The Foundation for Generalist Practice in Social Work
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Transcript of The Foundation for Generalist Practice in Social Work
The Foundation for Generalist Practice in The Foundation for Generalist Practice in Social WorkSocial Work
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the meaning of holism
2. Understand the basic elements constituting the foundation of the profession
3. Begin to understand the seven essential elements of generalist social work practice
4. Perceive the foundation values and ethics, knowledge, and skills of social work practice from the person-in-environment perspective
5. Begin to understand the process of the General Method
As a Social Worker Practice is a As a Social Worker Practice is a function of Your…function of Your…
HOLISMHOLISMSocial Work is based on a holistic conceptual framework that takes into account the many interrelationships among different components of the discipline
In this holistic framework the focus is on: Total person Interdependence of body, spirit, mind, and feelings The person in their environment Person’s transactional processes The environmental context forces Person’s bio-psycho-social functioning
Human Human Needs/Emotion/ Needs/Emotion/
BehaviorBehavior
Human Human Needs/Emotion/ Needs/Emotion/
BehaviorBehavior
The Biopsychosocial ModelThe Biopsychosocial ModelUnderlying theoretical framework for Social Work
BiologicalBiologicalFactorsFactors
BiologicalBiologicalFactorsFactors
PsychologicalPsychologicalFactorsFactors
PsychologicalPsychologicalFactorsFactors
SocialFactorsSocial
Factors
NeedsNeeds
• In social work we are concerned with meeting the NEEDS of individuals within the context of their biological, psychological and social environments
Maslow’s Hierarchy of NeedsMaslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Basic Needs Must Basic Needs Must be Satisfied be Satisfied
before Higher before Higher Order NeedsOrder Needs
Basic NeedsBasic Needs
Higher Order NeedsHigher Order Needs
Class ActivityClass Activity
• The following 2 scenarios illustrate situations where particular needs in the hierarchy are motivating people’s behavior
• Identify in each which need:– is taking precedence– is being satifsfied
An uneducated, very unhappy An uneducated, very unhappy mother and wife stays married to her mother and wife stays married to her abusive husband because she was abusive husband because she was
an orphanan orphan
Which need is taking PRECEDENCE (the current focus of attention)?
Which need is being SACRIFICED?
Woman in Abusive MarriageWoman in Abusive Marriage
• Motivating Need• Love and belonging.• She loves her
children and doesn’t want to split their family nor take them from home, shaking up their sense of security.
• Sacrificed Need• Physiological.• She will no doubt
continue to be abused.
A man recently diagnosed with A man recently diagnosed with diabetes is making several dietary diabetes is making several dietary
changes and is short-tempered and changes and is short-tempered and irritable with his familyirritable with his family
What need is taking PRECEDENCE (the current focus of attention)?
What need is being SACRIFICED?
Diabetic Man on a DietDiabetic Man on a Diet
• Precedence Need• Physiological• The man is hungry
• Sacrificed Need• Love and belonging• He’s so miserable
he can’t get his mind off of his physical need for food and is taking it out on others
NeedsNeeds
• Being a student and aspiring social worker entails meeting both your needs as a student and the needs of those you will be serving both now and in the future as social workers
Meeting NeedsMeeting Needs
• In terms of students needs being met– Student self-actualization reflects the
achievement of individual student goals , in the School of Social Work environment (i.e. Social Work Education).
• In terms of the needs of those you serve– Work to identify and see that the needs of your
clients are being met.
Meeting Needs: Meeting Needs: Person-Person Work!Person-Person Work!
• Working together requires 4 essential dimensions of the generalist practice
1. Holistic and transferable professional knowledge, value and skill base
2. Multi-dimensional framework
3. Versatile Assessment
4. Intervention Roles and Strategies
From where did these From where did these dimensions arise?dimensions arise?
Let’s take a look back at the historical development of social
work
• Social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals, and its values are based on respect for the equality, worth, and dignity of all people...
• Human rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. – In solidarity with those who are
disadvantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to liberate vulnerable and oppressed people in order to promote social inclusion…
Foundations of Social WorkFoundations of Social Work
Context for natural development
1600’s poor laws-family responsibility in rural America
Growth (pop & econ), social stratification, business cycle
Settlement Houses
Broader social reform
Charity Organizations
Micropractice- origins of social casework
1. Purpose
2. Sanctions
3. Values and Ethics
4. Knowledge
5. Methods
6. Skills
Basic Foundation Elements of the Social Work Profession
1. PURPOSE1. PURPOSE Enhance the social
functioning of individuals, families, and groups
Modify environmental conditions
Work to improve environmental conditions
Enable individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities to function more effectively
CounselorCounselor
EnablerEnabler
Broker of Broker of ServicesServices
CaseCaseManagerManager
ConsultantConsultant
AdvocateAdvocateTeam Team
MemberMember
AdministratoAdministratorr
Generalist Practice
Levels of Purpose
• Individual– Caseworker– Therapist– Micropractice
specialist
• Structural– Comm.
