家庭社會工作就是以家庭為對象所從事的社會工作，對家庭各成員的需求和問題提供幫助。當個人的家庭角色執行困難，或是家人關係有問題，導致家庭功能無法發揮，就需要家庭社工。凡是採取社會工作方法或理論，以家庭整體為核心所提供的各項家庭服務，都可稱為家庭社會工作。
由於各種因素，使家庭功能無法繼續維持正常的運作，以致可能傷害兒童人身安全、就養和就學權益，亦可能威脅其他家庭成員；家庭功能因著面臨突發事件、家庭成員本身或家庭內、外在及社會環境的阻礙與困難，這些障礙使家庭無法因應這些家庭問題，陷入「多重壓力」或「多重需要」。
課程內涵有三，第一是「奠定家庭服務的能力」，強調基本功夫。依序說明家庭圖、家庭環境圖、家庭理論、家庭訪視、家庭空間、家庭評估、法令、服務輸送。第二是「透過113業務幫助家庭」，重點是家庭及婚姻暴力、兒童虐待及高風險、性侵害、亂倫及老人虐待，接著說明處遇，從社工、諮商治療、教育社會等方面著力。第三式「透過經濟與司法幫助家庭」，經濟面有守有攻，濟貧如同防守，脫貧彷彿進攻，包括協助就業、理財脫貧、信託保障等。司法面也有守有攻，家事事件法及家事調解偏重防守。寄養、安置、出養、收養，則主動改變家庭及孩子。

Family social work is social work that targets families and provides help to the needs and problems of family members. Family social workers are needed when an individual has difficulty performing family roles, or when there are problems with family relationships that prevent family functions from being fulfilled. All family services provided using social work methods or theories with the family as a whole as the core can be called family social work.
Due to various factors, family functions cannot continue to operate normally, which may harm children's personal safety, education and education rights, and may also threaten other family members; family functions face obstacles and difficulties due to emergencies, family members themselves, or the internal, external and social environment of the family. These obstacles make families unable to cope with these family problems and fall into "multiple pressures" or "multiple needs".
The course has three contents. The first is to "establish the ability to serve families", emphasizing basic skills. The family diagram, family environment diagram, family theory, family visit, family space, family assessment, laws and regulations, and service delivery are explained in sequence. The second is "Helping families through 113 business", which focuses on domestic and marital violence, child abuse and high-risk, sexual assault, incest and elder abuse. Then it explains the treatment, focusing on social work, consultation and treatment, and education and society. The third method is "helping families through the economy and the judiciary". The economic aspect is both defensive and offensive. Poverty relief is like defense, and poverty alleviation is like offense. It includes employment assistance, financial poverty alleviation, trust protection, etc. The judiciary also has both defensive and offensive aspects, with family affairs law and family mediation focusing on defense. Foster care, placement, foster care, and adoption take the initiative to change the family and the child.

隨著時代快速變遷，家庭的樣態多元且複雜，家庭社會工作是針對多樣化家庭的生態進行系統動力的瞭解，針對家庭所面臨的諸多困境，採取專業系統評估與多元化的綜融處遇。由於社工所面臨的家庭處境常是邊緣與複雜的，如何以合適的價值、態度與倫理偕同弱勢家庭或系統網絡間合作，並秉持以家庭為中心、社區為基礎的接軌當今的社會福利體制，以有效的因應相關難題，均是本課程將探討的重點。

With the rapid changes of the times, families are diverse and complex. Family social work is a systematic and dynamic understanding of the ecology of diverse families. In response to the many difficulties faced by families, professional systematic assessment and diversified comprehensive treatment are adopted. Since the family situations faced by social workers are often marginal and complex, how to cooperate with disadvantaged families or system networks with appropriate values, attitudes and ethics, and how to adhere to the current social welfare system that is family-centered and community-based to effectively respond to related problems are the focus of this course.

彭懷真(2018)家庭社會工作。台北：揚智。

Peng Huaizhen (2018) Family Social Work. Taipei: ALi.