The problem-solving approach differs from the strength-based approach on the foundational aspect that informs social work practice. The problem-solving approach identifies the client’s problems and formulates a framework for addressing the issue or improving the situation. While social workers tend to guide the clients on the possible available options, it is the client’s responsibility to make their personal choices. Therefore, applying a problem-based approach rests on setting goals, crafting intervention mechanisms, and arriving at the solution.
The strengths-based approach is a conceptual framework that supplements the problem-solving paradigm in social work practice. The method uses trials and problems that the client faces, giving the social worker the ability to acknowledge the gravity of the situation without underestimating it. Therefore, social workers building on the strength-based approach made considerable efforts to change the outlook of the conditions and encourage the clients to address the problems. The approach emphasizes on combining fundamental and intrinsic principles of social work service (Tong 2011). The social worker utilizes client-centred initiatives that integrate their strengths. They do so by focusing on their achievements, skills, strengths and qualities.
The primary goal of the strength-based approach is empowering the clients based on their past successes. The social workers using the strength-based approach tend to aid clients in using their strengths to progress positively. According to Tong (2011), the strength-based approach is practical because it can yield positive outcomes by recognizing the capacity of the client to determine what bests suit them. The approach focuses on the sustainable solution and helps the clients recover by interacting with their social environment. Therefore, the client works with the social workers in a manner that empowers them and avoids self-blame.
5.2 Practicing from a Strengths-Based Perspective
The case of Sherry shows resilience. Karen, as a social worker, makes moral choices in her daily work. Therefore, the case manifests that Karen experienced hardships and workers until 1:30 Am on almost 30 cases. The dynamics of Karen’s routine indicate her resilience and the ability to appreciate hard work. Sherry displaced resilience because her life indicates the struggle desire to move on irrespective of the challenges. She has five children with three different men. Furthermore, her current boyfriend abuses her. Irrespective of all these challenges, he faces a financial problem. Also, one of her children tends to be stagnant in grade one.
Karen uses the strengths of Sherry to stress the need for resilience. The case maps out how stresses and the hardships that people go through become their foundations. As a result, Karen encourages her to have a positive attitude and take charge of her situation to plan on escaping from the abusive boyfriend (Unfried 2010). Therefore, Karen utilized her resources and gave her the contact of other social workers who would accommodate her after she escaped. Also, Karen manifests friendly cooperation with Sherry to help her find solutions. Most importantly, Karen boosts Sherry’s self-confidence. The tactics inform the effective approach in social work practice to build on the strength of the clients without compromising their situations. The issue of diversity between Karen and Sherry manifested when Karen used Sherry’s strengths, making sure that she did not suspect any attempt by the social worker to encourage her and give her hope. If I were Karen, I would focus on using the same approach without affecting the diversity of the client and the situation at hand.
6.1 Identifying Helping Skills in Involuntary Client Relationships
A social worker utilizes relational strategies to encourage engagement with involuntary clients. As such, interviewing techniques, motivational skills, and client-centred approaches are helping skills in the involuntary client relationship. From the case, the 17-year-old client is Katty. She recently gave birth leading to her dropping out from school because of the challenging experiences. Initially, Karen’s response was formal but engaged in interviewing skills to ask Katty encouraging and engaging questions. Therefore, Karen emerged as a supportive social worker that built a positive relationship between the client and her.
The humanistic attitude and down-to-earth conservations are more effective than the standard and professional approach that Karen had previously taken. Social workers tend to effectively and substantively prepare for action with clients through empathy and interpersonal skills (De Boer and Cody 2007). Therefore, Karen needed to develop a mutually agreed-on approach that focused on the desired work and would make the client more at ease. For this reason, it is imperative that the social worker decreases the reliance on a professional approach and engage in informal engagement that would communicate empathy. As a result, Karen would show positive emotions and build trust with the client.
The case of Larry Jared embodies violence that led to legal actions against Lorry. The context indicates reduced enmity from Jared’s father through a warning against violent behaviours. Legal systems are critical in social work practice but cause more undesired actions on the clients (De Boar and Cody 2007). Involving sustainable social work services is more effective because it would address the cause of violence and help the family manage the solutions.
