Strengths Based Social Work Assessment : Transforming The Dominant Paradigm

It is important for programs in which families attend be diverse, locally accessible and promote social justice. This allows growth for children, youth and families to develop in the right setting and gain strength and resilience. Everyone has a different story and having programs that are specific to one group of people that share something in common gives those in the program the opportunity to develop. The Military Family Resource Centre is a prime example of a program that uses the strength-based approach to help clients where they are in life. This is done by using social location (which is groups people belong to based on their location in society), diversity and social justice within the programs offered. There is always

Bourgeois and Schoenberg’s supposition explaining the absence of cultural relativism toward others while reviewing ethnographic research on a specific community or network of people, is especially true. Reviewing this research on the social work shows how important services and resources are for these communities. According to Brad Karoll, a social worker builds upon the client’s strengths. It is a basic principle for practitioner’s, known as the strengths based perspective. Karol defines the practice as knowing that all humans are capable of change and growth, this growth should be seen no matter the client’s circumstances, trauma, and oppression (Karoll, 2010). According to McGee and Warms (2013), relativism becomes dangerous when it seen

More than a simple linguistic nuance, the notion that social workers do not empower others, but instead, help people empower themselves is an ontological distinction that frames the reality experienced by both social workers and clients (Simon, 1990, p. 32, quoted in Saleeby, 2006, p. 98)

Gray, M., & Fook, J. (2004). The quest for a universal social work: Some issues and implications. Social Work Education, 23(5), 625-644.

5.1 Problem solving approach is a traditional and foundational aspect of general social work practice. It is based on identifying a problem or set of problems facing a client, and formulating a framework of possible options with the hope of fixing the problem or improving the situation. Although the worker may guide the client and inform them of the possibilities and options available, the client is still solely responsible for their own choices and actions. The formal application of this principle is the definition, assessment, setting of goals, intervention and resolution.

In this essay, I intend to look into the power of the medical model in relation to people with physical and mental disability. I will look at the impact of medicalization on people with medical impairment as well as some key concepts in medical sociology (Gabe, J. and Elston, M. A.2004). I will then compare the medical model with the social model and consider the effect they have on professionalism and dependency and I will discuss the binaries in the medical and social model plus the political, cultural and economic impact in the society. I will discuss the limitations, policy, guidelines and legislations and how the medical model of disability can contribute to social exclusion, segregation and discrimination, and then look at how this depersonalize and deinstitutionalize people’s individuality and the impact on person-centred care, the infringement of people’s right on issues of confidentiality and autonomy. I explore the challenges of disability and access and the reconceptualising role of the ‘Medical Model’ in issues of disability and rehabilitation. In health sciences, good medical and clinical practices are based on moral and logical thinking. Although the medical model is learned by doctors in their original training and in theory, then brought and adapted to the field of mental health by psychiatrists that inform both mental

Dr. Flexner described the identity of social work as “not being a profession because its practice was not based on a systematic body of knowledge and theory which lacked the authority to given by professionals” (Specht & Courtney, 1994, P. 87). He later pointed out, “social workers usually acted as staff in assisting those of other professional such as doctors and attorneys” (Specht & Courtney, 1994, P. 87). In conclusion, he stated that social workers were not considered as professionals as, “they lacked a systematic body of knowledge to understand the problems of their clients and the ability to prescribe action by which to help them” (Specht & Courtney, 1994, P. 87). I found it interesting to be listed as the help, yet not capable to be taken serious as a profession. Professional identity of social work stems from the understanding of one’s perspective of their roles in their field of profession which are found by one’s values, beliefs, and experiences. Without the assistance of the social workers, would the doctors and attorneys be seen as so successful?

The family in the Case Study consists of Raul, Nora, Santiago, Yolanda, and Paul. Raul and Nora are the parents of Santiago and Yolanda and Paul is the fiancé of Yolanda. Raul is a Mexican American in his forties who has sought marital counseling. He works two jobs and is often sleep deprived due to his schedule. Raul has experience some physical abuse as a child and admits to not knowing how to express his feelings. Nora, Raul’s wife is also in her forties who has realized through therapy that she has marital issues. She is trained as a Physical Therapist but now runs a gift shop.

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.

Social work is rarely working with one individual, as stated in O’Loughlin and O’Loughlin (2008); it will involve working with

This paper reflects on knowledge gained through direct observation during the first part of the Strength Based Approaches Module. The ability to reflect is widely agreed to improve performance, manifested through analysing on strengths and the development of competence (Gibbs, 1988). Throughout this log, there will be a demonstration of how this approach has enabled me to work effectively with young people and families in order to help them overcome a whole range of difficulties by assisting them identify their achievements as well as strengths.

Firstly, the value of a social work practitioner is the ability to view the larger systems that have influenced and impacted a client’s life. As education, affords the awareness that all levels of intervention are deeply interconnected, I understand that there is a direct correlation to the biological, psychological, and social interplay that influences behaviors. With this mentioned, I understand the indebtedness of always viewing a client in a larger scope to acknowledge their environmental

As discussed by Williams & Bell (2015), the evolving identity of social work has been continually unclear among the general public and social workers themselves. Theoretically social work practice is thought to have abandoned its original ideals of community focus and collective betterment shifting its concentration to individualistic approaches. Since its inception, beginning with settlement houses and charity organizations in the 19th century, social work practice has endeavored for recognition as a profession in its own right not as a supplement to other professions in a secondary manner such as assisting doctors or lawyers etc.

The implications for social work from this evaluation of this program is that it is a way to help social workers empower the clients to take care of themselves. Social workers are largely concerned with empowering people to be the one in control of their own development (Sogren, Jones, Nathaniel, & Cameron-Padmore, 2012). Because this program is built on education and knowledge it is empowering in and of itself, but when workers are able to build upon the knowledge with therapy they empower the client even more than the class alone (Sogren, M., Jones, A., Nathaniel, K., & Cameron-Padmore, J.

Social work is basically a helping profession with the main role of social workers being to help various clients in their varying needs and to enhance their general wellbeing. Therefore, to understand and effectively respond to different client’s needs and demands professional social workers will, therefore, must be well equipped with diverse knowledge on social work practice. According to Gordon, Cooper, B, and Dumbleton, (2009), theoretical knowledge is thus of great importance to social work practice as theories serve as anchoring frames for causal explanation, case assessment, planning of interventions and outcome evaluation.