Methods & Field Social workers are generalist practitioners that utilize various theoretical frameworks to assist in problem-solving for individuals, family, groups, and communities. They aim to provide interventions at any level based on the need of their clients. The generalist social worker assist with a broad scope problems and can be found in a variety of institutions. When assisting with adult clients who suffer with social development due to childhood trauma, social workers must know what trauma is. Trauma is prevalent in the social work community, almost every social worker has had a client that has suffered from trauma. In order to assist adults that have social development issues stemming from childhood there are The four-fold principles …show more content…
Trauma is an experience or situation that can be continuous. It is emotionally painful and distressing, and these type of feelings can overwhelm an individual's ability to cope, leaving an individual powerless. Clients should then be provided education on social development, what healthy social development is, what healthy relationships are and begin to practice relationship building. It is imperative that clients with social development issues practice learning to relax, self-soothe, express and manage feelings appropriately while finding closure with their traumatic experiences (Knight, 2015). At a mezzo level social workers can conduct social action by having a therapeutic trauma group counseling and therapeutic recreational activities within a community. A neighborhood that may be high in crime can cause trauma, and the trauma can be recurring stimuli placed on the residents such as violence (experiencing or witnessing), deplorable environmental conditions, gang activity, and much more. Advocacy for policy change, accountability, and enforcement is a macro level action that can take place to address combating childhood trauma for the prevention of poor social development. At the Martin Pollak Project, Inc in Baltimore, MD trauma informed practice is important. The agency has held numerous training on trauma informed practice. The agency has policies geared toward trauma informed practice and discusses the different traumatic experiences that clients may potentially suffer from that is shown in their personal
The job of a child welfare worker appears to be a demanding profession that promotes the child’s safety, but also strengthens the family organization around them in order to successfully raise the children. This child welfare workers work in the system known as the Child Protective Services whose initiative is to protect the overall welfare of the child. The short novel From the Eye of the Storm: the Experiences of a Child Welfare Worker by Cynthia Crosson-Tower demonstrates the skills necessary to deal with the practice of social work along with both its challenges and its happy moments. The novel consists of some of the cases involving Tower’s actual career in social work. In reading the book, I was able to experience some of the actual cases in which children dealt with physical and mental abuse from their families that caused them to end up within the system. Also, some of these children had issues in adapting to foster and adoptive families based on the issues they faced earlier in life. As we have learned earlier in the course, the violence that a child experiences early in life has an overall affect on the person they become as they grow into adulthood. When children deal with adverse childhood experiences, they are at a higher risk for abusing drugs and/or alcohol, increased likelihood of abusing their own child or spouse, higher rates of violent and nonviolent criminal behavior, along with several other issues throughout their lifespan.
The challenges that the social worker identified and the impact the abuse could have on Brandon include the trauma and abuse, illness and struggle may be injurious, but they may also be sources of challenge and opportunity. Every environment is full of resources. Resources can provide great strengths. One of social workers’ major roles is to link clients with the resources they need to empower them to improve their lives (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman,
Social workers are well-versed, resourceful, and upbeat in responding to developing organizational, community and societal contexts at all levels of practice. Social workers distinguish that the framework of practice is vigorous, and use knowledge and skill to respond proactively. In generalist training, social workers practice at whatever level is required with whatever style system, depending on the complications and powers in focus as considered from an ecological-systems perspective. The generalist may be working at a particular practice level at a given time or with more than one level simultaneously or sequentially.
In a Ted Talk entitled “How childhood trauma affects health across a lifetime,” pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains how repeated abuse and neglect can have effects on the brain. Harris has started a clinic with her colleagues, focusing on childhood trauma and its affects. Harris routes her talk with scientific research and evidence, but her information is presented in a way for everyone to understand. To support her claim about childhood trauma, Harris establishes her ethos, by presenting information from herself and her colleagues, and various others, giving her creditability. Harris relies on logos and pathos throughout her talk as well, saying how one’s ACE score directly affects their health. Her pathos is credited here by allowing the audience to have an emotional response and also her logos as strong evidence is being used.
Psychology researchers have conducted many case studies and have spent countless hours reviewing case studies that have already been done to try to find the answer to the question, does childhood trauma cause and effect the symptoms of patients with psychological disorders such as Schizophrenia and Psychosis, or can the trauma cause a patient to have Schizophrenia or Psychosis. Many case studies’ findings state that there is a link. Some studies say only certain symptoms are affected. I want to know what symptoms are affected and what kind of childhood trauma could have possibly affected the symptoms of patients who have been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Psychosis, or if the childhood trauma could have caused a patient‘s mental illness.
