My Understandings Of Strengths Based Perspective

Strengths-based case management (SBCM) is based on six principles that are the governing laws, values, or tenets on which the methods are based (Rapp & Goscha, 2006). These principles are the transition between the theory that seeks to explain people succeeding in life and the specific methods for assisting people toward that end (Rapp & Goscha, 2006) which is to, identify, secure and sustain resources that are both external (i.e., social relations, opportunities, resources) and internal (i.e., aspirations, competencies, confidence) rather than a focus on just external resources (active ingredient). The principles go as followed:

“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

This is clearly a different approach from the other approaches that doctors and nurses take because it looks at the outside factors that can be affecting the person and not just looking at the person themselves. Social workers believe that by looking at a person’s environment, it can help with preparing or fixing issues that may come up. This is especially true in healthcare settings where looking at the kind of environment a person is living in can help social workers help make the patient’s life more comfortable (Borst, 2010). The strengths perspective focuses on the positive and essentially the strengths that a patient has to better help empower them (Borst, 2010). Social workers use the strengths perspective to do just that and actively look for patient strengths to better help empower the person. The healthcare setting itself is typically seen as a very negative thing. Many patients may feel like they are “broken”, and for many they may be currently at their lowest and don’t see the strengths they have (Borst, 2010). By doing this, social workers not only can help patients through a difficult time of health, but they do so by taking care of the social and emotional needs of the person while doctors and nurses focus on the biological (Borst, 2010). The strengths perspective also links back to the idea that social workers are a guide for people trying to navigate the

Strength is that part of your intellect or nervous system that is more effective and productive than other parts. Throughout your experience of life, your actions or reactions drive different thoughts, behavior and emotion in your brain. The requests that are processed more efficiently and rapidly are known as your strengths. Nowadays, strengths-based approaches to work and life are gaining a lot of popularity and often they are used to improve leadership and create more productive and efficient work teams.

The other theory that I selected was the strengths perspective theory. The strengths perspective and strengths-based approaches offer service providers ways of working that focus on strengths, abilities and potential rather than problems, deficits and pathologies (Stuart and →, 2017). The strength perspective teaches us that we should recognize the human capacity and self determination to work hard to achieve their goals. In this perspective the social worker helps the client find their own abilities to deal with their current situations.

Empowerment and a strengths perspective which support the development of innate abilities and recognize differences in a positive manner are also helping social workers increase the individual client’s capacity to learn to use his or her own systems constructively

The recovery principles address that, this will be achieved by promoting a culture of hope, promoting self-autonomy and self-determination. Collaborative partnerships and engagement, focus on strength. Holistic and personalised care, engaging family, carers, supporting people and significant others, responsiveness to diversity, lastly, reflection and learning. (Cockram, 2011).

Rather than focusing on what the child can’t do, focus on what he can do. Recognising that the child has the initiative to take on experiences that empowers his development. Implementing inclusive, strengths based activities exercises the way children can recognise their competencies, this also involves the relationships you entitle with parents and fellow educators to aid the child's development. Partnerships offer valuable insights in regards to finding information about the child, it is important that when working together that opinion, perspectives and decisions are equally valued and respected.

I believe out of all the theories and perspectives in social work, strengths perspective has change the most. In child protective services, strengths perceptive is very important aspect of the profession. In child protective services, finding those strengths and building from those strengths is one of the most important steps into a client changing for the better. No matter how dirty, gross, smelly, mean, or horrible a person is, there is always something positive about them. Now it is easier for some more than others, but everyone has at least one strength about

Utilizing strengths based perspective with clients enables social workers to focus on the client and family strengths and abilities instead of focusing on the client and family’s problems, bad behaviors and pathologies. The strengths based perspective applies six principles that guide the social worker professional in assisting client’s with the strengths based model; we all have areas of strength, but sometimes it takes an unbiased third party to notice and help others clearly see what they are capable of achieving, even in the midst of their crisis.

Instead of working on problems, the work is goal oriented. The strengths based perspective builds on the strengths of an individual to enhance resources and work through the difficulties in the lives of the client. This helps to raise the level of functioning in these individuals and increase their sense of empowerment. Hewitt (2005) stated that this is an “optimistic way of looking at situations,” and that the social worker must not focus on what the client cannot do and instead on what they can do (p. 23). This is important in the case of Trenise and her family, because there is so much going on in terms of problematic situations that it is easy to lose sight of why it is necessary to try and solve issues. If things always look bad then many people might not attempt to handle the stresses in their

The strength based approach is a groundbreaking concept that has changed the paradigm of problem solving within Social Work. Instead of focusing on the trials, problems and adversity that face a consumer. We acknowledge the difficulty, we do not underestimate it or belittle it, yet we try and change the focus of the situation and outlook of the individual to focus on their skills, achievements, qualities, gifts and strengths.

Currently this student uses strengths, empowerment and Systems theories when working with clients. Payne, (2014) states, the strengths perspective is a forward looking approach based on expanding the strengths of the client. This perspective is currently used when setting goals with clients, by taking their strengths and seeing how they can be used to accomplish their family goal. Payne also says empowerment theory seeks to help clients gain power over decisions and actions in their own lives. This student currently uses empowerment by getting families involved on the parent board, so they can have a voice in what happens in the education of their children and the services they are given. The systems theory is currently used by connecting

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.

Ray and Joe communicate with each other as demonstrated by Ray's behavior of looking at Joe at the examination.