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Strengths and weaknesses in social work
Strengths and weaknesses in social work
Strengths and weaknesses in social work
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Micro Level “What is my agency’s purpose and what is my role as a social worker in this context?” This is a micro and mezzo issue and related to the core competencies of Professional Identity and Practice Contexts. “Does my agency have any component that may deter vulnerable populations such as women of color and other minority groups from retaining our services?” This issue can also be presented on the micro and mezzo levels because it will address the gender, racial and ethnic dynamics of the staff working at the agency, while gauging the comfort level this particular client would require. In addition, this issue would take into consideration the staff’s attitudes toward minorities and the agency’s reputation within the community. This …show more content…
issue is related to the core competencies of Engaging Diversity and Difference in Practice through self-awareness and self-regulation. “Does the client define their relationship as being abusive”? As a professional, working with a client who identify as being associated with a vulnerable population such as racial and ethnic minorities, it is crucial to recognize the role and extent to which that client’s culture influences their understanding of the issue.
Being that the clients should be engaged as the expert of their own lives, this issue can be connected on both the micro and mezzo levels that are related to the core competencies of Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice. “Is the client being currently abused and is their safety or health at risk?” This is a micro issue that is related to the core competencies of Assessing the Individuals and Families. By utilizing critical thinking and assessing the client’s needs the social worker will be more equipped in selecting the most suitable intervention for this client. “How may the client’s demographics and family relationships facilitate interventions and client goals?” This is a micro issue that takes in account the worker’s ability to utilize practice skills in developing an empathetic understanding of the client’s cultural uniqueness. From a strength based perspective, the social worker can draw on the client’s family and cultural attributes to collaboratively identify multiple interventions tailored to suit their cultural identity. This issue relates to the competency of Engaging with Individuals and Families through use of empathetic and interpersonal …show more content…
skills. “Are there any minors involved and does the environment pose a threat to their wellbeing?” As a professional, we are binded by ethical and legal obligations towards our clients. Therefore as the social worker we function in the capacity of a professional mandator. In this particular case, the worker would take into consideration the best interest of any children that could be involved. This would be a micro issue and related to the competencies of Ethical and Professional Practice. “How will my own values or biases hinder my ability to provide effective care for this client ?” For this particular issue the worker must understand that conflicts with our own value system may arise and manifest as an overwhelming need to immediately intervene and protect the client. However, these are the areas where application of theories that address decision-making, consultation among other professionals on the team and to some extent legal advice on ethical actions, would serve to provide the best outcome for the client. This is a micro and mezzo issue related to the core competencies of Engage with Individuals, Families, Organizations, and Communities to facilitate and understand strategies that will accommodate and advance client engagement and practice effectiveness. Mezzo Level “What resources and support are culturally appropriate for this particular client?” As social workers we understand that specialized practice is culture bound and demonstrate an understanding of how their own culture impact their clinical relationship with client’s. This is a mezzo issue that relates to the core competencies of Engaging Diversity and Difference in Practice. “Does my agency provide access to support groups or will this client need to be referred to a local support groups within their community?” This is a mezzo issue related to the core competency of Practice Context and Behaviors. “Does the client’s community provide social assets and resources that are targeted towards victims of domestic violence?” This is a mezzo issue that addresses the social functioning of our clients within their community and the accessibility of culturally inclusive resources at hand; therefore, this issue relates to the core competency of Assessing Individuals, Groups, and Communities to identify the strengths and challenges of the client and the community they belong to. “Will the client’s community have the socio-economic capabilities of improving its social functioning, where resources for abused women, such as shelters or housing assistance are usually scarce?” As a professional, the social worker must understand the various economic, social, and environmental risk factors that are affiliated with preventing treatment and access to community organizations for a client associated with an oppressed and marginalized population. This is a mezzo level issue related to the core competency of Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice. “Will my agency need to make special efforts in reaching out to community programs and services?” The social worker and agency would need to consider how they can build alliances among other local agencies that are capable of validating the client’s experiences and practice an empowerment service delivery that is geared towards support networks and community organizing. This is a mezzo issue related to the core competency Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities to achieve optimal practice and client outcomes. Macro Level “What other social agency might be involved in caring for the client’s needs?” Depending on the severity of the case the social worker must take into account the necessary agencies that will play a role in providing a successful intervention for the client. These agencies could include the police department and courts in regards to laws that protect victims of domestic violence through the different levels of protective orders. This can be a mezzo and macro issue related to the core competency of Engage in Policy Practice that requires the identification and analytical advocating for policies on the local, state, and federal levels that will be beneficial for our client. “Does the agency use practice informed research to advocate for policies that address domestic violence within this marginalized population?”. This is a macro issue related to the core competency of Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice that will aide in the developing and improvement of state and national programs that serve to alleviate these social issues while improving service delivery. “What role can my agency play in advocating for a linear relationship between victims of domestic violence and law enforcement that will encourage the women of these vulnerable populations to feel safe in reporting the crimes committed against them without fear of negative repercussions?” Social workers must engage in practice behaviors that advance human rights and social justice for our clients. This is a macro issue related to the core competency of Advancing Human Rights and Social, Economic and Environmental Justice. Does the agency collaborate with non-profit organization such as human rights groups, and pro-bono law firms to promote Legislative advocacy and lobbying skills that initiate a coalition between social systems and the vulnerable population this client is a member of? This is a macro issues related to core competency Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities. “How can this agency use social media as a platform to raise political awareness of domestic violence against women of color and other cultural backgrounds.This is a macro issue connected to the core competence Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities.
