Your Interest in Various Social Work Roles

GOAL: This exercise is designed to help you identify the social work roles in which you would like to become involved.

Check one of the following for each of the indicated roles.

Describe your reasons for selecting the particular roles in which you desire to become involved.

Describe your reasons for selecting the particular roles in which you do not want to become involved.

EP 8a I Desire to Become Involved in This Role Uncertain

I Do Not Want to Become Involved in This Role

Enabler Broker Advocate Empowered Activist Mediator Negotiator Educator Initiator Coordinator Researcher Group Facilitator Public Speaker Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 40

The concept of homeostasis suggests that living systems seek a balance to maintain and preserve the system. Jackson, for example, has noted that families tend to establish a behavioral balance or stability and to resist any change from that predetermined level of stability.9 Emergence of the state of imbalance (generated either within or outside the marriage) ultimately acts to restore the homeostatic balance of the family.

If one child in a family is abused, that abuse often serves a function—as indicated by the fact that if that that child is removed, a second child is often abused. Or if one family member improves through seeking counseling, that improvement will generally upset the balance within the family, and other family members will have to make changes (such changes may be adaptive or maladaptive) to adjust to the new behavior of the improved family member.

Ecological theory is a subcategory of systems theory and has become prominent in social work practice, as discussed in the next section.

LO 2 Understand the Medical Model Approach and the Ecological Approach to Assessing and Changing Human Behavior

MEDICAL MODEL VERSUS ECOLOGICAL MODEL From the 1920s to the 1960s, most social workers used a medical model approach to assess- ing and changing human behavior. This approach, initiated primarily by Sigmund Freud, views clients as patients. The task of the provider of services is first to diagnose the causes of a patient’s problems and then to provide treatment. The patient’s problems are viewed as being inside the patient.

Medical Model In regard to emotional and behavioral problems of people, the medical model conceptu- alizes these problems as mental illnesses. People with emotional or behavioral problems are then given medical labels such as schizophrenia, paranoia, psychosis, and insanity. Adherents of the medical approach believe the disturbed person’s mind is affected by some generally unknown internal condition that is thought to result from a variety of possible causative factors: genetic endowment, metabolic disorders, infectious diseases, internal conflicts, unconscious uses of defense mechanisms, and traumatic early experiences that cause emotional fixations and prevent future psychological growth.

The medical model has a lengthy classification of mental disorders defined by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). The major categories of mental disorders are listed in Table 2.1.

The medical model approach arose in reaction to the historical notion that the emotionally disturbed were possessed by demons, were mad, and were to be blamed for their disturbances. These people were “treated” by being beaten, locked up, or killed. The medical model led to viewing the disturbed as in need of help, stimulated research into the nature of emotional problems, and promoted the development of therapeutic approaches.

The major evidence for the validity of the medical model approach comes from studies suggesting that some mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, may be influenced by genet- ics (heredity). The bulk of the evidence for the significance of heredity comes from studies of twins. For example, in some studies identical twins have been found to have a concor- dance rate (that is, if one has it, both have it) for schizophrenia of about 50%.10

Keep in mind that the rate of schizophrenia in the general population is about 1%.11 When one identical twin is schizophrenic, the other is 50 times more likely than the average to be schizophrenic. This suggests a causal influence of genes, but not genetic determina- tion, as concordance for identical twins is only 50%, not 100%.

EP 7b

Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.

41 Understand the Medical Model Approach and the Ecological Approach

EXERCISE 2.3 Understanding the Major Mental Disorders

GOAL: This exercise is designed to assist you in understanding the major mental disorders. Briefly describe several people you know who have the mental disorders identified in Table 2.1. For confidentiality reasons, do not use the real names of the people.

The following is an example of a desired brief description. Fred, age 67, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 5 years ago. He is now in an assisted-living facility. His wife visits him nearly every day.

Ecological Model In the 1960s, social work began questioning the usefulness of the medical model. Environ- mental factors were shown to be at least as important in causing a client’s problems as inter- nal factors. Research also was demonstrating that psychoanalysis was probably ineffective in treating clients’ problems.12

Then social work shifted at least some of its emphasis to a reform approach that seeks to change systems to benefit clients. The enactment of the antipoverty programs, such as Head Start, is an example of a successful reform approach.

In the past several years, social work has focused on using an ecological approach. This approach integrates both treatment and reform by conceptualizing and emphasizing the dysfunctional transactions between people and their physical and social environments. Human beings are known to develop and adapt through transactions with all elements of their environments. An ecological model gives attention to both internal and external fac- tors. It does not view people as passive reactors to their environments, but rather as active participants in dynamic and reciprocal interactions.

It tries to improve the coping patterns of people in their environments to obtain a bet- ter match between an individual’s needs and the characteristics of his or her environment. One emphasis of an ecological model is on the person-in-environment, which is conceptu- alized in Figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2 suggests that people interact with many systems. With this conceptualiza- tion, social work can focus on three separate areas. First, it can focus on the person and seek to develop problem-solving, coping, and developmental capacities. Second, it can focus on the relationship between a person and the systems he or she interacts with and link the per- son with needed resources, services, and opportunities. Third, it can focus on the systems and seek to reform them to meet the needs of the individual more effectively.

The ecological model views individuals, families, and small groups as having transi- tional problems and needs as they move from one life stage to another. Individuals face many transitional changes as they grow older, such as learning to walk, entering first grade, adjusting to puberty, graduating from school, finding a job, getting married, having chil- dren, children leaving home, and retiring.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 42

NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS include, but are not limited to, intellectual disabilities (sometimes called cognitive disabilities), communication disorders (such as language disor- der), autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific learning disorder (such as impairment in read- ing), and motor disorders (such as developmental coordina- tion disorder, stereotypic movement disorder, and Tourette’s disorder).

SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM AND OTHER PSYCHOTIC DISOR- DERS include, but are not limited to, schizotypal (personality) disorder, delusional disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and catatonic disorder.

BIPOLAR AND RELATED DISORDERS include, but are not limited to, bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.

DEPRESSIVE DISORDERS include, but are not limited to, disrup- tive mood dysregulation disorder (such as major depressive disorder), persistent depressive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

ANXIETY DISORDERS include separation anxiety disorder, spe- cific phobia (such as fear of injections and transfusions), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and agoraphobia.

OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE AND RELATED DISORDERS include obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding disorder, trichotil- lomania (hair-pulling disorder), and excoriation (skin-picking) disorder.

TRAUMA- AND STRESSOR-RELATED DISORDERS include reactive attachment disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and acute stress disorder.

DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS include dissociative identity disorder and dissociative amnesia.

SOMATIC SYMPTOM AND RELATED DISORDERS include somatic symptom disorder, illness anxiety disorder, and factitious disor- der (includes factitious disorder imposed on self and factitious disorder imposed on another).

FEEDING AND EATING DISORDERS include pica, rumination disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

ELIMINATION DISORDERS include enuresis and encopresis.

