Social Work Assessment and Interventions - Essay Example

Social work assessment and interventions Introduction The world today is engulfed in problems aplenty. The problems may be affecting an individual ora whole community and may range from economic to social. The concept of social work has gained prominence in the wake of these problems and a new branch of study has emerged dealing with these problems. Social workers are needed to deal with the problems of people. They form relationships with the people in distress and formulate a plan to take them out of the trouble. Social work involves working in tandem with other organizations like police, local organizations, schools etc. The work involves in taking care of people in two areas- Adult services and Children or Young people services. The Adult services deals in taking care of adults who are facing mental or health problems. This area of work has gained prominence in the modern world with the emergence of deadly diseases like HIV. They also look after the old age people with no homes and no income. The branch dealing in Young people services works in nurturing homeless children. They work for the development of the children living in poor conditions and having no education facilities. They speed up the process of adoption in case of these children. (What is social work, n.d.) The social services sector has gained momentum with widespread economic imbalance in the countries of Africa and South-East Asia. The profession of social workers has gained prominence in this era and it has been successful in making the society a better place to live in. Values of Social work From the previous paragraph, we can underline that the profession of social work deals in humanitarian work and is a noble job. It has to be noted here that the social workers may be voluntary or may be employed. The voluntary social workers work independently while the employed workers do their work on behalf of an organization or NGOs. Regardless of their type, social workers are engaged in improving the life of the people living in distress. They are able to fulfill their objectives by way of imparting education, conducting community service, helping in general economic activities, consulting with them etc. They are dedicated to the people imparting them social justice. It is quite natural that the mode of activity is not the same everywhere. It changes with the change of environment and social system. For example, the main problematic factor in countries like Burkina Faso and India is poverty and activists there are dedicated to remove poverty from the society. However, in countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait the problem may be in the oppression of women. Thus, the sphere of social activity changes with regions and social system. Though the activities may differ, the foundation of this noble work is laid down by its core values: Service Dignity Social Justice Integrity Importance of relationships Competence The above values are important for every social worker. The worker should work in imparting the oppressed with social justice. Every people, irrespective of his religion and economic value want to be respected and loved in the society. The social activists help in gaining the dignity and impart in them the value of relationships. The social workers in this respect have to work with the society as a whole and not the oppressed individual only as the society has to be educated about their problems. The social workers work with full integrity and competence to succeed in their mission of eradicating the social imbalance. (Code of Ethics, n.d.) Ethics in Social Services As the profession of social work gained prominence, the need for inducting general rules and regulations into it became a necessity. The code of ethics were formulated which has to be followed by every social activist. It also helps the social workers to solve the dilemma when faced with professional end ethical conduct. In short, it tells the social activists how to go about the work and what rules to follow while in work. The Code of Ethics directs the workers how to follow the set of values. In addition to this, ethical standards have been developed which directs the responsibilities of the workers. The ethical standards cover the topics of relationship with clients, colleagues, to the society as a whole etc. The ethical standards have been set to make the profession more noble and transparent. For example, the ethical standards state that activists should maintain privacy of the work with the clients and should not harass them sexually or in terms of money. It also directs them to maintain records, which can be accessed by clients or any person from the society. It has to be mentioned here that the setting up of ethical standards does not guarantee appropriate behavior. The standards cannot solve all the problems rising in different environments in the world. However, it sets up values and principles, which the activists and workers can adhere to and look up to as inspirations. (Code of Ethics, n.d.) Anti Oppressive practices in social work In the modern days, the main branch that has developed from a vast field of the social service is the Anti oppressive practices. The main aim of the Anti oppressive social work (AOSW) is to study the different forms of oppression and devising ways to attain freedom for the people from the clutches of oppression. AOSW is a difficult branch to study as the affected people are not heard of and are left in the oblivion. An example of this type of oppression can be found in Afghanistan in the era of Taliban when the women were kept in shackles by men. The affected group is generally large and different strategies are needed to get them heard. The research involved in this type of study requires expertise in both quantitative and qualitative field. Oppressions are generally long term and involve traumatic experience for the clients. Therefore, sufficient trust and belief should be created among the clients and the workers. AOSW need clients to actively participate in the process. The story of the oppressive practices is not a well-known fact and the oppressed person only knows the original facts. Therefore, it is necessary for clients to participate in the process and make the society aware of their story. The activist should form a very close relationship with the oppressed individual because in this branch of social activity acquainting with the client and relating to the problems are very important. Otherwise, the facts would not come out in details. AOSW needs a long-term commitment to the cause and works even after the publishing of reports