SOW 111 CASEWORK

GOAL-SETTING & PLANNING: PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK

PRINCIPLES, TASK, ACTIVITIES, &
SKILLS
Goal
A goal is the desired result that a person plans and
commits to achieve.
Goal Setting
Goal setting involves the development of an
action plan designed to motivate and guide a
person or group toward a goal.
TYPES OF GOALS
SHORT TERM
- A short-term goal is something you want to do
in the near future. The near future can mean
today, this week, this month, or even this year.
LONG TERM - A long term goal is that goal
which takes a long time to achieve.
SMART GOAL
S - SPECIFIC
M - MEASURABLE
A - ACHIEVABLE
R - REALISTIC
T - TIMELY
CREATING SMART GOALS
SPECIFIC - Goals should have expected
outcomes stated as simply and clearly as
Possible.
MEASURABLE - Include how you will know if
you have met your goal.
ACHIEVABLE - Goals should have outcomes
that are realistic given your current situation, and
available time.
RELEVANT - Goals should help you on your
journey toward meeting larger, ultimate life
outcomes.
TIME-BOUND - Goals should include realistic
timeframes for achievement.
PURPOSEFUL EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS
- Recognition of the clients need to express
feelings freely.
- Worker listens purposely.
- Sometimes worker actively stimulates and
encourages expression of feelings.
CONTROLLED EMOTIONAL
INVOLVEMENT
- Makes effort to understand their meanings.
- The worker is sensitive to client's feelings.
- Controlled emotional involvement in the client
as a person.
ACCEPTANCE
- The recognition of client's innate dignity
worth, equality, basic rights, and needs
- Acceptance does not mean approval of the
client's behavior, attitudes, or standards.
INDIVIDUALIZATION
- The recognition and understanding of each
client's unique qualities.
- Individualization is based on the right of
human beings to be individuals.
NON-JUDGEMENTAL ATTITUDE
- Based on the conviction that the helping
process precludes:
 assigning guilt or innocence
 degree of client's responsibility for
causation of the problems and needs.
CLIENT SELF-DETERMINATION
- Based upon the right of the individual to make
their own decisions and choices.
- Worker has a duty to respect that right, in
theory and in practice.
CONFIDENTIALITY
- The protection of secrets/private information
disclosed in the professional relationship.
- Confidentiality is the basic right of the client.
SKILLS OF THE SOCIAL WORK
PROFESSIONAL
Empathy - Empathy is defined as “the act of
perceiving, understanding, experiencing, and
responding to the emotional state and ideas of
another person.
Self-awareness - Recognizing another's
circumstances, or looking at the world through
their lens, is part of engaging in self-awareness.
Boundary Setting - The ability to set and
maintain professional boundaries is critical to an
effective, sustainable career in social work.
Active listening - Active listening is necessary for
social workers to understand and identify a client's
needs.
Social Perspective - Social worker must be
sensitive to body language, social cues,
implications, and cultural patterns of behavior.
While some clients may clearly state their needs
and work toward solutions in a focused manner.
Critical Thinking - Social workers must be able
to objectively evaluate each case by
collecting information through observation,
interviews, and research. Thinking critically and
without prejudice enables social workers to make
informed decisions, identify the best resources and
formulate the best plan to help clients.
Implementation, Evaluation, and Termination
of the Helping Relationship
IMPLEMENTATION
- The intervention involves the rendering of all
the specific and interrelated services
appropriate to the given problem situation in
the light of the assessment and planning.
- It includes all the goal-related activities that
the worker will undertake following the
agreement forged with the client based on the
problem to be worked on and the plan of
action to be pursued.
Interventive Roles in Direct Practice
Resource Provider
- engages the worker in the direct provision of
material aid and other concrete resources that
will be useful in eliminating or reducing
situational deficiencies.
Social Broker
- This interventive role involves the process of
negotiating the "service jungle" for clients,
whether singly or in groups. The worker links
or connects the client to needed services in the
community.
Advocate
- The term advocacy comes from the legal
profession. Like the lawyer, the worker has to
take a partisan interest in the client and his
cause. She cannot remain neutral.
Enabler
- The enabler role involves the social worker in
interventive activities that will help clients
find the coping strengths and resources within
themselves to solve problems they are
experiencing."
Counselor/Therapist
- The goal of the worker who performs a
counselor or therapist role is the restoration,
maintenance, or enhancement of the client's
capacity to adapt or adjust to his current
reality.
Mediator
- A mediator is a person who acts as an
intermediary or conciliator between two
persons or sides. In her work with individuals,
families, groups and communities, the worker
often has to engage in efforts that will resolve
disputes between the client system and other
parties.