OrganizerPlanner– Policy advocate– Macropractice
specialist
2. SANCTIONS Social Work is a SOCIETALLY SANCTIONED
Profession It receives its sanctions from public and private
and voluntary auspices Perform designated tasks and activities in
carrying out the profession’s purpose:1. Create social program and social work role
positions in multidisciplinary programs
2. Allocate funding for social work programs, role positions, and practice activities
3. Legally incorporate and license agencies, organizations, and institutions
4. Regulate or license individual social work professionals
Class ActivityClass Activity
• List 3 things you value most
• List 3 things the social work profession values
• Ask Yourself
Preferred ways of thinking Preferred ways of thinking about persons and societyabout persons and society
Preferred instrumentalities Preferred instrumentalities for dealing with peoplefor dealing with people
Preferred goals and Preferred goals and outcomesoutcomes
Values: Definition
3. Core Professional Values and Ethics
Service Help people in need; address social problems
Social Justice Challenge injustice
Dignity and Worth of the Person Respect dignity and worth of the person
Importance of Human Relationships Recognize central importance of human relationships
Integrity Behave in trustworthy manner
Competence Practice within their areas of competence and advance
professional expertise
Professional Values are at the heart of Professional Values are at the heart of social work practicesocial work practice
Examples of Social Work Examples of Social Work Professional Value DecreesProfessional Value Decrees
…of the kinds of social work values stated by scholars and professional associations in western countries since 1958. The changing face of values
can be seen throughout the years.
Translated to general practiceTranslated to general practice• Commitment to a set of values.• Awareness that the values are inter-related
and form a coherent whole.• Capacity to make sense of professional values
and their relationship to our own personally-held values.
• Ability to give a coherent account of beliefs and actions.
• Strength of purpose and ability to act on the values.
When personal and When personal and professional values clash!professional values clash!
So I'm beginning to think I really don't like it any more. Knocking on people's doors and saying I need to talk to you because a report's been made that you're not looking after your child. You know, it's not worthwhile any more. It's not the right way to be doing it. There's other ways. And I'm just there by myself and it's not very pleasant. So I'm beginning to think I'm doing it out of a very routine way. But I'm getting the sense back that it's not the right way and it’s punishing people. And it's social work that's really cut down to the bone, about as stark as it gets. (Emergency duty social worker)
Social Work Code of EthicsSocial Work Code of Ethics
• Students are expected to maintain professional behaviour consistent with the current Code of Ethics of the Canadian Association of Social Workers.
• The Code of Ethics is used to help guide social workers in the course of their work
• The Code encompasses the values and principles of human worth, dignity, self-determination and justice upon which social work is based
(Hick, 2002, p. 59)
Guiding Principles and StandardsGuiding Principles and Standards
• The NASW Code of Ethics does not provide a set of rules that prescribe how social workers should act.
• Ethical dilemmas describe situations in which the social worker has two or more ethical obligations but cannot adhere to one principle without violating the other (protect from imminent harm vs right to privacy).
Guiding Principles Continued Guiding Principles Continued
• Ethics are not a cookbook or recipe of “dos” and don’ts” Ethical conduct requires continual self monitoring, reflection, careful thought, and constant review of the Code of Ethics.
• As a professional, one must not only know the letter of the code – but the spirit, the rationale, and the practical implications.
NASW Code of Ethics – Basic TenantsNASW Code of Ethics – Basic Tenants
• Principle Number 1 – Protection of Life• Principle Number 2 – Equality and Inequality• Principle Number 3 – Autonomy and Freedom• Principle Number 4 – Least Harm• Principle Number 5 – Quality of Life• Principle Number 6 – Privacy and Confidentiality• Principle Number 7 – Truthfulness and Disclosure
Ethical Decision Making FrameworkEthical Decision Making Framework• Identify the ethical principles that apply to the
situation• Collect as much information as possible to examine
the ethical dilemma fully• Identify relevant ethical values and rules that apply
to this ethical dilemma• Identify any possible conflicts of interest• Identify any possible problems or benefits to people• Identify appropriate ethical rules and rank them in
terms of importance• Identify the consequences of applying different
ethical rules
What would you do…What would you do…• Clients who put themselves at risk pose a
dilemma for social workers• These clients may refuse medical treatment or
services or reject common-sense advice. “Clients have a right to refuse treatment or services, but there are risks associated with doing so"
• If the client is supposed to use a walker and won't• If the client refuses to eat the home-delivered
meal• If the client can't remember to take medication• …Then the social worker has to decide what is
the appropriate action…What would you do in the situations noted above
4. KNOWLEDGE4. KNOWLEDGE
Empirically grounded knowledge Substantive matter Subjected to systematic inquiry Discover or check facts
Theoretically framed knowledge Coherent group of abstract propositions Explain particular practice phenomena and intervention
methods
Social Work Knowledge BuildingSocial Work Knowledge Building• The current state of social work knowledge
building is characterized by two realities.1. Traditional research, both qualitative and quantitative
being carried out, primarily by university-based researchers, but also in different fields, by researchers based in institutes, foundations, or social service agencies; and,
