societies. It also helped it develop several models for professional intervention and helped it format a particular theory.

Human societies’ cultures that accept social work as a significant profession can significantly change all social systems in the community. This contributed to the fact that professional practices were not limited to governmental and private institutions but led to a sense of the need for the importance of their presence in private institutions. Then the need for private practice in social service appeared in many human societies.

1.1 A brief historical development of the social work profession

Since the first social work class was offered in the summer of 1898 at Columbia University, social workers have led the development of private and charitable organizations to serve people in need. Social workers continue to address the needs of society and bring our nation’s social problems to the public’s attention [2]. The profession of social work is an American profession, as the United States of America witnessed the stage of recognizing the profession’s methods one after the other since the beginning of the twentieth century. The circumstances that paved the way for the emergence of the social work profession were:

• Origins of American social welfare are found in the English Poor Laws. Although the laws were passed over 400 years and changed incrementally to reflect new thinking about poverty and work [3].

• Historical evidence confirms that at the beginning of the 20th century, in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Germany, organized aid to poor and otherwise socially disadvantaged people was developed utilizing civic and church organizations provided by volunteers under the guidance of staff. Voluntary service as principle attempts to present the human being beyond the framework of the legal aspects of claiming rights to something; it implies a common bond on the level of moral principles, virtues, and the common good. This heralds to a great extent the trend in community types of co-organization and togetherness, or rather the common good for the community or locality [4].

The care systems for the poor at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century depended on the efforts of volunteers on the one hand. On the other hand, a transition was made from individual and voluntary charitable work to the professional and scientific work of the social work profession. It has been shown that recognizing the need for effective coordination of services through an individual and comprehensive assessment to resolve the situation of people with problems demonstrates the need for professionally trained experts for this job. In any case, the professional preparation of social workers in its infancy was never intended to replace individual interest and voluntary effort. For example, “Mary Richmond (1908)” did not think or immortalize that social workers could themselves be servants or helpers of the community; she was convinced that the primary responsibility of social work as a profession is to lead and support voluntary efforts. However, with the development and organization of social services in many fields, the importance of the mutual partnership between social workers and volunteers has been forgotten; as Mary Richmond says:

Moreover, we owe it to those who shall come after us that they shall be spared the groping and blundering by which we have acquired our stock of experience. In these days of specialization, when we train our cooks, our apothecaries, our engineers, our librarians, our nurses– when, in fact, there is a training school for almost every form of skilled service- – we have yet to establish our first training school for charity workers, or, as I prefer to call it, “Training School in Applied Philanthropy [5].

Historically, the social work profession took root, having a twofold micro–macro mission. Pioneer social worker Mary Richmond represented service to individuals and families needing aid to alleviate difficulties in social functioning. Her contemporary counterpart, Jane Addams, represented social reform through environmental change to meet broad human needs. This dual approach to practice has defined the profession since its inception. Indeed, according to historians, during the progressive era, the macro area had a strong presence that dominated the attention of social workers [6]. Porter Lee (1929) characterized the dual micro and macro practices of the profession in terms of “cause” and “function,” discussing both their complementary relationship and the tension between them [7].

Social work in American and European society at the beginning of the twentieth century and in the period between the first and second world wars was characterized by the development of educational programs for the profession and the entry of the social work profession into many fields.

At the same time, this period was described as the stage of independence, where professional efforts of social work tended toward defining itself as an independent profession, and in the context of these efforts, not only the appearance of social work was changed but changes were found in its relationship to voluntary work. In an attempt to show social work as a profession in its relationships with representatives of other disciplines, its relationships with clients and society, and its relationship with itself as a profession, a distinction needed to be made between the professional efforts of social service and volunteer efforts.

With time and more efforts to be made, social work has become a recognized profession in all human societies. Social work to become unique among helping disciplines develop distinct methods of practice. These methods are social casework, social group work, community organization, social welfare administration, and research. It is “Scientific Humanism” as it uses a scientific base. Social work is based on specific values that constitute the “philosophy of social work.” Social work is based on faith in the essential worth and dignity of the individual [8].

1.2 The emergence of the social work profession in Egypt and the Arab world¹

Egypt was one of the first countries in the Middle East to authorize the practice of social work. The field of social work emerged in the 1930s due to cultural friction between Egyptian students who were studying in Western European countries and the United States of America. Accepting the profession in Egyptian society strengthened the presence of many foreign communities in Egypt during that period, where practicing social work started with the people of the French community in Egypt. The first school of social work was established in Alexandria in 1934, and most of its students were foreigners. Teaching in it was based on the French language. In 1937 a group of Egyptian educated from studying outside, especially from the United States and Western Europe, established the Egyptian Association for Social Studies (EASS). In the same year, the EASS established the school for social work in Cairo; in 1939, the Ministry of Social Affairs was established. In 1940, the first batch of Egyptian social workers graduated, as the state began to take the lead in working to solve social and individual problems [9]. According to some observers of the history of the social work profession, Professional social work in Egypt started only in 1936 when the first school of social work was established, “but charity and social welfare services have been offered and known in Egypt since the Pharaohs ruled” [10]. Others believed that the profession of social work appeared in Egypt when Western-educated social workers brought professional social work education to the Middle East. Specifically Egypt, in 1936 when “two foreign-born social workers (one trained in the United States and the other in Switzerland) and a professor from the American University in Cairo initiated the idea and were able to muster support” to establish the Cairo School of Social Work [11].

