THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The study will adopt two theories that are interrelated in explaining adolescent pregnancy. It will use the strength perspective and resilience theory.
A STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE
Originator of the theory In 1989, Weick, Rapp, Sullivan, and Kishardt coined the term “strengths perspective” to address a system in which practitioners recognize the authority and assets a client possesses in the client’s frame of reference to their life story, (Yakkaldevi, Filho, & Patrascu, 2014).
Overview of the theory
“The 1980s was the rising of strengths-based approach, which is now coming to be one of the most influential perspectives in the field of both social work theories and practice, drawing on the humanistic approach emphasizing the potential of the individual. It began at the University Of Kansas School Of Social Welfare” (Rapp, 1998). The shift to a strength-based perspective was concerned originally as a strategy for working with persons with severe and persistent mental illnesses, (Berg-Weger, 2016). According to Davis& Mizrahi (2008) a strength perspective is a paradigm shift away from problem focused approaches. It focuses not on the defectiveness of the client system in an
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Adolescents and the environment will always be faced with adversities which could either build or destroy them. As discussed in the paper, there are risk factors for example poverty, unemployment which can make adolescent girls lose hope in striving to work hard. They will find it no use of working hard in school if there are no employment opportunities and this could make them lose focus and indulge in disruptive behaviors as a way of coping. In the case of adolescent girls, this makes them vulnerable to
The strengths model is not just a philosophy or perspective, although it is that. It is rather a set of values and principles, a theory of practice, and explicit and rigorous practice methods that have been developed and refined over the last 25 years (Rapp & Goscha, 2006). The empirical testing of the case management model has shown consistent results that are superior to traditional approaches to serving people with severe psychiatric disabilities. The purpose of this literature review is to critique the effectiveness of the
“The strengths perspective embraces the principle that all clients possess them. Strengths can be the client’s willingness to accept help, the client’s positive attitude, their ability to overcome hardships in the past…” (Arnold, 2008, p. 1) In the strengths perspective, the strengths of a person to resist the stressor and problem areas in their lives are what the focus is on. (Hutchinson, 2016, p. 111) What this means is that it is assumed that regardless of who the person is or what they have done, they have strengths that can help them
Saleebey, D. (1996). The strengths perspective in social work practice: Extensions and cautions. Social work, 41(3),
In order to illustrate a key stage in the life course, I will be looking at the area of adolescence because I believe that this is one of the most critical life stages, with so many immense transitions young people go through. I have chosen to focus on adolescence because of a commitment to working with these vulnerable individuals aged from 14 to 19. We can no doubt all reflect on wrong choices we felt we made in our adolescence, and how our education and employment prospects may have benefited from good advice at this crucial juncture in life. I want to be able to guide vulnerable adolescents in the right direction and help them make the right choices, by understanding their needs, and supporting them in practical ways to live fulfilling and independent lives. From personal experience, I sincerely believe that with the right kind of guidance and attention, troubled teenagers can get back on track.
In order to address the client’s problems and strengths Birkenmaier suggest using a “two compartment model”. “In this approach, the assessment includes a two component model in which the social worker first explores a series of questions with the client to define the problem situation (Component 1). The questions will not only help to identify the client’s strengths, but also their life experiences (both positive and challenging), and strategies for coping with adversity. Gathering this comprehensive perspective on the client’s identity can aid both the social worker and the client in formulating a perception of the client in terms of strengths, versus deficits. (Birkenmaier, 2014, pg.110)”
Adolescents today face a myriad of stressors in their lives that can impact who they are and who they will become. Bio-psychosocial stressors appear to be more prevalent in minority adolescents who reside in lower socioeconomic households. Impoverished neighborhoods experience a great deal of financial difficulties, crime, and single parent homes. Adolescents growing up in these households often have lower grades in school and a lack of self confidence verses their counterparts. Below these stressors will be discussed in greater detail.
284). Then the patient with the help of the therapist explores a broad range of areas of competence that correlates with and may serve as a foundation to the desired quality (resilience). Seven areas of competence to explore for resilience might be: (1) good health, (2) basic trust, (3) the ability to recruit help, (4) cognitive competence, (5) emotional competence, (6) the ability to contribute to others, (7) holding faith having “a moral sense of connection to others” (Padesky & Mooney, 2012, p. 285). The understanding that people can work through obstacles when highly committed or when they experience enjoyment from an activity is the basic implication for strength-based therapy. Therefore, it is best to search for hidden strengths within common day experiences. The strengths discovered in untroubled areas are likely adaptive and not associated with maladaptive behavior.
