FAMILY POVERTY UNPARALLELED ALMOST ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, WIDE SCALE HOUSING DEPRIVATION, AN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DOUBLE THAT OF OTHER REGIONS, CIVIL DISORDER, PARAMILITARY SECTARIAN CONTROL OF SOME COMMUNITIES, AND THE CONSTANT THREAT OF VIOLENCE CONFRONT SOCIAL WORKERS IN NORTHERN IRELAND. IT MUST BE ASKED THEREFORE, WHETHER IT IS APPROPRIATE TO CONTINUE SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICE MODELED FOR CONDITIONS OF POLITICAL STABILITY, COMPARATIVE AFFLUENCE, AND MORE EXTENSIVE SOCIAL PROVISION. THERE IS NO CIVIL DEFENSE ORGANIZATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND POSSESSING STATUTORY AUTHORITY AND TRAINED AND EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO CITIZENS IN TIMES OF EMERGENCY. THE FULL IMPACT OF THE EMERGENCIES OCCASIONED BY SECTARIAN CONFLICT AND CIVIL DISORDER THUS FALL ON SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. BECAUSE THE EXTENT OF EMERGENCIES, VIOLENCE, AND DEPRIVATION VARY FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT, THE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES IN EACH DISTRICT ARE GENERALLY LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES IN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AND DEVISING NEW TECHNIQUES FOR DEALING WITH THE COMMUNITY PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THEM. WHEREAS SOCIAL WORK TRAINING AND SOCIAL AGENCY OPERATIONAL STRUCTURES HAVE BEEN GEARED TOWARD CASEWORK, THE LARGE-SCALE COMMUNITY DISORDER AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEPRIVATION NECESSITATING THE PROVISION OF HOUSING, FOOD, AND MISCELLANEOUS SURVIVAL SERVICES TO LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE PROHIBIT THE CASEWORK APPROACH. IN MANY CASES, SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES MUST ALSO DEAL WITH THE PARAMILITARY GROUPS CONTROLLING CERTAIN COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO DO THEIR WORK WITHOUT FEAR FOR THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY. THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAINING SOCIAL WORKERS AND RESEARCHERS HAVE PAID LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES IN NORTHERN IRELAND WHICH REQUIRE NEW MODELS FOR SOCIAL WORK. TRAINING BASED ON RESEARCH INTO THE NATURE OF SOCIAL WORK IN THE MIDST OF SEVERE CIVIL DISORDER IS NEEDED. (RCB)