SLEEP-WAKE DISORDERS include insomnia disorder, hyper- somnolence disorder, narcolepsy, breathing-related sleep disorders (such as central sleep apnea), and parasomnias (such as sleepwalking type, sleep terror type, nightmare dis- order, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, restless legs syndrome, and substance/medication-induced sleep disorder).

SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS include delayed ejaculation, erectile disorder, female orgasmic disorder, female sexual interest/

arousal disorder, genitopelvic pain/penetration disorder, male hypoactive sexual desire disorder, and premature (early) ejaculation.

GENDER DYSPHORIA includes gender dysphoria.

DISRUPTIVE, IMPULSE-CONTROL, AND CONDUCT DISORDERS include oppositional defiant disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, pyro- mania, and kleptomania.

SUBSTANCE-RELATED AND ADDICTIVE DISORDERS include alcohol-related disorders (such as alcohol use disorder and alcohol intoxication); caffeine-related disorders (such as caf- feine intoxication); cannabis-related disorder (such as cannabis use disorder and cannabis intoxication); hallucinogen-related disorders; inhalant-related disorders; opioid-related disorders; sedative-, hypnotic-, or anxiolytic-related disorders; stimulant- related disorders (such as cocaine abuse); tobacco-related dis- orders; and non-substance-related disorders (such as gambling disorders).

NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS include delirium and major and mild neurocognitive disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease, vas- cular disease, traumatic brain injury, substance/medication use, HIV infection, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease).

PERSONALITY DISORDERS include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal person- ality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, narcis- sistic personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

PARAPHILIC DISORDERS include voyeuristic disorder, exhibi- tionistic disorder, frotteuristic disorder (such as recurrent sexual arousal from touching or rubbing against a nonconsenting person), sexual masochism disorder, sexual sadism disorder, fetishistic disorder, and transvestic disorder.

OTHER MENTAL DISORDERS include mental disorders due to another medical condition.

MEDICATION-INDUCED MOVEMENT DISORDERS AND OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATION include neuroleptic- induced parkinsonism and medication-induced acute dystonia.

OTHER CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE A FOCUS OF CLINICAL ATTENTION include relational problems (such as parent-child relational problems), abuse and neglect (such as child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, child psychological abuse, spouse or partner violence or neglect, and adult abuse by non- spouse), educational and occupational problems, housing and economic problems (such as homelessness), problems related to crime or interaction with the legal system, religious or spiri- tual problems, victim of terrorism or torture, personal history of military deployment, and overweight or obesity.

TABLE 2.1 Major Mental Disorders According to the American Psychiatric Association

SOURCE: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition by the American Psychiatric Association, 2013, Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

43 Understand the Medical Model Approach and the Ecological Approach

Families have a life cycle of events that also require adjustment, including engagement, marriage, birth of children, parenting, children going to school, children leaving home, and loss of a parent (perhaps through death or divorce).

In addition, small groups have transitional phases of development. Members of small groups spend time getting acquainted, gradually learn to trust each other, begin to self- disclose more, learn to work together on tasks, develop approaches to handle interpersonal conflict, and face adjustments to the group’s eventual termination or the departure of some members.

A central concern of an ecological model is to articulate the transitional problems and needs of individuals, families, and small groups. Once these problems and needs are identi- fied, intervention approaches are then selected and applied to help individuals, families, and small groups resolve the transitional problems and meet their needs.

An ecological model can also focus on the maladaptive interpersonal problems and needs in families and groups. It can seek to articulate the maladaptive communication processes and dysfunctional relationship patterns of families and small groups. These difficulties cover an array of areas, including interpersonal conflicts, power struggles, double binds, distortions in communicating, scapegoating, and discrimination.

The consequences of such difficulties are usually maladaptive for some members. An eco- logical model seeks to identify such interpersonal obstacles and then apply appropriate intervention strategies. For example, parents may set the price for honesty too high for their children. In such families, children gradually learn to hide certain behaviors and thoughts, and even learn to lie. If the parents discover such dishonesty, an uproar usually occurs. An appropriate intervention in such a family is to open up communi- cation patterns and help the parents understand that if they really want honesty from their children, they need to learn to be more accepting of their children’s thoughts and actions.

FIGURE 2.2 Person-in-Environment Conceptualization

People in society continually interact with many systems, some of which are shown in this figure.

PERSON Political system Goods and services systems Family system Social service system Religious system Employment system Educational system

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 44

Two centuries ago, people interacted primarily within the family system. Families were nearly self-sufficient. In those days, the person-in-family was a way of conceptualizing the main system for individuals to interact. Our society has become much more complex. Today, a person’s life and quality of life are interwoven and interdependent upon many systems, as shown in Figure 2.2.

LO 3 Specify the Goals of Social Work Practice

GOALS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE The NASW has conceptualized social work practice as having four major goals.13

Goal 1: Enhance the Clients’ Problem-Solving, Coping, and Developmental Capacities Using the person-in-environment concept, the focus of social work practice at this level is on the “person.” With this focus, a social worker serves primarily as an enabler. In the role of an enabler, the worker may take on activities of a counselor, teacher, caregiver (that is, providing supportive services to those who cannot fully solve their problems and meet their own needs), and behavior changer (that is, changing specific parts of a client’s behavior).

Goal 2: Link Clients with Systems that Provide Resources, Services, and Opportunities Using the person-in-environment concept, the focus of social work practice at this level is on the relationships between persons and the systems with which they interact. With this focus, a social worker serves primarily as a broker.

EXERCISE 2.4 Understanding the Medical Model and the Ecological Model

GOAL: This exercise is designed to help you understand the medical model and the ecological model.

In understanding why people become involved in dysfunctional behavior (such as being anorexic, committing a crime, or be- coming a batterer), which model (the medical model or the ecological model) do you believe is more useful? State the reasons for your choice.

45 Specify the Goals of Social Work Practice

Goal 3: Promote the Effective and Humane Operation of Systems that Provide Resources and Services Using the person-in-environment concept, the focus of social work practice at this level is on the systems people interact with. One role a worker may fill at this level is that of an advocate. Additional roles at this level are the following:

A program developer seeks to promote or design programs or technologies to meet social needs.

A supervisor seeks to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of ser- vices through supervising other staff.

A coordinator seeks to improve a delivery system through increasing communica- tions and coordination among human service resources.

A consultant seeks to provide guidance to agencies and organizations through sug- gesting ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of services.

Goal 4: Develop and Improve Social Policy The focus of Goal 4 is on the statutes and broader social policies that underlie available resources. Major roles of social workers at this level are planner and policy developer. In these roles, workers develop and seek adoption of new statutes or policies and propose elimination of ineffective or inappropriate statutes and policies. In these planning and policy development processes, social workers may take on an advocate role and, in some instances, an activist role.