Following the establishment of Schools of Social Work in Egypt, the first social work pioneers were used to encourage them to do research, write, publish, and continue to promote professional education in social work. Fatima Al-Harouni, Ahmed Al-Sanhouri, and Saleh Al-Shobokshi, writers of the first Arabic publications on social casework were among these Egyptian pioneers. In addition, the initiation of postgraduate programs, the awarding of master's and doctoral degrees in social work, and the expansion of sending students abroad all had a significant impact on increasing scientific knowledge, learning about modern curricula and theories, and attempting to integrate them into Egyptian society [12].

The social work profession in Egypt has been consistently developed. However, development at academic institutions has outpaced development at professional practice organizations. For example, the Cairo School of Social Work was founded in 1937, and the first batch of social workers graduated in 1940 (17 students); the school’s name was changed to the Higher Institute of Social Work in Cairo in 1972. In 1947, the Higher Institute of Social Work for Girls was founded in Cairo’s “Garden City,” and it eventually became the social work faculty of Helwan University in 1975. This faculty began awarding bachelor's degrees in social work, and graduate programs at the master’s and doctorate levels began a few years later [13]. The faculty of Social Work at Fayoum University was established in 1983. Studies began in the academic year 1984/85 at bachelor’s and master’s levels simultaneously. The college has since become one of the forefront educational institutes of social work in Egypt and the Arab world. As a result, several high and medium faculties and institutes in social work were established in Egypt, increasing the number of university faculties to six, the number of higher institutions giving a bachelor’s degree in social work to twelve, and five medium institutes grant a diploma degree in social work. Despite remarkable advances in the social sciences in general and social work in particular, all Arab countries continue to encounter several challenges that hinder the development of the social work profession. “Soliman and Abd Elmegied” believe that Social work curricula in Egypt need to be rigorously and consistently updated to be able to cater to problems such as illegal migration, refugees, refugee students, drug addiction, increased marginalization, slum living conditions, and children living in the streets [14].

Furthermore, an observer of the development of professional practice organizations of social work in the Arab world might detect the severe slowness of this development. From our point of view, many factors prevent this development from proceeding in its natural course and at the same speed as it is moving in the advanced Western countries. Among the most important of these factors is that social work education is focusing on quantity rather than quality (accepting large numbers of students without paying attention to the level of education and training), in addition to concentrating on teaching traditional approaches and neglecting modern approaches in social work. On the other hand, the circumstances of professional practice organizations do not encourage their development because they continue to serve their clients using old models. Therefore, any attempts by academics to bring about the product through teaching and training social work students on modern approaches were hopeless as long as the primary practice organizations in the field have not adopted these current approaches in dealing with their clients. The natural and logical evolution of the social work profession in the Arab world is hampered by several factors. The author will not talk about them, but I will mention a few of them as entry points for the vision of change and progress in professional practice.

1.3 The social work profession in the Gulf societies

After the social work profession established itself in Egypt, it expanded and spread in the regional environment, including 22 Arab countries; the spread was rapid in the Arab Gulf counties. The Egyptian pioneers of social work carried on the responsibility of spreading and settling the profession in Gulf countries. Although the Gulf societies received this modern profession, the Islamic culture of these societies prevented the adoption of the trend of secularization of social work. As one of the previous studies explained, this trend toward secularization of the social work profession has been prevalent in many regions of the world. Still, it has not been the case in Arabian Gulf and other Middle Eastern countries. Resistance to this trend has been influenced by the role of religion in Muslim-majority countries and the impact of the Islamic worldview on people, their problems, their relationships with each other, and obligations to the broader society [11].

Since most of the universally agreed-upon human and ethical values are Islamic religious values, all human rights newly recognized by the international organizations concerned with human rights have been validated by the Islamic religion for more than 1440 years. The global statement of human rights in Islam clarified that the Islamic religion guarantees all human rights and includes them for the human being regardless of his faith, color, race, gender, or any other discriminatory differences. It guarantees him the right to life; freedom; equality; justice; protection from torture; Asylum; thinking, belief, and expression; religious liberty; economic freedom; sufficiency of the necessities of life; the right to marry; privacy; travel; movement; children’s rights; wife’s rights; Laborers’ rights, and other human rights [15]. However, like most of the world’s major religions, many of the core values and purposes of Islam are mainly consistent with the social work profession’s mission, vision, and core values. It is important to note that Islam is not only a belief system but also a way of life that unites the metaphysical and material dimensions [11].