Social work is a highly organized profession that involves a large broad of need-to-know knowledge base and the up most intellectual skills, which allows the social worker to follow a certain process of assessment and intervention when working with a service user. Throughout this essay an intervention plan will be developed, canvassing Trevithick’s framework of theoretical, factual and practical for the case study of Mrs. Browning. The case describes a widowed 85-year-old Mrs. Browning who has been admitted to Western Health Hospital after a fall at her home. Before the incident, she has managed independently with some support from her daughter who lives 50 miles away, whereas her other two adult children live out of state. The fall has resulted
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is one of the most commonly utilized interventions for children (Cary & McMillen, 2011). TF-CBT is a highly structured intervention consisting of 90-minute weekly sessions. The clinician works with the client through eight competencies, including psychoeducation, relaxation, affective expression and regulation, cognitive coping, trauma narrative development and processing, gradual exposure, joint parent/child sessions, and enhancing future development (Cary & McMillen, 2011). TF-CBT has an extensive history and many variations. Clinicians utilize a number of other cognitive behavior treatments that have been adapted to meet the needs of traumatized children (Cary, & McMillen, 2012; Smith et al., 2007). While there are a number of cognitive behavior treatments, TF-CBT has received the highest classification rating for supported and effective treatment from many studies (Cary, & McMillen, 2012; Kauffman Best Practices Project, 2004).
Children experience decreased development in the left brain when traumatic events occur (Network, n.d.). Imagine being a child and growing up with these types of events occurring. A traumatic event in a child’s life can cause a child to experience a long lasting negative effect. Life events are happening everywhere and more often in the lives of children (Understanding Child Traumatic Stress, n.d.). Trauma can cause them to do three things. First, they try to see what the danger is and how serious it is. Secondly there are strong emotional and physical reactions. Thirdly they attempt to come up with what to do that can help them with the danger. Traumatic events can cause a child to develop differently, which effects the young child stage,
Working in the mental health field there will be clients who may have a history of trauma. I feel like I do not yet have the competence to work with trauma clients. However, this is an area that I am interested in. I would like to gain more competence in this area so that I would effectively help implement treatment. Working with trauma clients is not easy. As a professional, I would want to treat clients in the best way without emotionally pushing them too hard. In treating trauma, I believe it is best to talk about the past events. However, clients may not want to relive the past which can trigger aggressive behaviors. I wold not to trigger anything negative in my client. I would need to apply an intervention strategy that allows the client to be open however feel comfortable enough to do the
Clinical social workers in the community strive to enhance and maintain psychosocial functioning of individuals, families, and small groups. They also focus on prevention of psychosocial dysfunction or impairment, including emotional and mental disorders. The perspective of person-in-situation (psychosocial context) is fundamental to clinical social work practice (Austin, Barr, & Coombs, 2006).
I enjoyed reading about the role of resilience in trauma because a focus on resilience is congruent with many social work values. This type of focus provides hope in an area of practice that is often filled with despair and a primary focus on symptomology. Social work emphasizes a strengths focused approach and resilience is an important strength to recognize in survivors of traumatic events. Acknowledging resilience allows a social worker to empower the client to realize their part in their
A social worker must have the knowledge and skills to apply to intervention strategies that can address key issues through a wide range of tools (Miley, O’Melia & Dubois 2013, p. 7). To devise an intervention plan for the case study, Miley’s (2013, p. 112) four step model is utilised.
The generalist model in the social work profession was drawn from a social system’s theory in the late 1960 's due to the complexities of problems and challenges faced by human beings. It was needed to assist social workers in assessing and interviewing clients. Rather than make the client fit the model, the generalist model seeks to find the approach that best fits the client, as well as emphasizing respect for client self-determination and the use of client strengths with empowerment as an expected client system outcome. A generalist practice model is used in all areas of social work field in ethical and effective helping based on the eco-systems perspective using problem-solving strategies and practice skills requiring a strengths perspective
In today’s society, people behave in different ways according to their experiences and roles in life. In my opinion, I believe that theories, paradigms and models of social work practice are necessary in order to have a better understanding of people’s behavior. For example, they help social workers to understand why people act the way they do depending on the setting. They allow us to analyze people individually, in a group, and as a part of the entire society. They are beneficial tools that guide social workers in the process of asking questions, complete the assessments and develop a treatment plan. It gives us an insight of what to expect or predict about a presenting problem. “Historically, it was proposed that social work did not merit the status of an established profession because it did not have a theoretical knowledge base” (Robbins, Chatterjee, Canda, 2006, p.14). Therefore, the use of theories, paradigms and models, help social workers to gain credibility because they support our ideas. They help social workers to get more knowledge by providing a clear explanation of what we believe and an opportunity to expand that knowledge by discovering more information about people’s behavior in the environment.
This study is expected to provide social workers with information by examining what social workers do post-graduation to help them remain culturally competent. Social workers will be in a position where they can understand barriers/obstacles that make it difficult to engage in the professional development regarding this topic.