Interventive Roles beyond Direct Practice
Policy/Program Change Advocate
- The term "advocate" was used earlier but in
another context, in direct practice with client
systems where the worker takes a partisan
interest in the client and his cause.
Documentor/Social Critique
- The social worker is employed by her agency
for the purpose of translating agency policies
into service to clients.
Mobilizer of Community Elite
- This intervention involves the worker in
activities aimed an informing and interpreting
to certain sectors of the community welfare
 programs and services, as well as needs and
problems, with the objective of enlisting their
support and/or involvement in them.
Limitations on Worker Activity
Time
The worker may not be able to give the client
unlimited time. However, if she has a commitment
to do certain activities within a span of time, she
should keep that commitment.
Skill
The worker should perform only those activities
that are within her competence. This requires her
to be aware not only of her strengths, but more
importantly, her limitations.
Ethics
The worker should watch out for activities that
might commit her to unethical behavior.
Agency Function
The worker must be sure that she understands and
interprets agency function properly.
EVALUATION
- Evaluation is a continual process where the
worker keeps on gathering data which she uses
in an ongoing reassessment of objectives,
intervention plans, and even the definition of
the problem.
- Another very important reason for doing an
evaluation is because social workers and social
work agencies must answer for their work, not
just to the clients who are the direct users, but
to the point that supports them.
Two Aspects of Accountability:
 Effectiveness - Which refers to the question
on whether or not the services or intervention
plans are accomplishing their intended goals.
 Efficiency - Which refers to the cost of
services and intervention plans in money, time,
and other resources.
Formative Evaluation
- the worker to find out whether the intervention
plan is being implemented as designed.
Intervention plans can be viewed on two levels:
 Conceptual Level - what the worker agreed to
do by way of a plan in order to achieve her
goals, which is usually in written form.
 Operational Level - what she actually does,
the activities she and the client engage in to
accomplish the goals.
Essential for Evaluation
1. A clear definition of the goals and objectives
to be attained.
2. A clear definition of the intervention and
change activities to be undertaken.
3. Documentation of the activities undertaken to
achieve the goals defined.
TERMINATION
When is a helping relationship terminated?
- A social work problem-solving relationship
does not go on forever. It has time limits, so
whether one is working with an individual, a
group, or a community, the social worker
should discuss with the client the more or less
expected duration of the helping relationship.
Transfer
- is the process by which a client is referred by
his social worker to another worker, usually in
the same agency, because no former will no
longer be able to continue working with the
client, or because she thinks another worker is
in a better position to work with her client's
problem.
Referral
- is the act of directing a client to another
worker/agency because the service that the
client needs is beyond the present agency
worker's competence, or the client needs an
additional service that the present agency
cannot provide.
3 Major Process of Termination Processes
Disengagement
- While termination is supposed to have been
discussed from the beginning of the client-
worker helping relationship, the reality often
evokes certain feelings and reactions from
both worker and client, which must be faced.
Stabilization of Change
- Ronald Lippitt, et al. contend that the main test
of a change agent's help is the stability and
permanence of the client system's changed
behavior when the change agent is no longer
actively working with the client.
Terminal Evaluation
- is particularly important. It is the time for the
worker and the client - but particularly the
worker who has been the helping person, to
appraise what have transpired, to focus on the
goal or goals formulated during the Planning
phase, and of course, on the problem that was
identified during the Assessment phase.
SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION: MODELS
AND APPROACHES
PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL
- Helen Harris Perlman, the main proponent of
the Problem-Solving Approach (or "Model").
- The model is based upon the presence of a
problem, and its identification between a help-
seeker and helper for which help is being
either sought or offered.
Important Terms
Problem solving - is the process of finding
alternatives and applying the one best solution.
Problem - a complex issue needing to be
overcome.
Alternatives - available possibilities to overcome
a problem.
Solution - is the best possible alternative to solve
a problem.
Element of the Problem-Solving Model
 The Person
 The Problem
 The Process
 The Place
The Person
- The person is viewed as a product of inherited
and constitutional makeup in continuous
transaction with potent persons and forces in
life experiences. The person is thus a product
of the past, but in no sense is viewed as a
finished product.
The Problem
- The issue is simply a problem in the current
life situation of the help-seeker which disturbs
or hurts the latter in some way.
The Place
- This means the particular organization, agency
or social institution, the purposes of which
define its functions, services, and its areas of
social concern.
The Process
- The type of helping approach, method, or
technique that is acceptable to the client is
identified.
Two Factors:
1. Relationship
2. Diagnosis and Goal
1. Relationship - Relationship is used by
Perlman to mean all relationships between
caseworker and client. She points out that
whatever is the problem, the helping
relationship should combine caring, concern,
acceptance, and expectation of the client with
understanding, know-how, and social sanction.
2. Diagnosis and Goal
Diagnosis in this model focuses on:
a) the person's motivation, capacity and
opportunity, including an assessment of
what factors and forces deter or thwart
these; and
b) the persons in the client's problematic role
network.
PROBLEM SOLVING MODEL
- The primary goal of the model is to help a
person effectively as possible with problems in
carrying cope as on social tasks and
relationships which are perceived, felt s
stressful, and found insuperable without
outside help.
DIRECT PROVISION MODEL
- "Also called "resource provision model"
- Poverty situation in the country calls for the 5. Psychosocial study (gathering the information
direct provision of various forms of material needed for the psychosocial diagnosis and
assistance. guidance of the treatment).
- Others refer to this as "resource provision, "
where "resources may be mobilized, created, B. Assessment of the Client in His Situation
directly furnished; where the client may be - The diagnostic process consists of a critical
advised and counseled in making optimal use scrutiny of a client-situation complex and the
of them. " trouble concerning which help is sought or
Goal: needed for the purpose of understanding the
nature or the difficulty with increasing detail
 The goal of this model, according
and accuracy.
Schneiderman, is the enhancement of client
social functioning through the direct provision
Three types of diagnosis used in this approach:
of material aid useful in eliminating or
reducing situational deficiencies. 1. Dynamic: an examination of how different
aspects of the client's personality interact to
 Goal is enhancement of client social
produce his total functioning; the interplay
functioning through the direct provision of
between the client and other systems; the
material aid.
dynamics of family interaction.
Examples are cash assistance, shelter, medical
2. Etiological: the cause or origin of the
care.
difficulty, whether preceding events or current
interactions; usually multiple factors in the
PSYCHO-SOCIAL APPROACH
person-situation configuration.
- "Explores the physical, psychological and
3. Classificatory: An effort to classify various
social aspects of the client and their situation.
aspects of the client's functioning and his place
- Psychosocial problems include the broad
in the world including, if possible, a clinical
spectrum of all complaints which are not
diagnosis. This may include classifying
strictly medical or somatic. They affect the
individuals according to socioeconomics class,
patient’s functioning in daily life, his or her
race, ethnic background and religion, social
environment and/or life events.
class status by way of education, occupation,
- Assessment of problems and strengths; in
and income.
meeting financial and other basic needs; in
family interactions, social support, etc.
2 Treatment Process
- Understanding the impact of these factors can
help identify and develop interventions to 1. Indirect treatment
improve client's wellbeing and functioning. - The worker intervenes directly in the
environment of the client by:
PHASES IN THE PSYCHOSOCIAL a. Obtaining needed resources - which can
APPROACH involve her in the following roles: resource
provider; resource locator; interpreter of
A. Initial Phase
client's needs; mediator; advocate; resource
1. Understanding the reasons for the contact.
creator; and/or
2. Establishing a relationship.
b. Modifying the client's situation - when
3. Engaging the client in the treatment (two
change in the client's situation environment is
primary aspects of this are motivation and
necessary.
resistance).
4. Beginning treatment itself (writers who 2. Direct treatment
identify with this approach submit that
treatment begins on the first interview).
- This involves direct work with the client
himself, or what Hollis describes as "the
influence of mind upon mind. "
Six Procedures of Intervention by Hollis
1. Sustaining (supportive remarks)
2. Direct influence (suggestion and advice)
3. Catharsis or ventilation (discharge of pent-up
feelings and emotionally charged memories)
reflective consideration of the current person-
situation configuration (helping the client).
4. To understand better present functionings in
current relationship)
5. Encouragement of client to reflect dynamics of
his response patterns son or tendencies
(helping the client to think about behavior
causes)
6. encouragement of client to think about the
development of response patterns or
tendencies (helping the client understand the
contribution of the functioning).
FAMILY-CENTERED APPROACH
Family-Centered Approach
- The family is the unit of interest.
- In the Phil., casework is
family-centered/oriented.
- It means that human beings can be understood
and helped best in the context of family.
- A family-centred approach is a way of
working in partnership with families to better
understand their circumstances, and to help
parents decide what strategies will best suit
their children and families.
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FAMILY-CENTRED
APPROACH
 Support works best when you understand each
family’s individual goals and values.
 Parents know their children and their family
best.
 All families have strengths, and we learn and
grow best when we use our strengths.
Children’s wellbeing and development
depends on the wellbeing of all other family
members.
 Family wellbeing depends on the quality of
informal social supports and the availability of
formal support services.
KEY COMPONENTS OF FAMILY-
CENTERED APPROACH
 Working with the family to set up goals.
 Strengthen capacity and make decisions.