It was entirely dependent on Egyptian academics to develop social work programs in all Gulf countries. However, some of these countries have been developing social work education programs by providing them fully in English, despite field practice that will take place in an Arab environment. Therefore, the need for the assistance of some academics from Western countries was imposed due to the lack of national competencies in those countries, and they thought that the development process requires obtaining the profession from its own origin countries.

1.4 Social work profession in Oman²

The start of social work profession practice in Oman was in the educational field, the first group of social workers was employed at the beginning of the 1970s of the last century, specifically in 1973/1974. The total number of this group reached 22 social workers (15 males and 7 females), including 11 who were employed in the Governorate of Muscat (The capital), while the remaining number was distributed among some Governorates of the Sultanate [16]. These social workers mainly were Omani scholarship students who had studied social work in Egypt or Egyptian social workers who were employed in some schools in Oman. After that, The Omani government recognized the urgent need for more social workers to employ in many professional practice fields. The government employed non-qualification persons to play the social worker’s role in the schools, which was unsuccessful and led to a wrong impression of the profession among the residents of the community; this led to the profession’s ineffectiveness and reduced its status in the society. The Omani government took two steps to solve this problem (the lack of Social workers), the first step was to send a huge number of students abroad to study sociology or social work, and the second step was to launch the sociology department in Arts and Social Sciences College, at Sultan Qaboos University in 1987. The department has introduced the Bachelor’s program in sociology as a major discipline and social work as a minor discipline. In 2001, the department established a separate Bachelor’s degree in social work. Then the department’s name was changed to become the department of Sociology and Social Work. Thus, the process of providing community organizations with qualified social workers began. The Master’s program in sociology started in 1992/1993 for a few years and paused in 1997. The Master’s program resumed in both sociology and social work again in one program in 2004/2005. Since then, the development process has continued to develop the Master’s programs into two separate programs, one for sociology and another for social work 2011. In addition, Dhofar University introduced multiple programs in social work (diploma- bachelor- master) in 2004 [17]. Thus, Omani social workers were employed in most organizations and ministries, where they were employed in schools, the various departments of the Ministry of Social Development, higher education institutions, the Ministry of Health, and in other fields, etc.

In conclusion, regarding the fields of practice, the school social work is considered the most widespread field placement in Oman; it is also the most acknowledged and accepted area of social work. In this field, the school social workers cooperate with other professionals from different disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, teachers, physical therapists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and others; to help pupils satisfy their needs, solve their problems, and provide welfare programs, such as health, educational, social, and psychological welfare assistance. This cooperation takes the form of teamwork, which is based on coordination and integration to achieve the desired goals [18]. However, most of these social workers have achieved little progress in most cases. Accordingly, they have begun to look for other governmental or private practice institutions to get direct help to achieve the successful treatment of complicated cases. It is noteworthy that the primary focus of private practice is the direct delivery of clinical social work services [19].

2. The key concepts

Defining the key concepts is a cornerstone and important task in scientific research. It prevents overlapping between concepts, and it draws a boundary for the understanding meaning of a concept in that particular context [20]. The concepts of social work and private practice social work are the most essential key concepts for this chapter. In addition, the author will show private practice agencies and private practitioners.

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:

1. Governmental agencies: they are the most widespread kind of practice, and they exist in schools, social development units, and some hospitals. They provide some social services for citizens as individuals, families, and communities without fees.

2. Community development agencies: they are legally registered agencies established and run by the population and financed by subscribers’ contributions, donors, voluntary assistance and charity, etc. The government practices a great deal of supervision over them. They come in the second rank in terms of their spread, right after the governmental agencies. They provide free services for citizens or services in exchange for nominal fees used to finance the development of the provided services and activities.

3. Profitable private agencies: they are profitable agencies sponsored by the private sector. They provide their services for stated fees in exchange for permanent or temporary residence or continuous visiting to get services. Of these agencies are those providing care for the disabled and those caring for children with Autism ….etc.

4. Social clinics and private centers: Agencies that any citizen establishes. They serve as a psychological and social clinic or as a center for educational or family counseling. They are established under the rules and regulations imposed by specialized governmental provisions. Among those regulations is the existence of a social worker to run and supervise the clinic/center and be responsible for providing social and counseling services to clients for stated fees as previously contracted with the client or their representative.

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 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.

