The Stages of Change and decisional balance are practice tools currently interwoven in the practice model where I work in the child welfare system. This article contains key points involving the various stages of change and how this relates to pros and cons in terms of short term and long term decision making. Moving forward in my work, I will be more cognizant of interventions that promote a higher level of pros and a lesser degree of cons – noted in this article as a determining factor in change. In working with children and families in the child welfare system, I have found it beneficial to have the client (s) participate in a cost/benefit analysis exercise analogous with decisional balance in assessing stages of change. In this exercise individuals are able to examine the real and concrete pros of continued behaviors. For example, the use of violence for conflict resolution does have its share of pros. In my experience, clients are surprised when a social worker is able to conceptualize that there are short term pros associated with negative behaviors. If you are able to point out to the client that there are pros involved with this, for example an immediate sense of accomplishment, burst of adrenaline, sense of power, etc., they may be able to understand the immediate source of behaviors, often decisions made based on emotion. Upon further examination the cons …show more content…
I can foresee challenges to using this technique if an individual is in an extreme state of denial re: a presenting problem or if an individual is impaired psychologically, for example experiencing psychosis and unable to rationalize change stages. In these cases, I would view the social workers role as one that assists the individual in allocating restorative services/supports to promote a state where they can consider change
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
The therapy involves brining person self-image back to where it should be by allowing them to analyse their life. Social work might be associated with the individual.
Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.
As social workers, it is our responsibility to use the most effective method of practice to engage our clients, assess their situation, and help them create goals that will produce positive outcomes. Every client will present a unique set of challenges; therefore, the social worker must be careful in choosing an approach that will meet the client’s needs, compliment the skills of the therapist and are in line with the agency’s mission. According to Robert and Watkins (2009), psychotherapy is a therapeutic interaction between a trained therapist and a client that is
Social workers use engagement to develop therapeutic relationships to support positive treatment outcomes for clients. The engagement process permits the social worker to assess the client’s commitment to be involved, in order for a collaboration between the practitioner and client to develop an agreement on the goals and tasks of treatment. Engagement helps social workers to identify the client’s true desire to receive treatment by how the client demonstrates he or she’s level of motivation, commitment to treatment, their readiness, and potential treatment outcomes. Treatment strategies such as the Stages for Change can be implemented to assist and encourage clients in the engagement process.
Social Work practitioners every day interact with individuals who are challenged by personal, societal, environmental barriers to life, and in amidst this face inequities and injustice as part of life (Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, 2011). It is the role of the social worker to use their therapeutic and facilitation skills to assess the clients risk and then work with the appropriate interventions in order to help promote social change for the individual and their family.
The procedures and techniques used in any criminal investigation help the investigators to do their investigation properly. By correctly following the investigative stage, the investigators can improve the quality of their case and investigation and the police will get a better chance to solve any criminal case. In any criminal investigation, five stages are involved. The police and investigators have the duty to follow all this stages, in order to get the best results.
Social work is rarely working with one individual, as stated in O’Loughlin and O’Loughlin (2008); it will involve working with
Upon deciding the research is worthy, the Social Worker may then go to the fourth step, which is finding a way to implement what they have found into their practice appropriately and within the context of the client (Parrish, 2010). It is common knowledge within the Social Work community, that keeping clients involved in the process is important. Clients need to be made aware of their options, so it is essential that Social Workers maintain a level of “transparency”, as Dr. Parrish said, with their clients (2010). Lastly, Dr. Parrish explains it is the Social Worker’s job to monitor how the new resource or method has worked out for the client (2010). Assuming it works out well for the client, that method or resource may be used again in the Social Worker’s practice (Parrish 2010).
Social workers have many different practices and approaches to draw on for work with individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. These approaches and techniques can be varied depending on the distinctive
In the generalist social work practice, a social worker is a change agent due to the expansive and complex umbrella of social and human services and roles. A change agent works to promote positive changes for the well-being of an individual, family, group, organization or community. In order to fulfill the tasks of a social worker, one should be trained and equipped with a wide variety of skills: such as setting appropriate boundaries, possessing and utilizing self-awareness and the ability to counsel or advocate for clients. In addition to many skills, the generalist social work practice includes a surplus of methods to either prevent or intervene when necessary. A method often utilized by social workers is the person-in-environment conceptualization. The person-in-environment perspective considers factors, such as familial or economic, beyond the individual to better understand the client’s behaviors or situation. Another method is the strengths perspective. The strength-based perspective focuses on the client’s or client system’s positive qualities to build upon those capabilities. And the recognition of strengths helps to achieve goals in a more client-led approach. Generalist practitioners are professionals with a wide range of knowledge and a repertoire of diverse skills in order to enhance the social functioning of all within society.
According to the National Association of Social Workers website, “Social work practice consists of the professional application of social work values, principles, and techniques to one or more of the following ends: helping people obtain tangible services; counseling and psychotherapy with individuals, families, and groups; helping communities or groups provide or
Self-reflection and correction in social work practice is important for continued learning and professional development. Without self-awareness, social workers cannot separate their personal feelings, values, and attitudes from their professional. This is important because we need to focus on the needs of the client, not what we think they need. Knowing how to separate our personal feelings and values from our professional feelings and values will prevent us from getting burnout and help us maintain professional boundaries.
.I agree with the fact that social workers are using Bio psychosocial model in clients such as by looking at the clients biological, psychological ("which entails thoughts, emotions, and behaviors"), and social ("socio-economical, socio-environmental, and cultural") factors that affect the clients because by doing that the social worker will get to know the entire information about the client rather than the client problems only. As a result, that is how the social worker will help the client with his or her problem.
The two key elements in successful practice are the social workers ability to guide clients through the phases of the change process and assist clients in making decisions that will result in enhancement of their social functioning or the improvement of a social condition (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 52). Social workers select and use specific techniques that have been individualized to the needs and situation of the client or client group being served, and the resources that are applied to help resolve the client’s problem or concern (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 51).