“How will the current political climate affect the implementation of domestic violence legislations?” Social workers must be attuned to the legislations mandating and limiting services the client will require.The worker will need to identify contextual considerations that would apply to social policies that the criminal justice system may be apprehensive in enforcing. This is a macro level issue related to the core competency of Engaging in Policy Practice that is aimed at advocating for advancement of human rights through policy reforms. “Does the client have access and utilization to medical care?” Domestic violence is a public health issue that is an underreported crime within marginalized populations that many women of color belong to. The Affordable Care Act is a critical source f medical insurance for many minority groups; therefore, we must be aware of the system and political agendas that aim at removing critical health care subsidies concerning domestic violence. This is a macro issue that relates to Engaging in Policy Practice affecting the delivery of social
services. “Does my agency provides the appropriate resources to educate vulnerable population about domestic violence in their community?”. This is a macro issue that relates to core competency Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice.
Domestic violence is a problem in our country with nearly 1 million women experiencing at least one incident of domestic abuse each year, (2009/10 British Crime Survey). Social-program funding is being scrutinized in the current economic climate with doubts as to whether American tax dollars should be used to help victims of domestic violence. Cutting funds for government programs that assist victims of domestic violence is not an option for many reasons. In this essay I will explore some of the many ways these programs help our fellow citizens in order to support the argument for continuing to fund said programs.
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,
A therapist will face problems, issues and client troubles everyday. The professional must understand how their client relates to the world around them. These feelings and ideas affect how the client sees the problem and how they respond to their situation. Their actions, in turn, have bearing on individual thoughts, needs, and emotions. The therapist must be aware of the client's history, values, and culture in order to provide effective therapy. This paper will outline and provide information as to the importance of cultural competence and diversity in family therapy.
Cultural Competence Understanding culture is an important aspect of being a social worker; this does not mean learning common cultural traits is of great significance to the social work profession. “Consider the second-generation Japanese-American social worker whose practice consists of Mexican-American and African-American families. Memorizing national traits or cultural rituals would be interesting and informative, but ultimately these would be an inaccurate basis on which to “know” these particular families” (Dorfman, 1996, p. 33). When understanding cultural competence, it is important to learn from the client about their culture in order to serve them in the most helpful and efficient way possible. There is a major drawback to memorizing information, and that is, this information will not give you a real understanding of who your client is and what life experiences they have personally faced.
