Social Work Contract Analysis

To provide competent care to a client, the therapist has to be culturally prepared to work with the client. To be culturally competent as a therapist I have to be aware of my own bias, my identity, and my values in regards of my culture. I also need to be aware of the judgments that I have about the client’s cultural identity. In order to know the client’s culture, I would inquire about the identity during the intake. I would use the Addressing model by Pamela Hays to inquire the cultural identity of my clients. The addressing model helps to consider the various social categories that a client belongs to. Also, providing culturally competent services is to be aware of the population surrounding the therapist’s office or agency in order to

Social workers must strive “for a full understanding of the complex interactions between the client and all levels of the social and physical system as well as meaning that the client assigns to each of these interactions” (Andreae, 1996, p. 605).

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

In all psychological and biological assessment, the use of culturally attuned assessments is top priority. “We may define culturally informed psychological assessment as an approach to evaluation that is keenly perceptive of and responsive to issues of acculturation, values, identity, worldview, language, and other culture-related variables as they may impact the evaluation process or the interpretation of resulting data” (Cohen, Swerdlik, & Sturman, 2013). Through this process key individuals contribute to the understanding of the client including family, friends, and coworkers input and information. Through the use of translators and other cultural affiliates clinicians are able to demonstrate a clearer understanding, a culturally applicable assessment, and ensure that the client understands the ins and outs of the assessment process. One important aspect of the implementation of the “one size fits all approach” to culturally attuned treatment and care in our mental health facilities (Cohen, Swerdlik, & Sturman, 2013). Assessment and clinical evaluations should not be a cookie cutter experience. The amount of patients that are

Social Work is a career defined as “work carried out by trained personal with the aim of alleviating the conditions of those in need of help or welfare”. Social work varies in several fields, social workers work as part of multi-disciplinary teams with child welfare organizations, adoption and foster care agencies, hospitals, schools, prisons, mental health institutions, and more. Social work may leave the impression that it’s an easy field because it is assumed that all social workers do is serve others and manage paperwork but that is only a small chunk of the job. Social workers must deal with the ethical and emotional aspect of helping others. As a social worker, it is critical to comply with the National Association of Social Workers

The DSM-5s' inclusion of the Cultural Formation Interview (CFI) has positive cultural care implications as it expanded cultural considerations and enabled greater provision of more individualised care by reducing racial and ethnic disparities in treatment (Halter, Rolin-Kenny, Dzurec, and Cox, 2013). “The CFI follows a person-centered approach to cultural assessment designed to avoid stereotyping, in that each individual’s cultural knowledge affects how he or she interprets illness experience and guides how he or she seeks help” (APA, 2013, p.

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.

The client has completed our graduate program and is currently working part time. The client will be moving into an apartment with her two by the end of the week. It must be noted that the client is now optimistic about her future and more cognizant about her strengths. My work with the client was based upon a helping relationship. During the intake session goals were created based upon the client’s needs. My role as a social worker was explained in detail to ensure that the client was aware of the contracting process. I could communicate my expectations within the boundaries of a collaborative relationship by allowing the client to make modifications and changes based upon expert knowledge of her situation (Poulin, 2010). At no point are services with a client terminated. We continue to make follow-up phone calls each month, to make sure that the client is doing okay.

“Cultural Awareness in The Human Services Multi-Ethnic Approach” proposes that as a minimum, a model for culturally responsive social and health services would require us to do the following: 1. Define a model of cross-cultural social work and caring services – the model has to be systematic and take into consideration cultural complexity and also ethnocentric features of the clients served. 2. Describe how the model is applicable to any cross-racial or cross-ethnic relationships. 3.

Furthermore, culture competent is very important in this profession. “Culturally competent or culturally grounded social work incorporates culturally based values, norms and diverse ways of knowing.” Kumpfer, Alvarado, Smith, & Bellamy, (2002) (pg. 241-246). It is important that social workers not be bias. The reasons why cultural adaptation is important when it relate to social work practices. As a social worker, you must create a treatment plans for your clients. If a social worker not culture competent with her client’s needs, how well the treatment plans be affected for the best interest of her/her

The social work profession’s Standards of Practice outlines the boundaries in the relationship between social workers and their clients and sets a mandate of their responsibilities as a social worker (Alberta College of Social Workers, 2013, p. 30). In the Code of Ethics, boundaries are also set at a high standard as we must draw metaphysical lines between personal roles or interests and professional (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2005, p. 7) to prevent forming a dual relationship with clients. Another boundary is to halt the possibility of the social worker from using the time they have to help themselves rather than helping their clients (CASW, 2005, p. 6). In addition to these boundaries, it is crucial for social workers to not share too much of their personal life with clients by placing mental boundaries of how much they feel they can share of their personal life with their clients.

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).

“The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well being and help meet the basic human needs of all people with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed and living in poverty.” (1)

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).

The social work profession consists of the six core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These core values are portrayed within the roles of this profession by assessing and evaluating client’s needs, advocating for improving community resources, managing crisis situations, providing therapeutic support, and referring client’s to beneficial services. As well as, developing a dual client relationship to strengthen the helping process and treating each client ethically. Social workers are constantly progressing their professional expertise. They do this