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is the national accrediting body for social work education in the United States. It describes the purpose of social work as follows (CSWE, 2015):

The purpose of the social work profession is to promote human and community well-being. Guided by a person-in-environment framework, a global perspective, respect for human diversity, and knowledge based on scientific inquiry, the purpose of social work is actualized through its quest for social and economic justice, the prevention of conditions that limit human rights, the elimination of poverty, and the enhancement of the quality of life for all persons, locally and globally.14

This description of the purpose of social work is consistent with the four goals of social work mentioned earlier. However, it adds one more goal, as follows.

Goal 5: Promote Human and Community Well-Being The social work profession is committed to enhancing the well-being of all human beings and to promoting community well-being. It is particularly committed to alle- viating poverty, oppression, and other forms of social injustice. About 15% of the U.S. population has an income below the poverty line. Social work has always advocated for developing programs to alleviate poverty, and many practitioners focus on providing ser- vices to the poor.

Poverty is global; every society has members who are poor. In some societies, as much as 95% of the population lives in poverty. Social workers are committed to alle- viating poverty not only in the United States but also worldwide. Alleviating poverty is obviously complex and difficult. Social work professionals work with a variety of systems to make progress in alleviating poverty, including educational systems, healthcare sys- tems, political systems, business and employment systems, religious systems, and human services systems.

Oppression is the unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power. In our society, numerous groups have been oppressed—including African Americans, Latinos, Chinese Americans, Native Americans, women, persons with disabilities, gays and lesbians, vari- ous religious groups, and people living in poverty. (The listing of these groups is only illustrative and certainly not exhaustive.) Social injustice occurs when some members

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 46

of a society have less protection, fewer basic rights and opportunities, or fewer social benefits than other members of that society. Social work is a profession that is commit- ted not only to alleviating poverty but also to combating oppression and other forms of social injustice.

Social justice is an ideal condition in which all members of a society have the same basic rights, protection, opportunities, obligations, and social benefits. Economic justice is also an ideal condition in which all members of a society have the same opportunities to attain material goods, income, and wealth. Social workers have an obligation to help groups at risk increase their personal, interpersonal, socioeco- nomic, and political strength and influence through improving their circumstances. Empowerment-focused social workers seek a more equitable distribution of resources and power among the various groups in society.

Diverse groups that may be at risk include those distinguished by “age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnic- ity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, marital status, politi- cal ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status.”15

EXERCISE 2.5 Your Interest in Achieving the Goals of Social Work

GOAL: This exercise is designed to help you identify your interest in the activities associated with the five goals of social work.

Check the boxes that identify your interest level in each of the five goals of social work.

For goals in which you are “Highly interested,” state the reasons for your decisions.

For goals in which you are “Somewhat disinterested” or “Not interested,” state the reasons for your decisions.

Highly Interested

Somewhat Interested Uncertain

Somewhat Disinterested Not Interested

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

Goal 4

Goal 5

47 Understanding the Strengths Perspective in Working with Clients

A PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH In working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, social work- ers use a problem-solving approach. Steps in the problem-solving process can be stated in a variety of ways. The following is a simple statement of this process:

Identify as precisely as possible the problem or problems. 2. Generate possible alternative solutions. 3. Evaluate the alternative solutions. 4. Select a solution or solutions, and set goals. 5. Implement the solution(s). 6. Follow up to evaluate how the solution(s) worked.

LO 4 Understanding the Strengths Perspective in Working with Clients

STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE The strengths perspective seeks to identify, use, build on, and reinforce the abilities and strengths that people have, in contrast to the pathological perspective, which focuses on their deficiencies. It emphasizes people’s abilities, interests, aspirations, resources, beliefs, and accomplishments.

For example, strengths of African Americans in the United States are found in more than 100 predominantly African American colleges and universities; fraternal and women’s organizations; and social, political, and professional organizations. Many of the schools, businesses, churches, and organizations that are predominantly African American have developed social service programs, such as family support services, mentoring programs, food and shelter services, transportation services, and educational and scholarship programs. Through individual and organized efforts, self-help approaches

EP 7b EP 8b EP 9b

EXERCISE 2.6 Applying the Problem-Solving Approach

GOAL: This exercise is designed to assist you in applying the problem-solving approach.

Describe a dilemma that you faced (or are currently facing) in which you used the six stages of the problem-solving approach. In your description, describe what you did for each of the six stages.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 48

and mutual aid traditions continue among African Americans. African Americans tend to have strong ties to immediate, extended family. They tend to have a strong religious orienta- tion, a strong work and achievement orientation, and a belief in egalitarian role sharing.16

According to Saleebey,17 five principles underlie the guiding assumptions of the strengths perspective:

Every individual, group, family, and community has strengths. The strengths perspec- tive is about discerning these resources. Saleebey notes:

In the end, clients want to know that you actually care about them, that how they fare makes a difference to you, that you will listen to them, that you will respect them no matter what their history, and that you believe that they can build something of value with the resources within and around them. But most of all, clients want to know that you believe they can surmount adversity and begin the climb toward transformation and growth (p. 12).18

Trauma, abuse, illness, and struggle may be injurious, but they may also be sources of challenge and opportunity. Clients who have been victimized are seen as active and developing individuals who, through their traumas, learn skills and develop personal attributes that assist them in coping with future struggles. There is dignity to be found in having prevailed over obstacles. We often grow more from crises that we find ways to handle effectively than from periods of time in our lives when we are content and comfortable.

Assume that you do not know the upper limits of the capacity to grow and change, and take individual, group, and community aspirations seriously. This principle means workers need to hold high their expectations of clients and form alliances with their visions, hopes, and values. Individuals, families, and communities have the capacity for restoration and rebounding. When workers connect with the hopes and dreams of clients, clients are apt to have greater faith in themselves. Then they are able to put forth the effort needed for their hopes and dreams to become self- fulfilling prophecies.

We best serve clients by collaborating with them. A worker is more effective when seen by the client as a collaborator or consultant rather than as an expert or a professional. A collaborative stance by a worker makes her or him less vulnerable to many of the adverse effects of an expert-inferior relationship, including paternalism, victim blam- ing, and preemption of client views.

Every environment is full of resources. In every environment (no matter how harsh), there are individuals, groups, associations, and institutions with something to give, and with something that others may desperately need. The strengths perspective seeks to identify these resources and make them available to benefit individuals, fami- lies, and groups in a community.

Most social workers now recognize the importance of the strengths perspective in working with clients. If workers only focus on the shortcomings, weaknesses, deficiencies, and problems of clients, those clients are apt to lose their self-esteem and sense of worth. They are apt to view themselves as “losers” and give up trying to improve their lives. Once they give up trying, it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy that they will have no chance of becoming self-sufficient. They will live a life of being dependent on society for “handouts.”

On the other hand, if workers treat clients as “equals” and work with them to help them identify their strengths and resources, these clients will more readily realize they have self-worth and that they have the capacities to improve their lives and to improve the lives of their family members. The old adage of the “fish story” is important to remember. If we give a hungry family fish, we feed them for a day. If we teach them how to fish, we feed them for a lifetime!