In Donna’s case, there is a need for mixing a humanistic approach and a strength-based approach to address the issues. The basis of this choice is that Donna is a mother of two children who dropped out of school and is now addicted to alcohol. Her resilience is critical in underscoring the need to focus on her strength to solve her problems. Karen, as a social worker, needs to emphasize empathy and building trust with the client. The approach would help Donna find long-lasting solutions to her problems.
Activity 7C: Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment
Domestic violence relates to child maltreatment and trauma. Research indicates that children who grow in families with domestic violence tend to increase with psychosocial issues (John Howard Society of Alberta 2010). Domestic violence harms children because the brain of the child suffers from the adverse effects of violence. Although most people do not focus on the dangers of exposing the child to domestic violence, most people who report such cases are not even family members of the child. Therefore, families involved in domestic violence would hardly look for social services (Schreiber et al., 2013). If children witnesses acts of violence, they can suffer grave and untold consequences if they are not the intended targets. Continued episodes of domestic violence leave the children exposed and expand into attacks on the children. The social work practice should have the legal mandate to protect and rescue children who suffer from violent families.
Most domestic violence involves physical, psychological and sexual abuse. As a result, domestic violence consists of a pattern of behavior that occurs over several episodes and increases the likelihood of making children become victims. The legal provisions indicate that a child should access protection services if the family does not care for their welfare (Kufeldt 2010). For these reasons, the link between domestic violence and child maltreatment is exceedingly dangerous. Domestic violence includes child maltreatment. Parents, caregivers, and family members tend to victimize and threaten children to control or punish the adult victims of violence. The actions unintentionally injure children, mainly when acts of violence occur in their presence. The intervention mechanism under social work practice involves educating the families on the child welfare agencies about the effect of domestic violence on children. It is imperative to apply the community in the multidisciplinary approach and offer intention that presents the impacts and protects children against domestic violence.
8.1 Anti-Oppressive Practice
Sherry’s situation highlights the structural social work approach. Various issues emerge that characterize the problems that she should solve. Sherry suffers from stigma, husband abuse, fanatical challenges and marginalization. The structural social work approach tenets indicate that all oppressive structures consist of the problems that Sherry faces. From the case, it emerges that Sherry may not have accessed maternal care during childhood. Thus, the events that emerged characterized discrimination and called for the intervention of social workers. For this reason, a social worker should utilize interviewing skills, relational strategies and emphasize empathy to build trust with her. All these skills are vital in establishing a sustainable recovery journey.
As a social worker, I would utilize the benchmarks of the strength-based approach. Drawing from the client-centred model, I would integrate the strengths of Sherry and help her identify her problems and map out solutions (Tong 2011). A strengths-based approach is critical in understanding the client and modifying her strengths to realize solutions. Therefore, service efficacy in social work needs trust between the client and the social worker. As a result, I would emphasize empathy and initiate conversations informally to ensure that Sherry is comfortable. The approach will help me become more reliable and sincere in helping her overcome her problems.
References
De Boer, C. and Coady, N. (2007). Good helping relationships in child welfare: learning from stories of success. Child & Family Social Work, 12: 32–42.
John Howard Society of Alberta. (2010) .The Relationship Between Domestic Violence & Child Abuse.
Kufeldt, K. (2011). Indigenous issues in child welfare: Themes and implications. Child welfare: connecting research, policy, and practice. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2, 353-368.
Tong, M. (2011). The Client-Centered Integrative Strengths-Based Approach: Ending Longstanding Conflict between Social Work Values and Practice. Canadian Social Science, 7(2), 15-22.
Schreiber, J. C., Fuller, T. & Paceley, M.S. (2013). Engagement in child protective services: Parent perceptions of worker skills. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(4) 707-715.
Unfried, B. (2010). SOCW 2061: An Introduction to Social Work Practice A Day (and Night) in the Life of a Social Worker. Social Work Practice, Nelson Education Ltd., 3E (c).
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