Problems of the Homeless in the Professional Context of Social Work - Essay Example

Introduction Offering assistance to homeless people in the United States today is a complicated task. The ranks of the homeless have been growing in the past 20 years as a result of cutbacks in public spending on public assistance programs, a declining job market for unskilled workers, and increasing costs of house ownership.A Useful way of approaching the problem is by examining the challenges that one faces as a social worker. A Social worker fulfills all the requisites of a professional dealing with public problems along with the added advantage of more singular purpose than other allied health professions.This paper will outline how best to approach the problems of the homeless in the professional context of social work. This will entail an understanding of the growing nature of the problem and assessment of the population in question as well as a self-assessment in order to best serve the population Modern Origins of the Problem Homeless people are not a new phenomenon in the US, however, in recent times a clear rise in their number can be seen to have occurred following the cutbacks in social programs in the 1980s instituted by then President Ronald Reagan. The cutbacks were more pronounced given that they were not indexed for inflation and real benefits shrank significantly from prior levels. There were also cutbacks in low cost housing. These two factors account for three of the requirements for the rise of the homeless as defined by Cohen which are, “ .... eroding work opportunities, cuts in public benefit programs, and the shortage of affordable housing” (National Coalition for the Homeless 1999). (Cohen, 2001, p. 630) Indeed the definition of the poor is defined in the following way: “The now widely accepted official governmental definition of a homeless person is “one who lacks a fixed permanent nighttime residence, or whose nighttime residence is a temporary shelter, welfare hotel, or any other public or private place not designed as sleeping accommodations for human beings” (Institute of Medicine 1988:137). (Cohen, 2001, p. 629) Classification Of the Homeless The homeless in modern America unfortunately have certain recognizable demographic patterns. Is important to be able to recognize the patterns not for any desire to stereotype certain groups but simply to come to an understanding of the population in question. Often the problem effects families as Cohen points out, "Homeless families are one of the fastest-growing segments of the homeless population. Requests for emergency family shelter increased by an average of 15 percent" (Cohen, 2001, p. 631) Unfortunately children also were overrepresented in this population: "Children under the age of 18 are thought to comprise roughly 25 percent of the homeless population (U.S. Conference of Mayors 1998)." (Cohen, 2001, p. 632) There has also been overrepresentation by the African-American population among the homeless as a consequence of historical conditions as well as the sharp decline in jobs. Goals of social work The goals of social workers are useful to explore briefly since they underline the underlying pattern that all professionals must use in their approach to their clients. Jones and Alcabes outline a useful process that is widely used in human service organizations and applies to the approach taken when dealing with the poor. They outline three stage process that leads the potential client to the the position of client. First the client goes through the “applicant”stage where help is sought for what is a recognised problem where help is potentially available. Then the potential client enters the “novitiate phase” where the expectations of the treatment or professional help are outlined to the potential client in order to gain relief. Finally after this stage the potential client becomes the client and undertakes the treatment in question. (Jones, and Alcabes xix) with homeless people entering this multistage level of mutual cooperation and assessment between the social worker and the client as comes to be defined is more difficult since basic needs need to be addressed so a level of motivation can be established. This can ideally be achieved by referrals to social aid organizations and housing arrangements which will establish the basics. From this point on the individual client can be assessed on their merits without the complicating burden of the basic hunger and lack of shelter. Honest self-assessment An honest self-assessment is necessary when dealing with with poor or as it is currently phrased clients with basic needs. The aforementioned goals of social work are compromised right at the outset when clients are dealing with basic issues such as food and shelter. Studies have also shown that biases exist among social workers especially the young, toward clients with basic needs. One study referred to by Krumer-Nevo et al noted that there were differences between Israeli social workers and Australian and British. In his study he observed that Israeli workers tended to blame the clients themselves for their current impasse. (Krumer-Nevo & Lev-Wiesel, 2005) Another study quoted by Krumer-Nevo et al showed that American social workers especially in the younger age group had a weak grasp of the desperation of the very poor clients. The same study also showed that newer social workers were not inclined to be interested and in taking on the very poor as clients. The authors suggested that this was related to the higher prestige seen in psychotherapy and the greater workload seen in enabling the very poor up to this stage of the treatment. (Krumer-Nevo & Lev-Wiesel, 2005) Bearing these considerations in mind it is important that a social worker be aware of his or her own biases so they do not interfere with the underlying goal of aiding the people who seek help. In this regard it can be helpful to use broader classification schemes. Classification schemes The SWAAT is a mechanism for identifying patients shortly after admission who have complicated social needs and who require a social worker evaluation. It focuses on six areas: difficulty