One of the most important skill to have as a social worker is to identify your client’s strengths. All social workers should have knowledge of an effective leader that are identified by their strengths or limitations in order to improve the one’s they identify. There are several evidence-based assessments that help identify the strengths and limitations of any individual. Thus, it is also necessary to obtain other perspective based on your leadership strengths or limitations in order to improve or strengthen those qualities. The self-assessments used through this paper will help me develop a plan that points out my challenges, help expand and improve on my strengths (Human Services Guide, 2015).
Weick (1992) states “every person has an inherent power that may be characterized as life force, transformational capacity,
Teenagers working under some conditions can be bad for them, but at other times it can be good be governed by the day-to-day schedule for the teenager working. When a teen is till at school, working will have an effect on their participation and attendance in a negative
The goal of the strength based approach is to empower the individual based on their past successes and to aid them in utilizing this strength to progress in a positive manner. We try to break the paradigm of defining the client by their faults or weaknesses. We as a society place names and labels on everything, we define our world and the people around us using this convention. However, marginalized people often
This has provided me with an added insight into what interventions may be beneficial when working with clients. My aptitude for ¨thinking outside the box¨ has facilitated effective problem solving in situations that had no single or clear-cut solution. I hope to enhance this attribute during my time in field placement by refining my critical thinking skills and increasing my knowledge of community resources, so that I can gain a strengthened awareness of how to best advocate for and support clients. My ability to integrate personal goals, values, culture and socioeconomic background into treatment planning and in the treatment process has allowed me to develop realistic and attainable goals that are relevant to each individual. This strength stems from the steadfast belief that cultural relevance is essential to provide effective services. My social work experience has refined my organization and planning skills and I have fine-tuned my ability to manage a chaotic schedule. When I have encountered challenges in the field, I have overcome them by seeking supervision and consulting with more experienced colleagues. I also dedicate extra time to learning about cultures, concepts, and practices that I may have a difficult time understanding or am not familiar with. A final strength I believe will be an asset when working as a professional social worker is my dedication to the social work mission and
In the article Teenagers’ Work Can Have Downsides”by Jerald G Bachman describe how teens who are in high school that have jobs developed poor academic performances “ they're more likely to be involved in a variety of problems ” Jerald began the “Monitoring the Future “ project that monitored teens in high school and from college who had jobs and discovered a drop in the high school teens academics and made connections between long hours and problems behaviors are symptoms of issue like poor adjustments to school and greater interest in short term gratification .They encouraged for student to follow what they call a sweet spot a job that requires relatively few hours per week during the school year fewer hours the better.Student that have
Social work is very diverse, there is not one sole solution, or strength metaphor which can cover all fields. However, there are assessments which can be applied to certain situations, given the practitioners beliefs. “Accessing Clients Strengths: Clinical Assessment for Client Empowerment” is an article written by Charles D. Cowger, and is based on a mainstream contextual understanding that the primary goal of social work is to assist individuals with their relationship to others, and to institutions in a way to promote social and economic justice with regards to the importance of a client strengths perspective for assessment, which, proposes 12 practice guidelines to foster a strengths perspective(Cowger, 1994, p.262).Theory of strengths assessment focuses on two aspects of empowerment, personal empowerment and social empowerment. Personal empowerment dynamic recognizes the uniqueness of each client and their ability to take charge and control of their lives and their own betterment process. The social empowerment dynamic states that personal empowerment is related to opportunity and that individuals behaviors are derived from society. Through social empowerment, the individual plays a key role in shaping their surrounding and vise versa by having various opportunities and access to certain resources.
In my term paper, I would like to talk about Resilience which I believe is a prerequisite for an effective leader. Life has ups and downs and adversities are inevitable. Things can beyond our control, it is impossible for us to prevent unpleasant circumstances from happening. Difficulties and problems come out of nowhere, the stress and anxiety associated with adversity may knock us down if we cope with them inadequately. Chronic stress can lead to mental collapse if we still cannot manage them well, which is definitely undesirable for a leader because it can affect the cooperation with others as well as the team morale.