Like child abuse, it affects every American by impacting those we love the most. Awareness for domestic violence victims has evolved since the beginning of our country. In earlier times, it was a private matter, and took place “behind closed doors”. They helped them past their sufferings and place them back into mainstream culture. (Karmen, 2015) Claims one movement that assisted with the process is the Feminist Movement. This widespread movement took place during the 1970’s, and represented the “beaten women”. It helped them stand up for themselves during their distraught times. Domestic tranquility ensures women their safety at home under their husbands’ protection. The Feminist’s Movement questioned domestic tranquility and urged women to stand up for themselves (Karmen, 2015). They discovered the “silent crisis” that lived inside so many women at the time. The crisis was that the men they married gave into the times of “behind closed doors” and “look the other way”. Those times would stand no more, due to the feminist’s movement and widespread awareness. Laws and legislation have changed since the rediscovery of the victims of domestic violence. One example is restraining orders. Restraining orders set up a level of protection for the women from the male offenders. Another example of legislation is The Violence Against Women Act. Promulgated in 1994 the act mandates that all states enforce protective orders issued in a
I conducted an interview with Barbara Schauland, MS, Rehabilitation Counselor, Branch Office Manager, regarding her experiences working with culturally diverse clients in the field of vocational rehabilitation. Ms. Schauland has been employed with the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services for five and a half years. During her time with the agency she has worked as a general field counselor serving adult population, as a specialized counselor working with the deaf and hard of hearing, and now is a branch office manager. Ms. Schauland supervises ten Rehabilitation Counselors, three Rehabilitation Service Associates (para-professionals) and one Office Assistant. During the interview Ms. Schauland was
The first framework that would be beneficial when working with this population is the Dual Perspective Framework. The Dual Perspective Framework is a model that charges the social worker with assessing and understanding the client’s world. While doing so, one must take into account the client’s relationship to not only their immediate family and community, but also to the larger societal system while considering and comparing values, attitudes, and behaviors (Prigoff, 2003, p. 80). Another way to explain the Dual Perspective was presented by Dr. Nimmagadda as part of the diversity section of this course (2015). The contrasting views are also known as the “Nurturing Environment” versus the “Sustaining Environment.” The “Nurturing Environment” can be identified as the individual’s family or immediate extended family, while the “Sustaining Environment” can be identified as how an individual feels other’s view them in the social environment (Nimmagadda, 2015). An individual can evolve and change according to their experiences and interactions in both environments.
What can we say about domestic violence in this country that has not been said already? Is it that it happens in our everyday lives but no one ever talks about it in the media? As a woman I say this with great reluctance in regards to one of my sources: “Most of the reported abuse cases happen in poor and crime- ridden neighborhoods where couples or families in crisis have little to no access to counseling or remedies.” My interest is, does counseling really work? One of my sources is “Normlessness, Domestic Violence, and Social Practice” by Sharleen Andrews. This article talks about Implications for Social Work with Families, and How Anomie Affects the Latino Community. Another source is Dying for Love: The Epidemic of Domestic Abuse Cases by Kimberly Davis. This article speaks about how women are in the most danger after they get out of an abusive relationship, and also touches on different perspectives.
Difficulty engaging clients may occur when the social worker has limited knowledge about the cultures of the client, including appropriate body language, asking culturally sensitive questions and even assessing the needs based on their cultural beliefs and values. For example, one of the client’s that was referred to TSI for a substance abuse evaluation. With her assessment completed, a referral was made to intensive outpatient treatment.
Domestic violence is a complex issue that plagues society regularly. Judicial systems all over the United States have attempted to create regulations to protect victims of domestic abuse. Furthermore, scattered scarcely throughout the United States are non-profit and small organizations which attempt to supplement the judicial protection with additional resources. Nevertheless, domestic abuse seems to be much bigger than any services these systems can maintain. Victims of domestic violence suffer with harmful issues even judicial and non-profit systems have yet to overcome and as society advances, even more issue seem to arise.
However, Johnson & Munich state that the means by which the social worker learn about the client's life, culture, and circumstances are contradictory to theories of cultural competence. (2009). Furthermore, problems by redefining conventional theories to acknowledge the client's view
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, between 1998 and 2002: 84% of spouse abuse victims were females, and 86% of victims of dating partner abuse at were female. As a consequence, the racial diversity in US has created an impact on the current policy implementation and programs. This will helps us identify which individuals are reporting the greatest domestic violence rates regarding race, ethnicity, marital status and educational level. By studying the domestic violence abuse rates among races will help to identify which social class is currently being impacted. Action is needed for the destination of funding and development of programs aimed to help the
A social worker must present themselves as a learner and understand clients from all experts of their own experiences. To show your respect to the clients as a social worker you must be able to show that you understand complexity of cultural identity. Cultural competence targets social workers knowledge of development, focusing on culturally specific demographics, characteristics, values, and intravenous technique. When dealing with cultural sensitivity a worker’s genuine appreciation of the client’s uniqueness and universalistic respect for the client’s humanness is needed. To have success in multicultural practice, cultural responsiveness come in to play, which means to be culturally responsive, social workers use dialogue skills that place the client’s construction of reality at the center of the
Module five helped me to expand my knowledge in relation to the community responses to domestic violence, as well as dating violence and elder abuse and community agencies resources related to domestic violence. Back in the 1970’s if an officer responded to a domestic violence call, most of the time the officer would recommend the couple or family to contact a family services agency because the police thought domestic violence calls were a family problem not a police problem. “In the 1980’s, laws were enacted and procedures were set in place that were directed toward protecting the victims of domestic violence”. (Cahill, Davis, DeBoard, Gibson, Johnson, Marcon, & West, 2011) Now, when police responds to a domestic violence call they usually
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen