This chapter look at the issue off the effects of limited community resources on client progress case planning as assessed by Social Workers in Child Welfare Services by utilizing the Critical Theory Paradigm. This theory allows for researches and participants to advocate for clients and social workers access to resources. Theoretical Orientation will be address as will information and data gathered from literature review. Lastly, the penitential contributions to micro and macro practice are discussed.
Research focus and/or question
The focus of the research is to gather information in how limited community resources effect progress in a client’s case plans that are involved in Child Welfare Services. The research focus is on limited community
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The research impact focus will on the client’s progress on their case plans that were developed by Child Welfare Service Social Workers.
Paradigm and rationale for chosen paradigm
The research paradigm that will be used in this study is the Critical theory method, as the prospective of the study is that client’s progress is affected negatively due to the lack of the community resources stated above. With Critical Theory it allows the researchers to establish the importance of having resources available for clients in order for them to be able to make progress in their case plans and/or treatment. The researchers will be able to embrace and encourage the support of these values. This paradigm provides the opportunity for the researchers and the participants to advocate for services needed by clients.
Literature Review
For Child Welfare Social Workers it is important to be able to connect clients to community resources in order to help towards goal attainment in their case plans. When community resources are lacking and are not available to assist clients in it could become
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Community Development Theory is the most practical framework for social workers seeking change for clients and the community which they have professional encounters. It emphases on the importance of client’s lack of utilization of resources in their community (Allison Tan, 2009).
Potential Contribution of study to micro and/or macro social work practice
The potential contributions of the this study to micro social work practice would be that at Social Workers would be able to assess their progress from client’s capability to work towards goal attainment in their case plans, as well as helping client’s gain knowledge from the services provided and therefore improve their quality of life and level of functioning.
At a macro level the study can help increase awareness of the lack of community resources available to clients and social workers and how it affects their case plans as whole, resulting in an increase in resources in the community.
Evidence Based Practice is a growing field in the social work arena. The essence of evidence-based practice is placing the client’s benefits first by posing specific questions of importance to the client, searching objectively and efficiently for the best evidence, and then using the evidence to guide one’s practice. In short, evidence-based practice is the integration of research into practice. In this paper I illustrate the steps of evidence-based practice from the formation of a COPES question to the identification of practice guidelines.
Child welfare system can provide resources such as child care services for single parents who lack education, which limits their employment. Such services can help the family become financially stable, and hopefully get out of living in poverty. Most services provided to families by the child welfare system have really complicated requirements that make it nearly impossible for them to receive all the necessary resources. For example, the child welfare system currently provides the family with a packet of resources, in which the family on their own must contact agency after agency for services, just to be notified that there are fees to receive services or there are long waiting lists. For the most part, families are then discouraged from asking for further assistance. The child welfare system needs to be able to address the underlying issues that disadvantaged families are dealing with, which may be playing a role in the child
The family unit is recognized as an importance in the field of social work. If a family is in need of temporary assistance, social workers are in full support of this, because
Identify ways that practicing social workers could assist rural populations in achieving their desired outcomes The social worker could as assist the rural population by introducing a community building concept. According to Smock (2004) community building focuses on strengthening the social and economic fabric of communities by connecting them to outside resources, the goal is to build the internal capacity of communities by focusing on their assets/strengths and engaging a broad range of community stakeholders to develop high-quality and technically sound comprehensive plans. Also, social worker could assist rural population to achieve their desired outcomes, by using the basic principle, strategies and skills of a consensus organizer such as: • Conducting a community analysis in identifying the strength, interest and resources of the community.
Case management is a problem-solving practice method that has had a growing momentum over time. This is due in part to federal and state funded program mandates and the desire for continuity of care. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (1992) and the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) (2010) have developed practice standards to establish uniformity in case management functions and pra...
Maclean, S. & Harrison, R. (2008) Social Work Theory: A Straightforward Guide for Practice Assessors and Placement Supervisors. Kirwin Maclean Associates, Staffordshire
For the purpose of this paper the social worker interviewed is Ronnita Waters, MSW, RCSWi; she is currently an operations manager at the Center for Family and Child Enrichment (CFCE). The issue or area where her advocacy skills are practiced is within child welfare. Mrs. Waters mentions to the interviewee “I always wanted to work with children, then eventually for children.” when asked what developed her interest in this area of social work. Furthermore, before she became an operations manager, the social worker was an adoptions supervisor, overseeing adoption case managers and ensuring the proper implementation of policies such as the sibling placement policy and adoption policy. In addition, before achieving the role of supervisor, she was
It goes with their job to assess and improve the lives of special populations, including children in foster care situations, and older adults, as many face barriers to accessing care, Social worker’s goals are to bring out dignity and worth of individuals, and aid in social justice, and concern. They can use mental health education can promote respect and self-sufficiency for individuals with mental health difficulties and help improve public mental health for the whole of
A social worker must have the knowledge and skills to apply to intervention strategies that can address key issues through a wide range of tools (Miley, O’Melia & Dubois 2013, p. 7). To devise an intervention plan for the case study, Miley’s (2013, p. 112) four step model is utilised.
Rubin, A. & Babbie, E.R. (2008). Research Methods for Social Work. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/cole
Wilson, K. et al. al., 2011 - p. 78. Social Work: 'Introduction to Contemporary Practice'. 2nd ed.
As a student, I will study and practice techniques, beyond a generalist perspective, that will allow me to give clients hope and the ability to see something greater than what they are facing. Upon completion of a Master of Social Work direct practice degree and certificate in gerontology and mental health programs, I intend to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I will competently incorporate specialized skills in different professional settings while developing my knowledge of a wide range of social issues and professional standards. With commitment, I wish to develop skills that will enable me to create or find hidden resources and services for my future clients, create platforms through consoling for victims of
The practice aims at reducing social problems and improving social functioning. An individual performs several roles in the society. Problems might occur when there is a conflict between the roles or stress on a certain role which the individual finds difficult to manage. Individual forms the microscopic part of the entire community. Being the root of society, an individual's thought and ideologies influence the society as a whole. Casework uses this perspective to create change and functionality in the society as a whole. Although there exist long draw debates between structural and individual schools of thought, case work has been one of the oldest and most frequently used methods in Social Work.
The work of a social worker is complex and all encompassing. Social workers work in many capacities seeking justice, liberation, and equality. There work is global, as they work to put policies in place to govern practices. To keep up with societal shifts and generational changes there learning is continuous. As new questions rise so does the need for the continuation of research, not only to answer these questions but to implement into
families, and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social workers are change agents and because of that, they aim to help people develop their skills and abilities to use resources provided to them to strengthen and improve their lives and communities to resolve problems. One of the main goal of social workers is to improve the well-being and lives of the most vulnerable populations, fight against poverty, unemployment, domestic violence and the underserviced population by emphasizing on the person-in-environment and social justice model. The social work profession, considerers the individuals’ internal and external struggles, while working with the individuals to examine their relationships, family, work environment, community, and other things that might impact them and identify ways to help address problems and challenges.