Expanding on this analogy, if a worker is assigned to work with a family who is in extreme poverty and the worker only arranges to have that family receive a monthly check to meet subsistence needs, those family members are apt to view themselves as “losers” and

49 Understanding the Strengths Perspective in Working with Clients

become chronically dependent on the government. On the other hand, if the worker helps these family members identify their strengths (such as helping them to recognize their apti- tudes for certain jobs and links them to job training programs), the family members are apt to have an improving sense of worth and gradually obtain gainful employment and become productive members in society. (It should be noted that the worker involved with this fam- ily also needs to help the family deal with other barriers that the family may face, such as issues with child care, access to quality healthcare, alcohol or other drug abuse issues, anger management issues, and transportation issues.)

A few additional case examples of the powerful impacts of the strengths perspective will be mentioned. Several years ago I was the faculty supervisor for an intern in a child protective services unit at a human services agency. The field supervisor recommended a final grade of “A+”, praising the following skills of the intern: building a relationship with clients, problem solving, writing case reports, empathy, and testifying in court. Later that day I met with the intern on a one-to-one basis. I praised the intern for excelling and asked her what led to her doing so well, as she averaged “B” grades in her social work courses and in her general education courses. Her answer brought tears to my eyes and underscored the importance of the strengths perspective. Her response was as follows. “I never told you this, as I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. I have a learning disability known as dyslexia. (Dyslexia is a reading disorder, which also affects writing, spelling, and sometimes speak- ing. people with dyslexia include Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg.) I had major trouble in learning to read; when I was in the third grade, I was reading only at a first grade level. I was sent to the school social worker for an evaluation. The social worker noted I had the strengths of being highly motivated to learn to read and that I was working very hard to learn to do so in school and at home.

This social worker referred me to the school psychologist, who tested me and discovered I was dyslexic. In this third grade some teach- ers were advocating that I be placed in Special Ed courses. I did not want the stigma that is attached to being a Special Ed child. This social worker made a major difference in my life. She arranged for me to have a tutor who was skilled in working with children with a learn- ing disability. The worker also met with my parents who were very supportive of me and instructed them in how they could help me better learn to read.

This social worker made a major difference in my life; she is the reason I chose to major in social work and become a social worker: In my classes in elementary school, middle school, high school, and col- lege, I have always had to work harder than most other students. At this college I have also received services from the students with a Disability unit. I think my experience with over- coming dyslexia has facilitated me in empathizing and working with the clients that were assigned to me in field placement.”

The following is another example. Stevie Wonder has been among the most influential Black music artists over the past five decades.19 He is a songwriter, producer, singer, and musician. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. He was born Steveland Judkins on May 13, 1950, in Saginaw, Michigan. When born, he was suffering from retinopathy of prematurity, which eventually caused his retina to detach, resulting in his blindness.

With the support and encouragement of his parents, he learned to play the piano at the age of 7. By the age of 9, he had also mastered playing drums and harmonica. After his family moved to Detroit in 1954, he joined a church choir and began to develop his singing potential. In 1961, at the age of 11, Stevie was discovered by Ronnie White of the group The Miracles, who arranged an audition at Motown Records. Almost immediately he was signed by Berry Gordy to Motown Records. Clarence Paul came up with the “Wonder” surname, as Stevie at the time was being introduced as the “8th Wonder of the World.” Clarence Paul also supervised his early recordings and helped him develop his singing tal- ents and his talents as a multi-instrumentalist. Why did Stevie Wonder become one of our country’s greatest entertainers? He certainly was born with immense musical potential. But he also had supportive parents and a number of mentors and advisers who recognized this potential and who helped him develop it.

Another person who excelled because of the strengths perspective is Temple Grandin.20 She was born August 29, 1947. She did not begin to speak until she was nearly 4 years old.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 50

Instead, she communicated her frustrations by screaming. At 3 years old she was labeled autistic, and doctors told her parents that she should be institutionalized.

Grandin’s mother spoke to a doctor who suggested speech therapy. The mother hired a nanny who spent hours playing games with Grandin and her sister. At age 4, Grandin began talking and making developmental progress. Grandin considers herself lucky to have had a supportive mother and supportive mentors from primary school onwards.

Temple Grandin graduated from Hampshire Country School, a boarding school in New Hampshire, in 1966. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Franklin Pierce College in 1970, she received her master’s degree in animal science from Arizona State University in 1975, and she received her doctoral degree in animal science in 1989 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a professor at Colorado State University.

She is a philosophical leader of both animal welfare and autism advocacy movements. Grandin advocates early interventions to address autism, as well as supportive teachers who can direct the fixations of autistic children in fruitful directions.

She is a best-selling author on animal welfare and autism. She is an inventor of a number of livestock-handling facilities that keep cattle calm and prevent them from getting hurt.

Temple Grandin’s life story illustrates that no one should be stereotyped as having “no hope for the future” because of receiving a physical/mental disability diagnosis, such as that of autism. She had supportive people in her early years (mother, teachers, mentors) who helped her focus on her strengths, rather than her limitations.

EXERCISE 2.7 The Strengths Perspective Applied to a Homeless Family

GOAL: This exercise is designed to assist you in applying the strengths perspective to a case.

Read the following case scenario:

Ms. Hull was recently evicted from her two-bedroom apartment. She had been working at a small business that did not offer health insurance coverage to her. She is a single mother with three children, ages 7, 9, and 10. She developed pneumonia that hung on because she could not pay to see a physician.

The small business experienced financial prob- lems, and her employment was terminated. She has been seeking another job but has not found one. She wants a job that has health benefits. Unable to pay rent, she was evicted from her apartment. She cares a lot for her children, and they display respect for her. The children are all doing well in school. Ms. Hull and her children lived on the street for 3 days and nights but then located a homeless shelter at the Salvation Army. They have been at the homeless shelter for the past 2½ weeks. The children are fairly healthy and are respectful of the services they are receiving from the shelter. Ms. Hull has largely recovered from her pneumonia, partly because of the physician’s visit she asked the Salvation Army to arrange for her.

List the strengths that you identify in this family.

51 Understanding the Strengths Perspective in Working with Clients

MICRO, MEZZO, AND MACRO PRACTICE Social workers practice at three levels: (1) micro—working on a one-to-one basis with an individual, (2) mezzo—working with families and other small groups, and (3) macro—working with organizations and communities or seeking changes in statutes and social policies.

The specific activities performed by workers include, but are not limited to, the following.

Social Casework Aimed at helping individuals on a one-to-one basis meet personal and social problems, casework may be geared to helping the client adjust to his or her environment or to changing certain social and economic pressures that adversely affect an individual. Social casework services are provided by nearly every social welfare agency that provides direct services to people. Social casework encompasses a wide variety of activities, such as counseling runaway youths, helping unemployed people secure training or employment, counseling someone who is suicidal, placing a homeless child in an adoptive or foster home, providing protective services to abused children and their families, finding nursing homes for stroke victims who no longer need to be confined to a hospital, counseling individuals with sexual dysfunctions, helping alcoholics acknowledge they have a drinking problem, counseling those with a terminal illness, being a probation and parole officer, providing services to single parents, and working in medical and mental hospitals as a member of a rehabilita- tion team.