with ambulation, living situation, current social services, patient's perception of the need for additional services, patient's perception of the need for help leaving the hospital, and whether the patient was noted to be confused at admission but lived alone. The reliability and validity of the items have been established. Items contained in this scale have been shown to be indicators of subsequent length of hospitalization and subsequent use of social services (Blaylock (Boutin-Foster et al., 2005) The Social Work Admission Assessment Tool (SWAAT) is one such approach which offers something of a systematic approach to assessing the underlying needs of the homeless before establishing a client relationship. Conclusion Dealing with the problems of the homeless as a social worker offers many challenges. On a personal level my own work with this population would require my understanding of its causes, it's vulnerable populations, my own potential biases and finally a systematic approach to dealing in the best possible way with the problem. References Boutin-Foster, C., Euster, S., Rolon, Y., Motal, A., Belue, R., Kline, R., et al. (2005). Social Work Admission Assessment Tool for Identifying Patients in Need of Comprehensive Social Work Evaluation. Health and Social Work, 30(2), 117+. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5009503361 Cohen, M. B. (2001). 22 Homeless People. In Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations, Gitterman, A. (Ed.) (pp. 628-647). New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=100227065 Diblasio, F. A., & Belcher, J. R. (1993). Social Work Outreach to Homeless People and the Need to Address Issues of Self-Esteem. Health and Social Work, 18(4), 281+. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000231161 Gitterman, A. (Ed.). (2001). Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations. New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=100226392 Jones, James A., and Abraham Alcabes. Client Socialization: The Achilles' Heel of the Helping Professions. Westport, CT: Auburn House, 1993. Questia. 27 Mar. 2006 . Krumer-Nevo, M., & Lev-Wiesel, R. (2005). Attitudes of Social Work Students toward Clients with Basic Needs. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(3), 545+. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5011758754 Lowe, G. R. & Reid, P. N. (Eds.). (1999). The Professionalization of Poverty: Social Work and the Poor in the Twentieth Century. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=65325721 Maluccio, A. N., Pine, B. A., & Tracy, E. M. (2002). Social Work Practice with Families and Children. New York: Columbia University Press. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=99882591 Voss, R. W., Hat, A. W., Bates, J., Lunderman, M. R., & Lunderman, A. (2005). Social Work Education in the Homeland: Wo'lakota Unglu'su'tapi. Journal of Social Work Education, 41(2), 209+. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5011131447 Clark Aldrich in his article outlines five essential qualities of leaders and his is a useful schema to use. These are the following: 1. Power. This implies that a leader cannot be defined as such unless there is a high level of achievement and prominence so and that others look to them for guidance. 2. Ideas. A leader must be guided by an intellectual vision which appeals to a great many. 3. Tension. A leader must keep his followers at a certain level of tension so that they are motivated to go in a certain direction. 4. Commitment. A Leader must convey to his followers that he himself is convinced on the path he chooses to take them. 5. Balance. A leader musttake into consideration the beliefs of his followers so that there is a balanced dialogue. Three individuals that come to mind with these qualities are John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. John F. Kennedy captured the country's imagination when he became president. He was young and charismatic and he appeared to symbolize the idealism of American values. Abraham Lincoln managed to keep the country intact and let it through the rigors of the Civil War. Most importantly he gave freedom to cruelly subjugated population of people. Martin Luther King led African-American people through the crucial challenges of the Civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s. He achieved great results through civil disobedience and nonviolent means. He preached peace and racial harmony. Stereotyping goes on all the time in the media and in society at large. In the aftermath of 9/11 Muslims across the board were viewed with suspicion often unjustly. Hispanic people especially the more recent immigrants are seen in stereotyped patterns. As new immigrants they often have to take lower scale jobs. To define them in this way is to forget that every new immigrant group aspires to the American dream and eventually over time achieves material wealth. Asian-Americans are often seen as quiet, industrious but not especially passionate or creative. This as a stereotype also fails to consider the great variation among this population has in all populations. Racial stereotyping among black and white Americans go both ways and are equally erroneous. White Americans are called up for lack of rhythm and humorlessness. Alternatively you can Americans are seen to be almost exclusively good athletes, good dancers but not particularly disciplined. These stereotypes are erroneous since they fail to take into consideration the tremendous variation between individuals. References Aldrich, C. (2003, March). The New Core of Leadership: In-Depth Interviews with Leaders across Industries Reveal the Essential Qualities. T&D, 57, 32+. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002524129 McGarty, C., Yzerbyt, V. Y., & Spears, R. (2002). Stereotypes as Explanations: The Formation of Meaningful Beliefs about Social Groups. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=105070874 (1958). The Study of Leadership (C. G. Browne & T. S. Cohn, Ed.) (1st ed.). Danville, IL: Interstate Printers and Publishers. Retrieved September 16, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=53323973 . Read More