Ch03_PPT.ppt
- 2. INTRODUCTION • THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE INCLUDES A SET OF THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES DEVELOPED STARTING IN THE LATE 1980S. • HIS PERSPECTIVE IS BALANCED BY THE IDEA THAT ALL PEOPLE HAVE STRENGTHS. BY IDENTIFYING AND BUILDING UPON CLIENTS’ STRENGTHS, SOCIAL WORKERS CAN ADDRESS PROBLEMS BY USING CLIENTS’ CAPACITIES AND RESOURCES IN THE PROCESS OF HELPING. • IN ADDITION, THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE SEEKS TO ENGAGE IN A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICE THAT REMAINS FL EXIBLE AND CREATIVE WHEN ADDRESSING SOCIAL PROBLEMS WITH DIVERSE POPULATIONS. •
- 3. HISTORY OF STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE • SOCIAL WORK HAS A LONG HISTORY OF INTERVENING WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES TO ENHANCE WELL-BEING. EARLY EFFORTS WERE SEEN IN THE LATE 1800S AND EARLY 1900S IN ACTIVITIES SUCH AS HOME VISITING PROVIDED BY CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE AND IMPOVERISHED FAMILIES. • OTHERS SOUGHT TO ADDRESS SOCIAL PROBLEMS THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BY PROVIDING ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF SPECIFI C GROUPS OF PEOPLE .
- 4. HISTORY OF STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE • TO PROFESSIONALIZE THE FIELD, SOCIAL WORK ADOPTED THE “MEDICAL MODEL” MANY YEARS AGO, THINKING THAT LABELING AND MEASURING PROBLEMS WOULD HELP TO VALIDATE THE WORK • SOCIAL WORK LEADERS FROM THAT TIME PERIOD MAY HAVE OVEREMPHASIZED PROCESSES SUCH AS DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT, PULLING SOCIAL WORKERS AWAY FROM OUR ROOTS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND ADVOCACY • THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE WAS DEVELOPED BY A GROUP OF LEADERS IN THE EARLY 1990S TO DELIBERATELY ACKNOWLEDGE THE ROLE THAT STRENGTHS PLAY WHEN SEEKING TO ADDRESS VERY REAL PROBLEMS
- 5. STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE: KEY CONCEPTS SIMILAR TO OTHER THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES, THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE INCLUDES SEVERAL IMPORTANT TERMS, SUMMARIZED IN TABLE 3.1, THAT ARE NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND WHEN CONSIDERING ITS PRINCIPLES. • STRENGTHS INCLUDE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CAPABILITIES AND RESOURCES UNIQUE TO EACH PERSON OR GROUP • THE CONCEPT OF RESILIENCE IS USED TO DESCRIBE SITUATIONS WHEN PEOPLE OVERCOME ADVERSITY TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING, AND IN SOME CASES EVEN IMPROVE FUNCTIONING, DESPITE FACING A TRAUMATIC OR CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE • HOPE REFERS TO ONE’S BELIEF THAT A POSITIVE OUTCOME IS POSSIBLE.
- 6. STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE: KEY CONCEPTS, CONTINUED • CULTURE REFERS TO THE BELIEFS, TRADITIONS, AND DAILY ACTIVITIES OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE • THE TERM COLLABORATION REFERS SPECIFICALLY TO THE NATURE OF A RELATIONSHIP. ALTHOUGH SOME RELATIONSHIPS ARE HIERARCHICAL IN NATURE SUCH THAT ONE PERSON ASSERTS AUTHORITY OVER ANOTHER AS IS THE CASE IN A PARENT/CHILD RELATIONSHIP, OTHER RELATIONSHIPS ARE SEEN AS COLLABORATIVE WHEN THEY BALANCE THE POWER AND APPRECIATE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM BOTH PARTIES.
- 8. THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE: PRINCIPLES • MANY AUTHORS HAVE IDENTIFI ED A SERIES OF PRINCIPLES THAT ENCOMPASS THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE. THE FOLLOWING SECTION SYNTHESIZES MATERIAL FROM BERTOLINO (2010), SALEEBEY (2009), KISTHARDT (2009), AND BLUNDO (2001) TO OFFER THE IDEAS MOST CONSISTENTLY RELATED TO THIS PERSPECTIVE. • THESE PRINCIPLES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN TABLE 3.2 MANY AUTHORS HAVE IDENTIFI ED A SERIES OF PRINCIPLES THAT ENCOMPASS THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE. THE FOLLOWING SECTION SYNTHESIZES MATERIAL FROM BERTOLINO (2010), SALEEBEY (2009), KISTHARDT (2009), AND BLUNDO (2001) TO OFFER THE IDEAS MOST CONSISTENTLY RELATED TO THIS PERSPECTIVE. THESE PRINCIPLES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN TABLE
- 9. THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE: PRINCIPLES • PRINCIPLE 1: ALL PEOPLE, FAMILIES, GROUPS, AND COMMUNITIES HAVE STRENGTHS • PRINCIPLE 2: ALL PEOPLE, FAMILIES, GROUPS, AND COMMUNITIES HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT • PRINCIPLE 3: ALL PEOPLE, FAMILIES, GROUPS AND COMMUNITIES ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR OWN LIVES • PRINCIPLE 4: SUPPORT AND SERVICES SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN NATURALLY OCCURRING SETTINGS WHENEVER POSSIBLE
- 10. THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE: PRINCIPLES, CONTINUED • PRINCIPLE 5: SERVICES SHOULD REMAIN FLEXIBLE AND RESPONSIVE TO THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL CLIENT SITUATION • PRINCIPLE 6: HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS ARE HIGHLY VALUED
- 11. SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: APPLICATION • ENGAGEMENT ACCORDING TO A STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE INVOLVES DEVELOPING A COLLABORATIVE, NONHIERARCHICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROFESSIONAL AND CLIENT • ENGAGEMENT REFERS TO THE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP FORMED BETWEEN A CLIENT AND THE SOCIAL WORKER. THE WORD RAPPORT IS USED TO REPRESENT THE LEVEL OF COMFORT AND TRUST ESTABLISHED WITHIN THIS RELATIONSHIP. • EARLY RAPPORT CAN BE SEEN IN EFFORTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST MEETING WITH A CLIENT THAT SEEK TO PUT THAT PERSON AT EASE. AS TIME PROGRESSES, TRUST IS ESTABLISHED AS THE CLIENT FEELS SAFE SPEAKING OPENLY WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER. COMMUNICATING AUTHENTICITY AND RESPECT ARE ESSENTIAL TO THIS PROCESS.
