Strengths Perspective And Empowerment Analysis

The principles guiding the strengths perspective and empowerment are utilized at NAMI Mercer at a micro level. The strengths perspective states that it is essential to identify the strengths of the client and help them find the resources available to them (Zastrow, 2014). Rather than focusing on pathologies, the strengths and potential that clients have are highlighted, and clients are empowered to use these strengths to improve upon their circumstances. Empowerment refers to helping clients regain control of their lives (Anuradha, 2004). Social workers incorporating empowerment into their practices take into account the uniqueness of their clients, and use the client’s knowledge and resources to help them. Empowering clients is also a positive

Volunteering empowers them by giving them an opportunity to participate in their community. Their disabilities are acknowledge, but these volunteers are respected as competent individuals who do the same work as any other volunteers. One volunteer who was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had to take leave from her job shared with me that volunteering at NAMI Mercer made her feel valued and she proud to spend her time helping others. Some volunteer opportunities, such as teaching classes or facilitating support groups, require personal experience to assure groups are peer lead and conducted in a safe, empathetic environment. This helps volunteers leading peer groups apply the second principle, which states that illness can be a source of opportunity. Their own experiences dealing with mental illness provide help and insight to others in need. The fifth principle, that every environment is full of resources, is addressed by NAMI Mercer’s Helpline, which receives calls daily and reportedly received 588 inquiries in 2016 (NAMI Mercer,

Families living with mental illness face daily demands and challenges that they are not naturally equipped to handle. Caregivers may feel overwhelmed or burdened, and may devalue themselves and their family (Crowe & Lyness, 2014). This can lead to worse overall well-being for the family member with a mental illness because they may experience feelings of being a burden and devalued, and receive lower quality care. Family-to-Family is a free 12-week educational program for family members of adults with mental illness. This program reaches the first goal of social work practice, which is to serve as a facilitator to strengthen problem solving skills, coping skills, and developmental capacities (Zastrow, 2014). Its curriculum comprises of up to date information on mental illness conditions and treatments, and how family members can provide support to loved ones dealing with mental illness. This curriculum also increases mental health literacy. Mental health literacy, which refers to the knowledge of mental health and the ability to recognize, manage, and prevent disorders, is crucial in making sure people receive the help they need and is associated with reduced stigma (Mendenhall & Frauenholtz, 2013). This is particularly important among families. Since stigmatization can prevent people from getting necessary help, greater knowledge and understanding of mental disorders among family members has been shown to