The purpose of this study was to address the use of computers in social work practice and to survey the field for tools, concepts, and trends that could assist social workers in their practice. In addition to a review of the relevant literature, information was requested from the Social Work Service and Ambulatory Care Database Section at Walter Reed Medical Center in the District of Columbia, and from the School of Social Welfare at the University of California at Los Angeles. The review of the literature focused on issues regarding information management systems for social work practice and computer applications in the areas of psychological testing, DSM-III evaluation, psychotherapy, psychopharmacology treatment, family therapy, consultant liaison psychiatry, chronic care, geriatric psychiatry, neurobehavioral training, computer games in child psychotherapy, patient education, music therapy, therapy for addictions, full-service psychiatric programs, computer imaging, the computerized electroencephalograph (EEG), psychiatric research, computerized second opinions, expert systems, and "neural" computers. Computer applications in the social work curriculum are also discussed. Ways in which word processing, databases, spreadsheets, and information management systems could be used in social work are suggested, and a discussion of the implications of computer use for social workers concludes the report. Appended materials include a glossary of computer terminology, a description of an appropriate computer system, a checklist for developing an agency database system, and a list of computer software that could be used by social workers to enhance their work and computer skills. (Contains 83 references.) (BBM)