- 12. SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: APPLICATION, CONTINUED • ASSESSMENT ACCORDING TO A STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE INVOLVES NOT JUST UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM; IT REQUIRES A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND A CLIENT’S STRENGTHS, PAST EXCEPTIONS TO THE PROBLEM, AND PAST SUCCESSES AT PROBLEM RESOLUTION. THESE STRENGTHS AND SUCCESSES ARE THEN TAPPED WHEN SEEKING PROBLEM RESOLUTION • THIS ASSESSMENT IS TYPICALLY WRITTEN INTO A REPORT SUMMARIZING INFORMATION GATHERED THROUGH AN INTERVIEW. A PROBLEM-CENTERED ASSESSMENT COLLECTS INFORMATION FOCUSED ON MEASURING THE SEVERITY, DURATION, AND FREQUENCY OF THE CLIENT’S PROBLEMS. • GRAYBEAL’S ROPES PROVIDES AN EXAMPLE OF A STRENGTHS-BASED ASSESSMENT THAT INCLUDES COLLECTING INFORMATION ABOUT A CLIENT’S RESOURCES, OPTIONS,
- 13. SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: APPLICATION, CONTINUED • STRENGTHS-BASED INTERVENTION INVOLVES ANY ACTIVITY USED TO TAP A CLIENT’S RESOURCES FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING FUNCTIONING • TO INTERVENE MEANS TO ENGAGE IN AN ACTIVITY THAT LEADS TO POSITIVE CHANGES. FOR A CLIENT FACING A PROBLEM, AN INTERVENTION SEEKS TO ALLEVIATE A STRESSOR OR AT LEAST REDUCE THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH A PARTICULAR PROBLEM. • EVALUATION FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE WOULD ASSESS THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE CLIENT FEELS SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS CONSIDERING THE CLIENT’S VIEW IS PRIORITIZED IN THE HELPING RELATIONSHIP
- 14. CASE EXAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS • CONSIDER HOW YOU MIGHT PROCEED WITH THIS CASE. AS YOU LEAVE LUISA’S HOME, WHAT ARE SOME REFLECTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THIS CASE? WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS SHE IS CURRENTLY FACING? WHAT ARE THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STRENGTHS THAT COULD HELP INFORM YOUR ASSESSMENT? P.72 – 75---TEXTBOOK
- 15. CASE EXAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, CONTINUED • AS YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CASE, HOW MIGHT YOU INTERACT WITH LUISA IN A WAY THAT WOULD DISPLAY A HOPEFUL OUTLOOK ON HER SITUATION? THINK ABOUT THE MICROSKILLS THAT WERE DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER 1. WHAT QUESTIONS WOULD YOU ASK THAT ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR BELIEF IN HER CAPACITY TO SUCCESSFULLY COPE WITH HER CURRENT STRUGGLES? IN CONTRAST, WHAT QUESTIONS MIGHT YOU AVOID THAT COULD HINDER POTENTIAL OR COMMUNICATE A LACK OF BELIEF IN HER CAPACITY FOR GROWTH AND CHANGE?
- 16. CASE EXAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS, CONTINUED • WHAT ARE SOME INTERVENTIONS YOU MIGHT CONSIDER WHEN WORKING WITH LUISA AND HER FAMILY AS A PARENT AID THAT WOULD FIT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE AS DEFINED IN THIS CHAPTER? HOW DO THESE INTERVENTIONS COMPARE AND CONTRAST WITH OTHER THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THUS FAR?
- 17. LIMITATIONS OF STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE • DESPITE STRENGTHS-BASED PRACTICE BEING WELL-ACCEPTED IN SOCIAL WORK, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME CRITIQUES • IF SOCIAL WORKERS FOCUS TOO MUCH ON REFRAMING TOWARD THE POSITIVE AND MISS REALLY LISTENING TO THE CLIENT, THIS POOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE CAN CAUSE SOME CLIENTS TO FEEL THEIR VERY REAL PROBLEMS ARE NOT VALIDATED • SOME SUGGEST THE STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE IS STILL IN ITS EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND FURTHER WORK IS NEEDED TO DEVELOP SPECIFIC PRACTICES • BECAUSE IT IS BROAD, IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO MEASURE STRENGTHS-BASED PRACTICE, LIMITING THE EVIDENCE TO LEND EMPIRICAL SUPPORT TO ITS USE