Social Work Ecological Systems

“Social work has always been interested in the person and the environment, despite an emphasis on one or the other throughout the development of the profession” (Compton, Galaway & Cournoyer, 2005, p.361). The ecological system creates a belief that a person’s development is influenced by their environment. Community Connections is located at 801 Pennsylvania Ave SE Washington, DC, the center tends to draw a complex population to the area because its primary focus is mental illness. The surrounding parks and shops are often filled with clients’ who receive services from the agency. Community Connections uses the ecological system in order to understand the depth of every client. Staff attempt to assist clients overcome barriers that prevent

All of the clients at the agency have either Medicare or Medicaid. A portion of the clients receive benefits from Social Security Administration. The agency also has a veterans unit which means a portion of the clients receive compensation from the Veteran Affairs disability department. The unemployment rate at the agency is high due to the mental illness of many of our clients. Community Connections does offer supportive employment services, to clients to help provide skill development and resources to successfully gain employment. A portion of the agencies clients do have high school diplomas or GEDs there are also clients who have higher degrees, such as associate degrees and even bachelor’s degrees . Often times our clients experience psychotic break at different phases in their lives which have provided some with more opportunities than

For example if a client is involved with the legal system, the worker can accompany the client to court and help manage their system while waiting, speak on their behalf to the judge about the clients progress, and even model communication techniques that can be used in the future. Community support helps the clients prepare for obstacles that may occur in the community. Workers involved in community support often times locate resources for the client and help them obtain them. For example I have a client who lacked reliable transportation in the city but because she has a mental illness I suggest the Metro Disability program, which would allow her to travel at a reduced rate. After locating the resource we did research the information required, gathered the information, and I accompanied the client to the Metro Disability office. Community support specialist is tasked with the responsibility of helping clients manage personal goals, such as health relationships, physical health goals, and even budgeting. Oftentimes coordinating care with providers in order to translate between the provider and the client or provide additional information when requested through memory cuing with the client to recall details. A interventions used are catered to a client’s needs and problems as they