to bring in the changes in the life of the oppressed. (Strier, 25th June, 2006; pp 4-6) The main aim of the AOSW is to impart social justice for the oppressed people in the society. This branch of social activity has been very popular in the modern age with tales of oppression in every part of the world and the success of the social workers in dealing with it. AOSW is based on a number of theories and findings about the perspective of social justice. Dominelli (1998) described AOSW as a form to address the social divisions and inequalities in the society. AOSW is a division of work which scrutinizes the reasons for the differences and give the oppressed the power for social enlightenment irrespective of their status in the society. It is a person centered idea and is concerned with reducing the bad effects of the structural inequalities in people’s lives. It is a process of binding relationships together negating the bad effect of hierarchy in the system. Another theory that emerges in the field of AOSW is that of Carniol. In 2000, Carniol suggested that a key element in this field is linking the personal matters of the depressed and making them public. It is a very sensitive field of study and the same should be handled with optimum care. He also stresses on the fact that a strong connection exists between the individuals working in the empowerment of the oppressed people in the society and the social movements related to the society of the oppressed. Working with these differences, the workers are challenging the higher levels of the society. According to him, AOSW deals in framing the personal problems as very relevant social issues. The AOSW has emerged as one of the most important fields of social work by relating to these theories. (AOSW, n.d.) Theoretical perspectives of social work The framework for the subject of social work is supplied by theories published by eminent scholars on the behavioral aspects of human. These theories give us an inside knowledge of the evaluation of social services and tells us the reasons for its importance. In the following paragraphs, I will cite the example of two such theories, which will make us understand social services better and the theoretical perspective of the subject. Self-Psychology Theory- The self-psychology theory was first conceived by Heinz Kohut, a psychoanalyst, who escaped the Nazi and went to USA in 1942. After his death, various social workers worked on this theory, which finally developed, into the Self-Psychology theory. This theory states that an individual needs an interpersonal and responsive environment to grow mentally. The normal functioning and behavior of people is directly related to the environment he lives in. If the environment is unresponsive, the normal growth of a person will be hampered and most of the problems in the modern world rise from this problem. Today, the social activists take the help of this theory to engage the clients to influence their environment by interpersonal skills. A client whose growth is completely stalled is affected by a completely unresponsive environment and it requires a great deal of work by the activists to bring him back to a normal mental state. The theory underlines some key constrains which help the workers to deal with situations better. Individuals need to understand the “self” aspect better. With the passage of time, the self may appear as cohesive or fragmented. Every individual experiences this kind of progression. A highly successful person in the professional front may experience lack of self-belief or esteem in the personal life. This phase of life is highly adhesive to self-destruction, suicides or addiction. Knowledge of this theory helps the workers to deal with the situation more carefully. The structure of the self is based on the three aspects of ambitions, ideals and twinship. The ambition aspect makes an individual to want to achieve greatness whereas the ideals make the individual to follow principles. The aspect of twinship encourages the person to become a part of the society. The basic needs of an individual can be known from the study of this theory. The social activists can get great deal of benefit from studying this theory. (Coady & Lehman,2007; pp 199-203) Relational Theory- This is another theory, which is responsible for the evolution of the social work practices in the modern world. The human civilization is dependent on the other components of the environment and the development of the business and various other organizations around the world is dependent on the relationships among these components. There is a web of relation among the different components. This forms the basic structure of the Relational theory, which has been developed during the passage of time to make it useful in the social work aspect. The theory deals in the relationship between the intrapsychic and interpersonal environment or in other words, it is a study of the relationship between the external environment and the internal self of an individual. The problems faced by individuals are both biological and environmental. Moreover, the biological problems of an individual are treated by the environment. The psychological difficulties mainly occur in three ways- “patterns of attachment and relatedness”, self-regulation and “patterns of subjective experience”. The first of the factors usually deals with our relationship in the early life and the influence of those relationships in the future. The subjective experience relates to any problem resulting from a relationship and disassociating from the problem. Disassociation may be mentally satisfying at the initial stage but it generally halts the reoccurrence of the problem. The self-regulation concept deals in problems arising from the inner self. The knowledge of this problems help in developing the psychology of the examiner in dealing with the clients. The Relational theory gave rise to a more modern approach of treating the patients suffering from relational problems. This is called the Therapeutic intervention. This mode of treatment deals in the closeness of the relationship between the activist and the client. The two of them naturally develops a close bonding and the activist encourages the client to enter into new relationships. This theory is very useful in treating people from failed relationships. (Coady & Lehman,2007; pp 179-182) Both the theories discussed above are used by workers world over in dealing with people. These theories have been very helpful in treating the depressed and oppressed people from the society. The knowledge of these theories has enabled the activists to work more scientifically towards the