Task Centred Approach in Social Work

A crisis can be defined as a turning point, our habitual strengths and coping mechanisms have been surpassed and a new approach has to be developed. According to Barnes (1984:115) “crisis intervention focuses on the reduction of anxiety in the client alongside the mobilisation of hope and the restoration of a sense of autonomy and control over the situation.

I will then list areas I have identified as my own personal weak points for further development.

Vicki’s co-workers credit her with being helpful and knowledgeable. Vick’s co-workers are able to count on her to talk through a difficult situation with a Client. Working on the Crisis Line can be a challenging because calls are unpredictable. Crisis Line staff work closely together to help clients who are in crisis situations. However, there is not a set formula that works for every client who calls. Vicki is able to problem solve to develop the best course of action to help clients who are dealing with a crisis. Vicki is also able to be supportive to her co-workers during a crisis situation with a client to work together to determine the appropriate intervention.

For this paper, I have decided to research two social work theories and how those theories apply to residents in long term care facilities. The primary focus will be those residents who are alert, oriented, and showing minimal symptoms of dementia.

A crisis can be a terrible burden on any individual that has or is suffering through one; a crisis can leave a person with a great deal of anxiety and stress. As a crisis intervention worker it is my responsibility to at least try to help those that come into my office. Most that do come to me are going through a crisis of some kind or another and need to work through it. To help them work through their crisis I find that the ABC Model of Crisis Intervention is a great asset. The ABC Model of Crisis Intervention is an effective approach because I can provide temporary immediate

Essentially, having a sense of personal empowerment comes from the ability to be qualified. Furthermore, the ability to be competent comes from how good each system fits into their environment. In contract, African Americans lack this sense of competence because, they are not able to assess their needs. They are not receiving equal distribution of resources. Interpersonal empowerment as mentioned throughout the book includes social position, roles, communication skills, knowledge, and appearance

Furthermore, I would like to describe various therapies and the ways in which they are useful. To stabilize the individual and help them to achieve mastery over the situation crisis intervention is used (Caplan 1964). Techniques in crisis intervention includes: to provide an understanding that the crisis and psychological responses are linked, mobilizing social support, ventilation of feelings, exploration and promotion of alternative coping styles, promoting and planning for future difficulties. Immediate intervention should also address distorted perceptions of what has happened, aim to alleviate feelings to guilt and self-blame (Mezey 1997) and address immediate help for safety and medical attention

The theoretical orientation that best suites my personal style is a combination of both client-centered and brief therapy. In the first part of the paper, I try and describe the importance of developing a good client/therapist relationship using a client-centered approach. I like this approach the best because it helps the client to be more open and truthful with the therapist. There are several techniques that I find important in developing this bond such as: genuineness, unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy, and active listening. After building a relationship with the client, a therapist is now faced with identifying and solving a problem behavior. With this in mind, I found that the brief therapy method best fits my style.

In the 1980’s Insoo Berg and Steve de Shazer developed steps into the practice of solution focused therapy in Milwaukee, USA. Solution focused therapy is a practice framework for social workers and other therapists. Solution focused therapy is a framework that primarily focuses on solution development. Other Frameworks lead therapy to focus on the past history of the problem that the client brings to therapy, and ending their sessions with a solution to the problem, or when the problem in no longer an issue for them.

Client-centred Case Consultation primary goal is to develop a plan for dealing with the clients difficulties

Crisis intervention is a method that uses concepts of crisis theory as a framework to aid in understanding a client’s experiences and to provide a worker with steps to follow when supporting a client in a crisis (Roberts & Ottens 2005, p. 331).

This statement may confirm that task-centred can be applied in most settings or interactions with any clients. Although some research evidence suggests it should only be used specifically in the following problem solving areas:

Psychological debriefing responded to these results by claiming there is only one component of a comprehensive approach to crisis management and it is meaningless to evaluate the effectiveness of this one component as a singular intervention strategy (McNally et al., 2003). The heart of this debate is the issue of whether psychological debriefing might be a waste of resources (Brewin, 2001; McNally, 2004).

Social Work’s core philosophy and values are centered around social justice and social well-being. Oppression, injustice, discrimination, and violence are antithetical to the social work profession. Social Work believes in strength-based approaches and the person-in-environment perspective to cater the needs and welfare of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society at large. Generally, the target populations for social work are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed people; however, social workers provide services to people with a wide range of problems, such as poverty, addiction, mental illness, etc. to empower them to meet their own needs. Historically, the social work profession started its operation by providing neighborhood

According to Lillibridge and Klukken (1978), crisis is an event or situation that cause " 地n upset in equilibrium at the failure of one's traditional problem-solving approach which results in disorganization, hopelessness, sadness, confusion, and panic" (62). In the face of crisis, there is an urgent need to swing to action and communication is the only vehicle that can convey this message to everyone concerned. When crisis occur, communication challenges becomes worsened because the