3.2 Obstacles to the spread of private practice agencies in Oman

According to Saleh [37], the majority of social workers and recent graduates included in the study do not consider establishing private agencies in the future due to the many obstacles that prevent them, including a lack of professional skills required for private practice, the high financial cost of establishing private agencies, and bureaucratic procedures, in addition to Society’s cultural norms. The study identified a number of obstacles to the establishment of private practice social work agencies in Oman, some of which are connected to the profession itself and others to the practitioners themselves. There are further challenges linked to social work education institutions, societal awareness of the profession, regulations governing private practice, and finance [37].

4. Suggestions for overcoming obstacles to the spread of private practice agencies in Oman

4.1 Suggestions for dealing with the profession and practitioners’ obstacles

1. Activating the Omani Social Association’s role in developing social workers and educating the community about private practice, as well as establishing professional ties in all governorates and states.

2. establishing new fields for social work private practice.

3. Publication of an ethical code that organizes social workers’ activities in society.

4. A private social worker must have a master’s degree and five years of experience in order to earn a professional license.

5. Encourage social workers to pursue professional self-development opportunities.

6. Establish new communication channels between governmental institutions and private practice agencies in order to complete the professional assistance process to the customers’ advantage.

4.2 Suggestions for educational institutions

1. Offering specialized programs at the graduate studies level, as well as senior specialties in professional practice.

2. Academic institutions should assist social workers in achieving a high level of professional development.

3. Courses on private practice and its current techniques should be included in the social work curriculum, and related field training should be taken seriously.

4. Recruiting expatriate academic competence specializing in private practice.

5. Developing realistic criteria for admitting students interested in studying social work.

4.3 Suggestions for increasing social awareness

1. Helping change individuals’ perceptions and attitudes toward free services, as well as their reliance on governmental agencies.

2. Improve the reality and perception of private-sector services.

3. Raise public awareness of professional services offered by government agencies as well as those expected to be provided by private agencies.

4. Pre-university education must contain some social work knowledge.

5. Increasing societal awareness of the social work profession through using accessible media.

4.4 Legislative, supervision, and monitoring suggestions

1. Educating social workers about the rules and regulations governing the establishment of licenses and private practice, as well as providing them with relevant literature.

2. Update legislation and laws, as well as simplify registration and licensing procedures, etc.

3. Establish regulating rules that define who is eligible to get a license from private practice agencies.

4. Organize and standardize private practice agency monitoring and supervision methods.

4.5 Suggestions regarding material or financial matters

1. The government should assist social workers who seek to start private practice agencies by offering material and financial assistance.

2. Those wishing to start private practice agencies should be supplied with low-cost feasibility assessments.

3. The corporate and civil sectors should accept social responsibility by giving academic missions to social workers so that they may put their graduate studies into practice in fields of private practice in developed countries.

5. Conclusion

This chapter addresses the reality of private social work practice in the Arab world, mainly in Oman. The author has paved the way for this issue by shedding light on the profession’s global historical evolution, its entrance and development in Egypt, and its subsequent expansion to the Arab Gulf countries. It also covered the social work profession’s entrance into Oman and how interest grew at all levels of professional practice and social work education institutions. The chapter also discussed numerous key concepts, including the global definition of social work, private practice in social work, private practice institutions, and the private practitioner. Moreover, the chapter addressed the reality of private practice social work in Oman by reviewing several previous studies that emphasized that topic. When compared to Arab and Gulf countries, it became obvious that the prevalence of private practice agencies in Oman was low. However, it was proved that the need for these agencies has increased in Omani society. Some of the previous studies included in this chapter also show the types of private practice agencies that the Omani community requires to help its people deal with problems and satisfy their social, psychological, educational, and economic needs. Family and marital counseling centers, counseling and psychological guidance centers, psychiatric clinics, psychological and behavioral rehabilitation centers, counseling services in various fields, educational, social, as well as educational agencies, addiction treatment centers, and so on are examples of these agencies. Although this lack of private agencies, a recent report from the Ministry of Social Development stated a noticeable spread of private rehabilitation centers, which reached 37 centers in Oman.

The chapter was also interested in identifying the most significant obstacles that hinder the expansion of private practice social work agencies in Oman. These obstacles include a lack of professional skills required for private practice, the high financial cost of establishing private agencies and bureaucratic procedures, in addition to Society’s cultural norms. The study identified a number of obstacles to the establishment of private practice social work agencies in Oman, some of which are connected to the profession itself and others to the practitioners themselves. There are further challenges linked to social work education institutions, societal awareness of the profession, regulations governing private practice, and finance. Finally, the chapter concluded with some suggestions for overcoming each of these obstacles.

In our opinion, in the future, the spread of private practice social work agencies in Oman society will have a positive effect on the status of the profession in society; it will strengthen the ability of the society to face and solve its problems.