2. The majority of social work practitioners who continue to look elsewhere for knowledge.
• One reason for the practice-research gap is that practitioners deal with situations that are unique and idiosyncratic, while research deals with regularities and aggregates.
Popular Sources of Social Work Popular Sources of Social Work KnowledgeKnowledge
• Practice wisdom transmitted from instructors to students and from supervisors to supervisees
• Theory developed from case data• Findings from research in other fields that are
integrated into social work theories (e.g., research about child development or racial discrimination)
• What additional sources of social work What additional sources of social work knowledge might there be?knowledge might there be?
5. METHODS AND SKILLS5. METHODS AND SKILLS
The Uniqueness of Social WorkThe Uniqueness of Social Work
• Social work is unique among the helping professionals due to its focus on both the person and the environment.
Person-in-EnvironmentPerson-in-Environment
Person-In-Environmentaka: Person-In-Situation
• Florence Hollis (1964) • Stresses a person's physical, social,
and psychological realities as well as the social realities that both define and limit that person.
• Examines both the personal, and the social aspects of all 'Problems' be they social problems, or personal ones.
Person-In-EnvironmentPerson-In-Environment
The big circles represent enviromental factors.
PERSON
PIE
Exa
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eP
IE E
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Physical domain Bodily needs
Intellectual domain Cognitive needs
Socio-affective domain Social-emotional needs
Spiritual domain Aesthetic needs
Living contexts: Family, culture, physical
surroundings, community, society
Person-In-Environment Perspective
Person-In-Environment SkillsPerson-In-Environment Skills
Person - related skills
interviewing, empathic responding, relationship building, empowering client systems, uncovering and enhancing client strengths………….
IN – transaction related skills
client-system-centered method, case management, crisis intervention, social work-centered skills, ethical decision making, professional skills for time management, team work, documentation, research……….
Environment –related skillsadvocacy, social
action, giving testimony, locality building, educating, brokering, facilitating, social planning, technology usage, fact gathering, analysis…….
Case StudiesCase Studies
Use the Person-in-Environment Perspective to identify the factors
contributing to the problem the individual is having in functioning
How would you, as a social worker address the problem using person-in-
environment skills
Case Study 1Case Study 1• Melanie Johnson is a 32-year-old accountant who
moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin, two years ago from her hometown of Sarasota, Florida.
• Beginning this past November, for the first time in her life, Melanie began experiencing periods of depression, lethargy, and excessive sleeping. In addition, she noticed that she was eating more than she had previously, and as a result, had gained 10 pounds.
• Melanie’s physician, who after ruling out all potential medical causes of her symptom, or other mental illnesses diagnosed her as having seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Case Study 2Case Study 2• It was 4:36 a.m. She was in a cold sweat and having
difficulty breathing. She felt as though she had run a marathon. Fear swept through her—something terrible was going to happen. Panic-stricken, she woke her husband, Jeremy.
• “Denise, what is it? Is it a nightmare?”
• “No, it’s like I’m having an asthma attack. I feel lightheaded and I can’t catch my breath. My heart feels like it’s beating a thousand times a minute.”
• Afraid to upset her husband further, Denise didn’t tell him that an immense feeling of apprehension suddenly overcame her. She got up to drink some water and waited for the anxiety to subside.
Case Study 2Case Study 2• Her mind was racing. Jeremy had a family history of
heart disease. This couldn’t be happening to her. It was his problem.
• A few months earlier Jeremy was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. He was only 48 years old, the same age as Denise. The scare had encouraged him to gradually end years of chain smoking and adopt a healthier lifestyle. He was currently working on giving up the occasional cigarette for good.
• “No,” Denise thought to herself. “There’s no way this was a sign of heart troubles. I didn’t have a pain in my chest, I’m physically fit, and I have no family history. There’s just no way.”
• After assuring herself of this, Denise was somehow able to fall back asleep.
Ecological system perspective Problem / strengths focus Strengths / needs orientation Multilevel approach Open selection of theories and
interventions Strengths-based problem-solving
process Practice and program evaluation
Essential Elements of Generalist Social Work Practice
• Completed Sept. 18, 2007 Tues.