The macro, mezzo, and micro concepts used by social workers would have greatly enhanced Daisy’s life in many ways. First I would have applied the macro concept by doing one-to-one therapy with Daisy to find out why she hides the remainder of the chicken her father brings her under her bed. Also, I would have talked to her about trying other foods. By using the mezzo concept I would have incorporated group therapy into her plan by having Daisy in groups with people that is suffering with the same diagnosis. With Daisy able to be around people like herself, maybe she would have found better ways with coping with her problems. Furthermore, by using the micro concept I would have tried my best to find organizations that specializes in helping
The case of Bea Rosen is being managed as a Traditional Long-Term Model. Bea has multiple causality that requires those problems and potential disorders to be addressed. Bea is suffering from bereavement from the loss of her husband, anxiety disorder, financial strain, transportation problems, and medical problems. According to Hoffman & St. Clair (2003) Bea’s financial problems stems from her current “income is just $516 per month” while her rent is $485. She also has medical concerns that hinders her ability to walk to the store, she requires transportation from her son and other services. Bea also disclosed that she has had anxiety episodes in the past and current episodes. Addition to the long-term model is the long-term needs Bea requires and the need for coordination between the services she receives. Bea’s current social worker provides the “ongoing monitoring with services and supports” including the action the social worker in “organizing services so that the varied types of needed help is provided” (Maguire, 2002, p. 97-98). This is evident by the social worker coordinating with the Jewish Family Services (JFS) for transportation, Bea’s medical doctor, including contacting the seniors’ support group “leader and spoke to her about my concerns for Bea” (p.
Shanell Bathersfield conducted a self-assessment. She initially determined that the systems theory was one that she was not comfortable with. Through the last few course weeks, she was able to gain an in-depth perspective on several theories that are impactful in the social work field. The coursework and utilizing Juana and Adelina as case studies, truly gave an exclusive insight on how theories are used to understand the client’s circumstances and improve their well-being.
Using eclectic, solution-focused approaches, I concentrated on Ms W strengths rather than weaknesses, believing that families have
The author of this paper will analyze the film, “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” This analysis will identify the strengths, weaknesses, and barriers that the family is encountering. The social worker will assist the Grape family with identifying goals to work on as individuals, and as a unit. One way is to implement a Generalist Intervention Model. The GIM can be used as a tool in assessing the family and their environment. When a family is in crisis, there are many agencies and social services that can help with issues. From a Macro level perspective, the Grape family slipped through the cracks in the system. The author will describe what macro social work entails. The National Association of Social Workers has created a Code of
History serves to educate us about our past and guide the future. As social workers it is important to understand the history of our profession in order to appreciate how the current practices came into being and in turn how our history affects our current practice. To adequately serve the various populations, we must understand the historical oppression and discrimination they faced so we can provide culturally competent service delivery. This essay will compare and contrast the origins of micro and macro social work practice and how they are reflected in modern practice.
In this paper I will explore each of these areas in order to define my own personal practice framework, as well as looking at how the elements I have chosen fit within the social work field.
I was only two years old when my mother passed away. Left with an absentee father, I felt a void in my life. I was constantly misunderstood by other family members, which triggered my aggressive behaviors and communication style. Unable to cope with my emotions as an adolescent, I sought help from my school’s social worker. For the first time, it felt great to express my feelings without worrying about being judged. Through our regular meetings, she helped me improve my social development and attitude. She changed my life as I was becoming a better person. In addition, with her assistance, my family and I were able to value communication, understand each other and live in a healthier environment. This chapter of my life has inspired me to pursue a career in social work and be part of a team who continuously helps people overcome obstacles in their lives.
Another prominent theoretical perspective utilized in this case is social constructionist perspective. This perspective views the relationships between a person’s knowledge and how it constructs their reality. For Bea, her reality for most of her life has been the life she had with her husband. With his recent passing, Bea is now having to create and understand a new reality, one where she is living independently and is only responsible for her own personal needs. The supports the worker has put in place, in addition to the case management provided, will help guide Bea as she gains new knowledge and makes interactions that will help shape her new reality.