Case Management Recently, some social service agencies have labeled their social workers case managers. The tasks performed by case managers are similar to those of caseworkers. The job descrip- tions of case managers vary from service area to service area. For example, case managers in a juvenile probation setting are highly involved in supervising clients, providing some counseling, monitoring clients to make certain they are following the rules of probation,

EP 8b

You Can’t Be an Effective Direct Practice Worker without Being a Competent Group Worker

I have been mentoring adjunct faculty for the past three decades. I have informed the adjunct faculty that they need to hone their teaching skills by valuing and utilizing a wide variety of group work skills. I firmly believe that an effective instructor in social work education (BSW programs, MSW pro- grams, and doctoral programs) needs to be a skilled group worker.

An effective instructor has to be skilled at effectively using the following group work skills: establishing profes- sional relationships; being a servant leader (see Chapter 3); respect for diversity; problem solving; inspiring members to be all that they can be; the strengths perspective; facilitat- ing discussions; being culturally competent; having skills at conflict resolution and handling disruptive members; setting group norms; creating a cooperative atmosphere; setting rel- evant objectives and assessing the extent to which members are attaining these objectives; adhering to social work ethics, including confidentiality and professional boundaries; being empathic; being perceptive; and setting realistic goals with members.

As you reflect on these skills, is it not accurate that your most effective and popular social work instructors were those who were highly effective group work leaders?

As I reflect on the importance of an effective social work instructor having a wide variety of group work skills, the fol- lowing corollary appears evident. An effective direct practice worker (including one who works on a one-to-one basis with clients) needs to have command of a variety of group work skills.

An effective direct practice worker has to be skilled at using the following group work skills: establishing professional relationships; being a servant leader; respect for diversity; prob- lem solving; inspiring individuals to be all that they can be; the strengths perspective; facilitating discussions; being culturally competent; having skills at conflict resolution and handling dis- gruntled individuals; setting norms for proceeding; creating a cooperative atmosphere; setting relevant goals and assessing the extent to which clients are attaining these goals; adhering to social work ethics, including confidentiality and professional boundaries; being empathic; and being perceptive.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 52

linking clients and their families with needed services, preparing court reports, and testify- ing in court. On the other hand, case managers at a rehabilitation center for people with a cognitive disability are apt to be involved in providing job training to clients, counseling clients, arranging transportation, disciplining clients for unacceptable behavior, acting as an advocate for clients, and acting as liaison with the people who supervise clients during their nonwork hours (at a group home, foster home, residential treatment facility, or their parents’ home). Hepworth and Larsen describe the role of a case manager as follows:

Case managers link clients to needed resources that exist in complex service delivery net- works and orchestrate the delivery of services in a timely fashion. Case managers function as brokers, facilitators, linkers, mediators, and advocates. A case manager must have exten- sive knowledge of community resources, rights of clients, and policies and procedures of various agencies, and must be skillful in mediation and advocacy.21

Group Work The intellectual, emotional, and social development of individuals may be furthered through group activities. In contrast to casework or group therapy, it is not primarily therapeutic, except in a broad sense. Different groups have different objectives, such as socialization, information exchange, curbing delinquency, recreation, changing socially unacceptable

A Social Worker as a Dream Manager

Some clients do not want anything to do with a social worker, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other similar professional because they do not want to listen to the “psycho-babble.” They view themselves as above going to a “shrink.” Is there a way for a counselor to break through this “resistance”? Mathew Kelly suggests there may be a way, by being a “dream man- ager.” The following is a brief description of this approach.

Matthew Kelly, an internationally known speaker and author, wrote the book The Dream Manager.a The essence of The Dream Manager is that a company can achieve remark- able results by helping its employees fulfill their dreams. Kelly believes each person has a dream. He believes that it is the dream that defines a person’s frame of mind. (I will use “her” for the pronoun in this context.) Her dream, or dreams, defines her attitude toward life, her personality, her future aspirations, and her goals. We, hopefully, become our dreams. If we do not attain our dreams, we feel unfulfilled, empty, frustrated, and depressed. Helping people chase and fulfill their dreams should be the primary focus of all relation- ships—whether that relationship is between husband and wife, employer and employee, salesperson and customer, real estate agent and potential buyer, parent and child, or social worker and client.

In the book, Kelly asserts we can reach our dreams if we help other people reach theirs. (Is that not the essence of why people pursue a career in social work?) Our dreams tell us not only what sort of person we are today, but also what sort of person we aspire to be in the tomorrows of our lives. Is not the link between the private dreams of a person who is work- ing for an employer closely linked to the satisfaction level of working for that employer? The more that a person believes

she is achieving her dreams in working with an agency/com- pany, the greater the satisfaction level she will have with work- ing for that agency/company. And this analogy applies for all relationships. The more that a partner in a romantic relation- ship feels she is attaining her dreams in that relationship, the more she will be committed to improving that relationship. The more a client feels that she is identifying and attaining her dreams with her social worker, the more she will be committed to working with that social worker.

We need all kinds of help and encouragement to remain connected to our dreams; otherwise, we lose the motivation to work on making progress. Kelly asserts that companies with high levels of worker satisfaction are those in which the man- agement focuses on helping employees identify and realize their dreams within that company. A high degree of employee satisfaction is a major factor in a company advancing.

Applying this analogy to the relationship between a social worker and a client, is it not accurate that for a resistant client, the more a social worker can help that client identify her dreams, and then attain her dreams, the greater the likelihood that that client will form a constructive relationship with her social worker, and the more motivated she will be to work on improving her life—as she simultaneously works on attaining her dreams?

With, a number of clients who are resistant to working with a “shrink” (and in fact for any client), might it not be valuable to reframe the description of the role of a social worker to the client as being that of “a dream manager”?

Matthew Kelly, The Dream Manager (New York: Beacon Publishing, 2007).

53 Understanding the Strengths Perspective in Working with Clients

values, and helping achieve better relations between cultural and racial groups. For example, a group worker at a neighborhood center may, through group activities, seek to curb delinquency patterns and change socially unacceptable values; or a worker at an adop- tion agency may meet with a group of applicants to explain adoption procedures and help applicants prepare to become adoptive parents. Activities and focuses of groups vary: arts and crafts; dancing; games; dramatics; music; photography; sports; nature study; wood- work; first aid; home management; information exchange; and discussion of such topics as politics, sex, marriage, religion, and career selection.

Group Treatment Group treatment is aimed at facilitating the social, behavioral, and emotional adjustment of individuals through the group process. Participants in group treatment usually have emo- tional, interactional, or behavioral difficulties.

Group treatment has several advantages over one-to-one counseling, such as the operation of the helper therapy principle, which main- tains it is therapeutic for the helper (who can be any member of a group) to feel he or she has been helpful to others.22 In contrast to one-to-one counseling, group pressure is often more effective in changing maladaptive behavior of individuals, and group treatment is a time saver as it enables the therapist to treat several people at the same time. A few examples in which group treatment might be used are for individuals who are severely depressed, have drinking problems, are victims of a rape, are psychologically addicted to drugs, have a relative who is terminally ill, are single and pregnant, are recently divorced, or have an eating disorder.