 Providing culturally responsive, and evidence-
based interventions to each family.
CRISIS INTERVENTION APPROACH
Crisis Intervention Approach
- Crisis intervention is a process for actively
influencing the psychosocial functioning of
individuals and groups, during a period of
acute disequilibrium. It involves crisis-
oriented, time-limited work, usually two to six
weeks in duration.
- It is a mode of brief treatment that can be used
in any social work setting and with any target
population under stress. To be really effective,
crisis intervention should be available within
24 to 72 hours after application or referral for
assistance.
- Used in emergency wards of hospitals,
womens desk in police station, natural
disasters.
ASSESSMENT OF SITUATION
First phase - involves mainly about the
evaluation of five components.
1. The Hazardous Event.
- This is a specific, stress- producing
occurrence, either an external blow or internal
change, which occurs to an individual or
family in a state of relative stability in its
biopsychosocial situation, initiating a chain of
reverberating actions and reactions. Such
events can be classified into: anticipated and
unanticipated.
a. Anticipated and predictable. These are two
kinds, the normal developmental critical
periods when a person is particularly
vulnerable (e.g., adolescence or middle
 adulthood), and transitional stages when the
person has to take on new roles, learn new
tasks, and adjust to new circumstances (e.g.,
getting married, moving to a new place).
b. Unanticipated and accidental events. These
are the unpredictable changes that can occur to
anyone, at any stage in life, with little or no
advance warning. They usually involve some
actual or threatened loss (to the person or a
significant other) of a person, a capacity, or a
function (e.g., loss of a spouse), or the sudden
introduction of a new person into the social
orbit (e.g., the premature birth of a child).
2. The Vulnerable or Upset State.
- This refers to the subjective reaction of the
individual or family to the initial blow, both at
the time it occurs and subsequently.
- Each person responds in a unique way,
depending on whether the event is perceived
as a threat to instinctual needs or to emotional
or physical integrity, or as a loss of a person or
an ability, or as a challenge to survival growth,
mastery or self-expression.
3. The Precipitating Factor or Event.
- This is the link in the chain of stress-
provoking happenings that bring tension to a
peak and convert the vulnerable state into one
of crisis.
- It may coincide with the initial hazardous
event or it may be a negligible incident not
even directly or consciously linked to it. It is
often viewed as the presenting problem and
thus becomes the immediate focus for
engagement of the client.
4. The State of Active Crisis.
- This refers to the individual's subjective
condition once tension has stopped; the
homeostatic mechanisms no longer operate,
and disequilibrium has set in. This is the
criterion for deciding whether to use the crisis
intervention approach.
5. The State of Reintegration Or
Reorganization.
- This is the adjustment, either adaptive and
integrative or maladaptive and destructive, that
takes place as disequilibrium gradually
subsides.
JACOBSON TWO TREATMENT
APPROACHES
1. The Generic Approach
- This is for specific situational and
maturational crises which do not require
assessment of the psychodynamics of the
individuals in crisis.
- It can be done by a paraprofessional, a non-
mental health professional, or a community
caregiver.
2. The Individual Approach
- Designed for use by mental health
professionals, this approach emphasizes
assessment of the interpersonal and intra-
psychic process of each person in crisis, with
particular attention given to the unique aspects
of the particular situation and the solution
specifically tailored to help the client return to
a new steady state.
IMPLEMENTATION OF TREATMENT
This "middle phase" is about setting up and
working out specific tasks (primarily by the client,
but also by the worker and significant others),
designed to solve specific problems in the current
life situation, to modify previous inadequate or
inappropriate ways of functioning and to learn
new coping patterns.
The following treatment techniques are used in
crisis intervention:
1. Sustaining techniques with reassurance and
encouragement predominant, to lower anxiety,
guilt, and tension, and to provide emotional
support.
2. Direct influence procedures like giving advice
(when the client is feeling overwhelmed and
needs help in choosing a course of action);
advocating a particular course of action.
3. Direct intervention in extreme situations such
as threats of or attempts at suicide or where
the client is deteriorating rapidly.
4. Reflective discussion techniques as the client
becomes more integrated, e.g.; with her
 current and recent past situation and patterns
of interaction.
TERMINATION
- As the end of the time-limited helping
relationship nears, worker and client review
their progress, focusing on key themes and
basic issues. Emphasis is placed on the tasks
accomplished, the adaptive coping patterns
developed, and the ties built with persons and
resources in the community. Future activity
when the client will be on his own, is planned.
- The case ends with the worker making herself
available on an "as needed" basis should new
crisis occur.
- Golan points out that in the crisis approach,
the worker's stance is active, purposive, and
committed, conveying the message that she
knows what she is doing and is willing to take
risks.