Before she started her own practice, she worked as a department investigative social worker for 29 years before she retired from that profession. Mahoney decided that she wanted to be a social worker because she had a big interest in counseling and helping children with family problems. She felt that she would make a difference in their lives if she became a social worker. The purpose of her private practice is to help people to their maximum potential. There are many issues that she comes in to contact everyday at her job that she discussed with me. Mahoney has to deal with clients that suffer from anxiety, depression, life transition, grief and loss, marital and family issues. She expresses
With a focus on the University of Pittsburgh’s MSW program, I anticipate a curriculum that will give me tools and unique procedures to analyze and understand clients’ different life situations. This program will provide me with the knowledge to evaluate and apply research methods. I will become more activity oriented to the prevention and alleviation of social problems. Upon completion of master degree, I would have demonstrated empathy along with a genuine desire to improve the quality of the lives of others. The University of Pittsburgh’s MSW program will not only offer a path of
The Generalist Model is having a broad range of knowledge on professional values and ethics and a broad range of skills, basically eclectic-based. By being eclectic, the social worker is able to help the client in any situation from at least a basic level. It allows them to work in different environments, whether it is considered to be micro, mezzo, or macro. There are seven stages of the generalist model; engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, termination, and follow up. Each stage will be discussed below and how it helps change the client for the better. It is important that the social worker and client go through each stage and successfully complete the stage before moving onto the next.
First, the way Jeannette and her siblings prevailed over an unfortunate childhood proves that any obstacle in life is conquerable with the right mindset and amount of work. I have learned that life is short, yet it is also long enough to be worth overcoming any setback that it might entail. On the other hand, the way Rex and Rose Mary apply self-sufficiency in bringing up their children gives me a new and more cautious outlook on the limited extents of self-independence. While I definitely believe it is important to be able to rely on myself, I now understand that everyone needs help from others from time to time. The point at which self-sufficiency overcomes the extent of human interaction in society is seriously overdone; a balance between the two I believe is more beneficial towards a genuinely healthy
“The new mestiza copes by developing a tolerance for contradictions, a tolerance for ambiguity. She learns to be an Indian in Mexican culture, to be Mexican from an Anglo point of view. She learns to juggle cultures. She has a plural personality, she operates in a pluralistic mode—nothing is thrust out, the good, the bad, and the ugly, nothing rejected, nothing abandoned. Not only does she sustain contradictions, she returns the ambivalence into something else”
One of the most useful models for social workers to implement is the generalist model. Since the goal of social work is to work with individuals and assist them in solving their problems, the generalist model seeks to create three levels of practice to better aide the individuals in direct practice service (Farley, Smith, & Boyle, 2011). These three levels are the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. The micro level refers to the systems that directly impact a single individual, whereas the mezzo level refers to the small groups (such as marriages and families) that impact the individual. Furthermore, the macro level refers to the large systems, such as cultures and large organizations, which can influence the person. With the establishment of the generalist model, the social worker can better aide the client and work directly with him to help him solve any problems or concerns he may have, and this model has become the most common operational model in social work, though it does have both advantages and disadvantages.
It is likely that some professional practitioners will focus their attention primarily in one area than the other, however all social worker experience situations in which macro-level interventions are usually the right action to respond to certain need or problem. Perhaps, macro practice can be define as professional guided interventions which is designed to bring about change in organization, community and or policy areas. Macro practice is meant to prepare social worker for full time agency administration, program planning, community organizing, or policy analysis position. In the event of taking full time macro roles, the worker will need a more advanced skill than what was stated above. It is imperative that all student of social work will be confronted with different roles after graduation, they will still be involved in macro activities, some students are currently working as a social worker with whom work directly with clients and some are coordinators, planners, managers, administrators, organizers and policy analyst in various capacities. This brought about differences between students expectations of social service work practice and the actual experiences ones they are working in the field. As an