Additional advantages of group treatment over one-to-one treatment include:

● Feedback—A member with a personal challenge receives multiple types of feedback from a variety of perspectives from other members.

● Vicarious learning—Each member learns by hearing about other members’ coping strategies.

● Social support—Members receive support from one another. ● Resources—A wide pool of knowledge about services and resources is shared among

members involving their concerns. ● Practice of new behaviors—Other members provide opportunities to try out new

behaviors in the safe environment of the group. For example, a member who is shy can try out more assertive responses.

● Hope—A member with current challenges is inspired with hope by hearing how other members have coped effectively with similar situations.

Family Treatment A type of group treatment aimed at helping families with interactional, behavioral, and emotional problems, family treatment can be used with parent-child interaction problems, marital conflicts, and conflicts with grandparents. Widely varying problems are dealt with in family treatment or family counseling, such as disagreements between parents and youths on choice of friends and dates, drinking and other drug use, domestic tasks, curfew hours, communication problems, sexual values and behavior, study habits, and grades received.

Community Organization The aim of community organization is to stimulate and assist the local community to evalu- ate, plan, and coordinate efforts to provide for the community’s health, welfare, and rec- reation needs. It is perhaps not possible to define precisely the activities of a community organizer, but such activities are apt to include encouraging and fostering citizen participa- tion, coordinating efforts between agencies or between groups, public relations and public education, research, planning, and resource management.

A community organizer acts as a catalyst in stimulating and encouraging community action. Agency settings where such specialists are apt to be employed include community welfare councils, social planning agencies, health planning councils, and community action agencies. The term community organization is now being replaced in some settings by such labels as planning, social planning, program development, policy development, and macro practice.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 54

Barker defines community organization as:

An intervention process used by social workers and other professionals to help individuals, groups, and collectives of people with common interests or from the same geographic areas to deal with social problems and to enhance social well-being through planned collective action. Methods include identifying problem areas, analyzing causes, formulating plans, developing strategies, mobilizing necessary resources, identifying and recruiting commu- nity leaders, and encouraging interrelationships between them to facilitate their effors.23

Policy Analysis Policy analysis involves the systematic evaluation of a policy and the process by which it was formulated. Those who conduct such an analysis consider whether the process and the result are clear, equitable, legal, rational, compatible with social values, superior to the

EXERCISE 2.8 Identifying Your Interest in Various Social Work Activities

GOAL: This exercise is designed to assist you in identifying the types of social work responsibilities that you want to pursue.

For each of the following activities, check the box that indicates your level of interest in engaging in it.

For the activities that you checked “Highly interested,” state the reasons for your selections.

For the activities that you checked “Somewhat disinterested” or “Not interested,” state the reasons for your selections.

Highly Interested

Somewhat Interested Uncertain

Somewhat Disinterested Not Interested

Social casework

Case management

Group work

Group treatment

Family treatment

Community organization

Policy analysis

Administration

55 Understand the Conceptualization of Social Work Practice

alternatives, cost effective, and explicit. Frequently such an analysis identifies certain short- comings in the policy, and those conducting the policy analysis then usually recommend modifications designed to alleviate these shortcomings.

Administration Administration is the activity that involves directing the overall program of a social service agency. Administrative functions include setting agency and program objectives, analyzing social conditions in the community, making decisions relating to what services will be provided, employing and supervising staff members, setting up an organizational structure, administering financial affairs, and securing funds for the agency’s operations. Administration also involves setting organizational goals, coordinating activities toward the achievement of selected goals, and making and monitoring necessary changes in processes and structure to improve effectiveness and efficiency.

In social work, the term administration is often used synonymously with management. In a small agency, administrative functions may be carried out by one person, whereas in a larger agency several people may be involved in administrative affairs.

Other areas of professional activity in social work include research, consulting, supervi- sion, planning, program development, and teaching (primarily at the college level). The abil- ity to study and evaluate one’s own practice and to evaluate programs is an important skill for a social worker. Skills essential for social work practice are described further in the next section. Generalist social workers are expected to have an extensive knowledge base, to pos- sess numerous skills, and to adhere to a well-defined set of professional social work values.

LO 5 Understand the Conceptualization of Social Work Practice that Is Presented in the Educational Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education for Baccalaureate Degree Programs and Master’s Degree Programs in Social Work

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND VALUES NEEDED FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE In Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), the Council on Social Work Education (2015) identified knowledge, skills, values, and cognitive and affective processes that accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree programs are mandated to convey to social work students. EPAS is based on a competency approach. The following material is reprinted with permission from Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards.24

The mandated content that BSW and MSW programs are required to provide to stu- dents are summarized in the following nine competencies.

Social Work Competencies The nine social work competencies are listed in the following sections. Programs may add competencies that are consistent with their mission and goals and that respond to their context. Each competency describes the knowledge, values, skills, and cognitive and affec- tive processes that comprise the competency at the generalist level of practice, followed by a set of behaviors that integrate these components. These behaviors represent observable components of the competencies, and the preceding statements represent the underlying content and processes that inform the behaviors.

Competency 1–Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior Social workers understand the value base of the profession and its ethical standards, as well as relevant laws and regulations that may affect practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Social workers understand frameworks of ethical decision making and how to apply principles

EP 1a through

EP 9d

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 56

of critical thinking to those frameworks in practice, research, and policy arenas. Social workers recognize personal values and the distinction between personal and professional values. They also understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions influ- ence their professional judgment and behavior. Social workers understand the profession’s history, its mission, and the roles and responsibilities of the profession. Social workers also understand the role of other professions when engaged in interprofessional teams. Social workers recognize the importance of lifelong learning and are committed to continually up- dating their skills to ensure they are relevant and effective. Social workers also understand emerging forms of technology and the ethical use of technology in social work practice. Social workers:

● make ethical decisions by applying the standards of the NASW Code of Ethics, relevant laws and regulations, models for ethical decision making, ethical conduct of research, and additional codes of ethics as appropriate to context;

● use reflection and self-regulation to manage personal values and maintain profession- alism in practice situations;

● demonstrate professional demeanor in behavior; appearance; and oral, written, and electronic communication;

● use technology ethically and appropriately to facilitate practice outcomes; and ● use supervision and consultation to guide professional judgment and behavior.

Competency 2–Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice Social workers understand how diversity and difference characterize and shape the human experience and are critical to the formation of identity. The dimensions of diversity are understood as the intersectionality of multiple factors, including but not limited to, age, class, color, culture, disability and ability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration sta- tus, marital status, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexual orientation, and tribal sovereign status. Social workers understand that, as a consequence of difference, a person’s life experiences may include oppression, poverty, marginalization, and alienation, as well as privilege, power, and acclaim.

