Problem Solving And Strengths Based Approach

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:

Saleebey, D. (1996). The strengths perspective in social work practice: Extensions and cautions. Social work, 41(3),

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.

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

As a result of applying appropriate theory the organisation and structure of social work practice may be enhanced (Howe 1999:104). Social workers use theory to inform practice and provide a sense of direction and guidance in their professional engagement with service users

Social work aims to promote social change and social justice by working with people and the environment they interact in. Social work theories function as the foundation for social work practice by providing an understanding, explanation, and prediction of human behaviour, social interactions and social structures. Theory informs each stage of the social work process from the assessment stage, to selection and means of interventions, to deciding when it is best to end services with clients. It is a structured set of assumptions, beliefs or ideas about particular phenomena in the world. Established theories serve as a foundation on which human behaviour, stages of growth and development, psychological and social functioning, the construction

All too often we do not think about our personal strength until a situation arises that causes us to use this natural attribute that we know as strength.

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 solution-focused theory (SFBT) is not actually theory based, but was pragmatically developed (De Shazer, & Dolan, 2012). ). The reason why the social worker chose this approach during the interview was largely due to the fact that the patient doesn’t have an exact reason for her mild depression or drug abuse problem. The SFBT approach focuses on how a solution may not necessarily directly be related to the problem (De Shazer, & Dolan, 2012). SFBT focuses almost exclusively on the present and the future, the client is an optimistic person who does not believe that her problems are stemming from her past making this approach favorable to the social worker and the patient.

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.

When working with a new client, it is important to have as much information as you can obtain to help determine what services may or may not be needed. The multidimensional approach can assess all areas of a person’s life. This helps the social worker not just look at a single facet, but the entire person as a whole. People are not one dimensional hence their treatment shouldn’t be one dimensional. In many instances, treating the presenting problem will only put a Band-Aid on the situation. As social workers, we should look at the underlining cause of the problem in order to give the best treatment available.

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.

Having a theoretical orientation as a counselor is important in working with clients in social work career. Theoretical orientation helps us as a social worker to attend to different challenges facing the clients and deal with family problems, behaviors and emotions. As a novice student, having a theoretical framework serve as a “road map.” The purpose of this paper is to explain the important of having a theoretical framework and its important when dealing with families, individuals and treatment groups.

Lucy’s problems are defined as: being socially isolated her relationship with her ex-partner Paul and his parents causing significant stress but are a form of support. Paul’s mother is pushy and unpleasant towards her, struggling with income and her youngest child has developmental delays. These aspects of which are seen as more important when viewed through the lens of SFT. This is because these are straightforward problems. This practice method is useful when dealing with relatively straightforward problems that can be reduced to simple causes (Bannink, 2006). As for the aspects of the case study, which are viewed less important includes Lucy’s depression and anxiety. This is because they are more difficult to overcome using this practice method. Critics of SFT within social work argue it may make it less effective with more server problems, such as depression and anxiety. Nevertheless, solution focused therapy may allow Lucy with a client-centred intervention (Woods, Symes & Green, 2011).

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.