problem faced by people all over the world. As a social Worker The theories and the values described above are the basic infrastructure on which the subject of social services stands in the present day. I as a student of this subject have to follow the values, ethics and the theories to succeed in this field. Social activity is regarded as a noble profession and the honor relating to it has to be protected at every cost. The social work has gained momentum in the present day due to the emergence of global problems. The world today is full of crime, addiction, women oppression, poverty etc. Increasing funds in the Government budget is not a solution to cure these evils in the society. The problems faced by individuals can only be solved by personal interaction. The oldest form social injustice is the mistreatment of women. Almost all countries in the world are subject to this. In Islamic countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, women are not permitted to attend school. They are attacked by acids and physically tortured by men. In this part of the world, it is a common practice to attack women and suppress them. (Cho, 29th November,2008). The oppression towards women cannot be controlled if they are not attended to personally. The role of a social worker starts from this juncture. As a social worker, I will work extensively towards the development of women in the society. I, as an individual, come from a background of a society, which encouraged the general development of women offering them education and all facilities at par with men. It really hurts for a person like me to see that women in the other part of the world are being attacked at for going to school. A person, irrespective of the gender, has rights to education. Women should be provided with all the other amenities at par with men. However, large parts of the world do not follow the principle and this is the main reason why I would be working in this field. The position of women in many parts of the world is in very bad condition. I will work to get them heard in the global showground. To work with the women, I have to identify an area where the women are known to be suppressed. The Asian countries may be the right place to explore my ideas. For example, women in Afghanistan are regularly attacked by acids in their faces. I can go and personally interact with the deceased person and record their plea. In this way, I will be working towards the anti oppressive practice of social service. As I will be working with women, abiding by the values of social services is necessary for me. I should be dealing with women merely as clients and not harass them mentally or sexually. The accounts maintained by me should be accessible to all including the Government authorities. Monetary obligations, if any, have to paid. I will work towards giving the women social justice and do my work with dignity. In the performance of my work, the knowledge of the theories discussed above will be of great help to me. The environment, which is conducive to the oppression of the women, is usually very inactive towards healthy relationship with women and does not recognize their existence. Men, as a part of the outer environment, torture the women physically and mentally. As a result, the behavior of the women is usually fragmented in this case. The twinship aspect of their existence described in the self-psychology theory is not recognized. The women in this region experience “patterns of subjective experience” and completely disassociate her from the problem. A woman who is attacked mentally and physically may look to not speak up and be completely unexcited by the outer environment. This phenomenon is widely visible in the regions controlled by the Taliban where the women never dared to speak up and always remained at the confinement of Taliban homes. At this point, the Therapeutic intervention may be helpful, as I will be looking after the relational aspect of the client and encourage her into relationships that are more fruitful. By following these principles in my work as a student social activist, I will ensure that anti oppressive practices as well as the theories and visions are abided by. Conclusion From the above discussion, we can say that the profession of social practice has gained acceptance all over the world and is regarded as a noble profession. The initiative taken by the workers are largely responsible for maintaining the balance of the society. The workers function for the development of the people being oppressed and the people who lag behind due to some social problems. The branch of anti-oppressive practices has gained huge popularity because the idea of the branch is to work towards the development of the oppressed people. The social workers have been successful in developing the lives of many people who were oppressed. The success of the social activities and the acceptance of it as a profession worldwide are based on the evolution of the behavioral theories as an activity tool. The study of these theories have made the subject of social services as a more scientific and dynamic one. The theories describe the traits and reasons for the problems of lagging behind in the society and they also device ways of treating them. The social work has been very helpful in eradicating the existing problems in the society and it will continue to do so in the future. This branch of study and profession works in areas where the Government cannot reach and is thus responsible largely in making the society a better place. References: 1. What is social work,(n.d.). Department of Health. Available at: http://www.socialworkcareers.co.uk/what/index.asp (Accessed on 5th February, 2010) 2. Code of Ethics,(n.d.). National Association of Social Workers. Available at: http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/Code/code.asp (Accessed on 5th February, 2010) 3. Strier.R,(25th June, 2006). Anti-oppressive research in social work: A primary definition; pp 4-6. Available at: http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/GSSW/schram/roniantioppressive.pdf (Accessed on 5th February, 2010) 4. AOSW, (n.d.). What is Anti-oppressive social work. Available at: http://aosw.socialwork.dal.ca/whatisaosw.html (Accessed on 5th February, 2010) 5. Coady,N and Lehman,P. (2007). Theoretical perspectives for direct social work practice:A Generalist –Eclectic approach. 2nd edition. Springer Publishing Company. 6. Cho,E.(29th November, 2008). The oldest injustice in human history is the way we treat women. Available at: http://eugenecho.wordpress.com/2008/11/29/the-oldest-injustice-in-human-history/ (Accessed on 5th February, 2010) Read More