Social workers also understand the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and recognize the extent to which a culture’s structures and values, including social, economic, political, and cultural exclusions, may oppress, marginalize, alienate, or create privilege and power. Social workers:

● apply and communicate understanding of the importance of diversity and difference in shaping life experiences in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels;

● present themselves as learners and engage clients and constituencies as experts of their own experiences; and

● apply self-awareness and self-regulation to manage the influence of personal biases and values in working with diverse clients and constituencies.

Competency 3–Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmen- tal Justice Social workers understand that every person, regardless of position in society, has fundamental human rights such as freedom, safety, privacy, an adequate standard of living, healthcare, and education. Social workers understand the global interconnections of oppression and human rights violations, and are knowledgeable about theories of human need and social justice and strategies to promote social and economic justice and human rights. Social workers understand strategies designed to eliminate oppressive structural barriers to ensure that social goods, rights, and responsibilities are distributed equitably and that civil, political, environmental, economic, social, and cultural human rights are protected. Social workers:

● apply their understanding of social, economic, and environmental justice to advocate for human rights at the individual and system levels; and

● engage in practices that advance social, economic, and environmental justice.

57 Understand the Conceptualization of Social Work Practice

Competency 4–Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice Social workers understand quantitative and qualitative research methods and their respective roles in advancing a science of social work and in evaluating their practice. Social workers know the principles of logic, scientific inquiry, and culturally informed and ethical approaches to building knowledge. Social workers understand that evidence that in- forms practice derives from multidisciplinary sources and multiple ways of knowing. They also understand the processes for translating research findings into effective practice. Social workers:

● use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research; ● apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research

methods and research findings; and ● use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and ser-

vice delivery.

Competency 5–Engage in Policy Practice Social workers understand that human rights and social justice, as well as social welfare and services, are mediated by policy and its implementation at the federal, state, and local levels. Social workers understand the history and current structures of social policies and services, the role of policy in service delivery, and the role of practice in policy development. Social workers understand their role in policy development and implementation within their practice settings at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels, and they actively engage in policy practice to effect change within those settings. Social workers recognize and understand the historical, social, cultural, economic, organizational, environmental, and global influences that affect social policy. They are also knowledgeable about policy formulation, analysis, implementation, and evaluation. Social workers:

● identify social policy at the local, state, and federal level that affects well-being, ser- vice delivery, and access to social services;

● assess how social welfare and economic policies affect the delivery of and access to social services;

● apply critical thinking to analyze, formulate, and advocate for policies that advance human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice.

Competency 6–Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities Social workers understand that engagement is an ongoing compo- nent of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social work- ers value the importance of human relationships. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to facilitate engagement with clients and constituencies, including indi- viduals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand strategies to engage diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their ability to effectively engage with diverse clients and constituencies. Social workers value principles of relationship building and interprofessional collaboration to facilitate engagement with clients, constituencies, and other professionals as appropri- ate. Social workers:

● apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environ- ment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks to engage with clients and constituencies; and

● use empathy, reflection, and interpersonal skills to effectively engage diverse clients and constituencies.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 58

Competency 7–Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Com- munities Social workers understand that assessment is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in the assessment of diverse clients and constituencies, including individu- als, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Social workers understand meth- ods of assessment with diverse clients and constituencies to advance practice effectiveness. Social workers recognize the implications of the larger practice context in the assessment process and value the importance of interprofessional collaboration in this process. Social workers understand how their personal experiences and affective reactions may affect their assessment and decision making. Social workers:

● collect and organize data and apply critical thinking to interpret information from clients and constituencies;

● apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the analysis of assessment data from clients and constituencies;

● develop mutually agreed-on intervention goals and objectives based on the critical assessment of strengths, needs, and challenges within clients and constituencies; and

● select appropriate intervention strategies based on the assessment, research knowl- edge, and values and preferences of clients and constituencies.

Competency 8–Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, orga- nizations, and communities.

Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effec- tively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing, and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of interprofessional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and interorganizational collaboration. Social workers:

● critically choose and implement interventions to achieve practice goals and enhance capacities of clients and constituencies;

● apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in interventions with clients and constituencies;

● use interprofessional collaboration as appropriate to achieve beneficial practice outcomes;

● negotiate, mediate, and advocate with and on behalf of diverse clients and constitu- encies; and

● facilitate effective transitions and endings that advance mutually agreed-on goals.

Competency 9–Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organiza- tions, and Communities Social workers understand that evaluation is an ongoing com- ponent of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice with, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers recognize the importance of evaluating processes and outcomes to advance practice, policy, and service delivery effectiveness. Social workers understand theories of human behavior

59 Summary

and the social environment and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge in evaluating outcomes. Social workers understand qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluating outcomes and practice effectiveness. Social workers:

● select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes; ● apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment, person-in-

environment, and other multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks in the evalua- tion of outcomes;

● critically analyze, monitor, and evaluate intervention and program processes and outcomes; and

● apply evaluation findings to improve practice effectiveness at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.

SOCIAL GROUP WORK AS A COMPONENT OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE Social work practice involves providing humane and effective social services to individu- als, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social work with groups has con- siderable overlap in providing social services to individuals, families, organizations, and communities. The skills, knowledge, and values needed for effective social work practice with groups are similar to the skills, knowledge, and values needed for effective social work practice with individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

The material in this text on verbal communication, nonverbal communication, prob- lem solving, interviewing, counseling, and contracting is applicable to social work prac- tice with both individuals and groups. A family, as described in Chapter 9, is a subtype of a group. The close relationships between a group and an organization are described in Chapter 10, as are the close relationships between a group and a community. Acquiring the skills, values, and knowledge needed for effective practice with groups will simultaneously increase a social worker’s ability to work effectively with individuals, families, organiza- tions, and communities.

Summary

The following summarizes the chapter’s content in terms of the learning objectives presented at the beginning of the chapter.

Conceptualize social work practice. This chapter conceptualizes social work practice. Social work with groups is an integral component of social work practice. Social work is defined. The relationship between social work and social welfare is described. Almost all social workers are em- ployed in the field of social welfare. The Council on Social Work Education in EPAS (2015) has defined generalist social work practice:

Generalist practice is grounded in the liberal arts and the person-in-environment framework. To promote human and social well-being, generalist practitioners use a range of prevention and intervention methods in their practice with diverse individ- uals, families, groups, organizations, and communities based on scientific inquiry and best practices.

The generalist practitioner identifies with the social work pro- fession and applies ethical principles and critical thinking in practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Generalist practitioners engage diversity in their practice and advocate for human rights and social and economic justice. They recognize, support, and build on the strengths and resiliency of all human beings. They engage in research-informed practice and are proactive in responding to the impact of con- text on professional practice.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 60

A social worker is expected to be knowledgeable and skillful in filling a variety of roles, including enabler, broker, advocate, empowerer, activist, mediator, negotiator, educator, initiator, coordinator, researcher, group facilitator, and public speaker.

Understand the medical model approach and the ecological approach to assessing and changing human behavior.

In regard to emotional and behavioral problems of people, the medical model conceptualizes these problems as mental illnesses. The ecological approach to emo- tional and behavioral problems integrates both treatment and reform of systems by conceptualizing and emphasizing the dysfunctional transactions between people and their physical and social environments.

Specify the goals of social work practice. The following goals of social work practice are described:

Enhance the clients’ problem-solving, coping, and developmental capacities. 2. Link clients with systems that provide resources, services, and opportunities. 3. Promote the effective and humane operation of systems that provide resources

and services. 4. Develop and improve social policy. 5. Promote human and community well-being.

Understand the strengths perspective in working with clients. The strengths perspective seeks to identify, use, build on, and reinforce the abili-

ties and strengths that people have, in contrast to the pathological perspective, which focuses on their deficiencies. It emphasizes people’s abilities, interests, aspirations, resources, beliefs, and accomplishments.

Understand the conceptualization of social work practice that is presented in the Educational Policy Statement of the Council on Social Work Education for baccalau- reate degree programs and master’s degree programs in social work.

In EPAS (2015), the CSWE has identified the knowledge, skills, values, and cognitive and affective processes that accredited baccalaureate and master’s degree programs are mandated to convey to social work students. This EPAS material is presented.

Group Exercises

EXERCISE A: Options Planning GOAL: This exercise is designed to help students gain an awareness of how generalist social workers generate options for combating social problems.

The leader briefly describes generalist social work practice and indicates that options planning is one important aspect. The leader should state the purpose of this exercise, ask students to form subgroups of about five students, and then read the first vignette to the subgroup. Give them about 10 minutes to arrive at their options. Then ask the subgroups to share their options with the class. Seek to stimulate class discussion of various options. Proceed with the remaining vignettes in the same manner.

VIGNETTE #1 Blackhawk High School has recently had significant increases in the number of female students who have become pregnant. Many of these students become single mothers who face a number of obstacles in providing quality child care while trying to continue their education. The community is becoming increasingly concerned about the rising

EP 7b EP 8b

61 Group Exercises

pregnancy rate and the difficulties these young mothers are encountering. The principal of the school requests that the school social worker, Ms. Gomez, do something to “fix” these problems. What are realistic options that she might initiate and pursue?

VIGNETTE #2 A Midwest medium-sized city has agreed to take up to 1,000 refugees at the federal government’s request from a Middle Eastern country to relocate in this city. The mayor of this city appoints a task force to provide recommendations on what actions the city should take to assist these residents to assimilate to this city. Dr. Conley, a social work professor in the city, is appointed to this task force. Many of the refugees do not speak English. The recommendations for actions that the city should take involve (among other things) rec- ommendations for what services should be offered to the refugees. What realistic options should this task force recommend?

VIGNETTE #3 Mr. Komarek is a social worker for a human services department in a small rural commu- nity that has no shelter for homeless individuals or families. Community leaders have asked the county public welfare department to do something about the increasing number of homeless in the community. The director of the agency, responding to community pressure, assigns Mr. Komarek to head up a task force (that is, a committee) to combat the homeless problem. What realistic options could be pursued by Mr. Komarek and this task force?

VIGNETTE #4 The mayor of a large city has appointed a task force to develop recommendations for improving living conditions in the inner city. The inner city has high rates of unem- ployment, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, births outside of marriage, substandard housing, high school dropouts, homeless individuals and families, gang activity, and homicides. A great many people are receiving public assistance. Ms. Taylor, a social worker and social planner employed by United Way, is appointed to this task force. What realistic recommendations for improving living conditions should be advanced by this task force?

EXERCISE B: Social Work with Groups and Generalist Practice GOAL: This exercise is designed to help students acquire a working knowledge of key terms used in social work.

Step 1. The leader states the purpose of this exercise. Indicate that social workers must be able to describe to others what the profession of social work is and how it is distinct from other profes- sions. Students form subgroups of about five students each. The leader asks each subgroup to discuss answers to the first of the following four questions. Give the subgroups about 10 minutes to arrive at their answers. Then ask them to share their answers with the class. After this process is completed, the leader may summarize the answer to this question given in this chapter and may compare it with the answers arrived at by the subgroups. The answers from the class may be bet- ter than the answers in the text.

Step 2. Proceed with the remaining three questions in a similar manner.

QUESTIONS 1. Define social work and social welfare, and describe the relationship between the two. 2. Define the profession of social work and describe how it is distinct from such other helping

professions as psychology and psychiatry. 3. Define the terms “social worker” and “generalist social worker.” 4. Describe how social work practice with groups is distinct from, but similar to, social work prac-

tice with other client systems—that is, individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

CHAPTER 2: Social Group Work and Social Work Practice 62

EXERCISE C: Assessing Social Work Competencies and Behaviors in Field Placement GOAL: This exercise is designed to facilitate students and the social work program in assessing the extent to which students have acquired the competencies and behaviors for social work prac- tice while the students are in field placement.

Step 1: This field instrument may be used by agency field supervisors to evaluate the per- formance of the interns they are supervising. One way of using the instrument is to evaluate the intern at the end of field placement. The instrument is completed by the field instructor and reviewed with the student intern and faculty liaison for the dual purposes of providing a grade for the field placement and assessing the individual student’s attainment of social work behaviors and competencies. Another approach is for field instructors to complete the evaluation midway through the length of the field placement (that is, midsemester for a one- semester field placement or midyear for a two-term field placement), then again at termina- tion of the field placement. With either approach, benchmarks (as specified in 2015 EPAS) need to be established.

EP 1a through

EP 9d

Rating Scale for Evaluation of Field Placement Performance

Midterm ■ Final ■

Name of Intern

Date

INSTRUCTIONS FOR RATING INTERNS ON THE NINE COMPETENCIES IN THE FIRST PART OF THE EVALUATION: The standard by which an intern is to be compared is that of a new beginning-level social worker. The nine competencies that are specified in this evaluation form are those established in 2015 by our national accrediting organization (the Council on Social Work Education). Under each competency statement are several items that we ask that you rate according to the following criteria.

1 The intern has excelled in this area

The intern is functioning above expectations for interns in this area

The intern has met the expectations for interns in this area

The intern has not as yet met the expectations in this area, but there is hope that the intern will meet the expectations in the near future

The intern has not met the expectations in this area, and there is not much hope that the intern will meet the expectations in this area in the near future

n/a Not applicable, as the intern has not had the opportunity to demonstrate competence in this area

Comments may be made under any competency statement, if desired. Please be sure to indicate those areas in which you think the intern is particularly strong and those areas that need improvement.

This evaluation is intended to give the intern feedback about her or his performance. The agency supervisor’s rating of these items will not directly be used to calculate the grade that is given to the intern. The faculty supervisor has the responsibility of assigning the grade for the course. The grade that is assigned will be based on the faculty supervisor’s overall evaluation of the student’s performance in placement in conjunction with the agency supervisor’s evaluation, intern logs, seminar participa- tion, and assigned papers.

If you prefer to use another evaluation system in addition to this form to evaluate a student’s performance, please discuss this with the faculty supervisor.

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