Chapter One

An Introduction to Fieldwork

1.1. Introduction:

Social work is a profession based on systematic Knowledge and skills to deal with human beings
and their problems. In order to improve social functioning and general well-being, it is both an
academic field and a practice-based profession that works with people, families, groups, and
communities. W.A. Friedlander in his book “Introduction to Social Welfare” defined Social
Work as “Social work is a professional service based upon scientific knowledge and skill in
human relations which assists individuals alone or groups to obtain social and personal
satisfaction and independence.” Therefore, in order to express this, we may state that social work
seeks to improve the problems of groups and people on a long-term basis by applying its specific
scientific knowledge and techniques.

As social work has become a worldwide field and is now practiced in many nations, the IFSW
general meeting and the IASSW general assembly endorsed a global definition of social work in
July 2014: “The social work profession promotes social change and development, social
cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human
rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned
by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work
engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.”

Social work supports people to achieve an appropriate level of psychosocial functioning while
also promoting the well-being of all people via participation in activities that promote betterment
in society. Yet, achieving these goals is not as straightforward as it may appear. Social work has a
practical and theoretical grasp of its topic. Professional social work must be practiced in the
field, while theoretical knowledge is also an essential component. The application of academic
social work knowledge must be based on the practical or field level. So, I was assigned to do my
fieldwork in the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls,
Khadimnagar, Sylhet. I have worked in this organization for 60 working days and have made an
effort to carry out my duties in accordance with the work plan.

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1.2. Concept of Social Work:

Science and technology are currently transforming society at a rapid rate, making it difficult and
complex to address social issues and their effects. The ultimate aim of social work is to identify
social issues and offer long-term solutions. The social work profession helps individuals,
communities, and groups get past obstacles and improve their functioning. Social work is both a
practice-based profession and an academic discipline. Social workers encourage social change
and cultural development to allow all people to feel empowered. Their work is based on concepts
of social justice, human rights, and collective responsibility.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) describes social work as “a helping
profession.” The mission of social work is to “enhance human well-being and help meet basic
and complex needs of all people,” especially the poor, oppressed, and most vulnerable.

1.2.1. Basic principles of Social Work: To successfully complete a case, the social worker must
use principles that guide or support their performance. It can also boost productivity levels on
both a personal and professional level. These principles are:
● Principle of Acceptance
● Principle of Individualization
● Principle of Communication
● Principle of Determination
● Principle of Confidentiality
● Principle of Non-Judgmental Attitudes
● Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement

1.2.2. Methods of Social Work:

Social work is a practice-based profession that promotes social change, development, cohesion
and the empowerment of people and communities. Social work practice involves the
understanding of human development, behavior and the social, economic and cultural institutions
and interactions. In order to reach their aim, social workers employ different methods. These are
classified into two broad categories as Basic and Auxiliary methods.

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1. Basic Methods: Basic methods are the systematic and planned way of performing an
activity, which is fundamental to Social Work. These are just like the roots of social
work, which give birth to other branches. The basic methods are mentioned below:
● Case Work: Social casework is one of the most fundamental methods of social
work. The system is methodical and scientific, which is utilized by a social
worker to aid an individual in his or her ability to perform well in society by
tackling his or her psychological and social issues. Anyone who suffers from
social, psychological, or economic issues is an individual here.
● Group Work: Social group work is a method of social work that attempts to
reduce or eliminate blockings that hamper the smooth interaction among the
group members (Hussain and Alauddin, 1970). Social group work acknowledges
the particular requirements of each member in order to help the group enhance
their own growth and optimize their abilities.
● Community Organization: Community organization is another basic method of
social work, based on the fact that it seeks to identify and solve community
problems. We are social creatures by nature. Here it is also natural that, in the
process of living within groups; community’s problems can arise. Here it is the
scope of community work to solve those problems.
2. Auxiliary methods: Besides those basic methods, social work has some auxiliary or
helping methods and they are:
● Social Work Research: Social research places emphasis on studies that focus on
the rigorous study of social sciences and behavioral sciences in the field. The
main theme of this study is to ensure fresh discoveries and validate previously
held truths.
● Social Welfare Administration: Having a strong understanding of social welfare
administration skills gives a social worker the ability to function in different
agency settings.
● Social Action: Social action is a method of social work that aims to enable
individuals in society to bring about social change by supporting progressive
legislations that tackle widespread problems.

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1.2.3. Strategies of Social Work:

Strategies of social intervention may be seen as made up of a range of different and distinctive
activities applied in a variety of combinations in the process of social work, with the purpose of
fulfilling objectives related to social functioning. There are two types of strategies of social
intervention, and those are: Interpersonal Intervention and Environmental Intervention.
1. Interpersonal Intervention: When an individual alone is responsible for his or her
problem then the intervention done at individual level is called Interpersonal intervention.
Strategies used in interpersonal intervention are divided into four categories and these
are:
● Providing
● Enabling
● Influencing and
● Creating.
2. Environmental Intervention: Sometime after solving problems there may be a chance
that problem may arise again so the case worker should make the client’s environment
suitable for his personality group. (e.g., In case of drug addiction and alcoholism the
family members will not accept and behave with the client properly.) Thus, the social
case worker must provide counseling service to the client’s family to change or modify
the environment for the client to overcome his personal problem. Strategies used in
environmental intervention are divided into five categories and these are:
● Working with significant others
● Mobilization of community resources
● Social action
● Public education
● Promotion for social change

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1.3. Concept of Fieldwork in Social Work:

Fieldwork is an essential part of social work education. It combines academic understanding with
real-world application. The method or strategy through which social work ideals, beliefs,
theories, etc. are put into practice on the ground to address problems faced by individuals,
groups, and communities is referred to as fieldwork.

The combination of theory and practice is called fieldwork. The purpose of the field work
program in social work education is to provide the student hands-on experience with social work
techniques and to familiarize them with the practical job of practice that connects academic
theory to the tangible reality encountered in agency settings.

Hamilton and Else view field work as, “A consciously planned set of experiences occurring in a
practice setting designed to move students from their initial level of understanding, skills and
attitudes to levels associated with autonomous social work practice” (Hamilton & Else, 1983).

According to the Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work, “Field work placement being an integral
part of social work education, aims at preparing students to develop practice skills which are
relevant to employment as professional social workers within various social service settings”
(Vol.-5, July 1995, P-88).

According to the International Encyclopedia of Social Science, “Field work comes to mean
learning as far as possible to speak, think, see, feel and act as a member of its culture and at the
same time as a trained social scientist from a different culture.”

Fieldwork enables the examination and evaluation of students' professional growth via
experiential learning. Students are given the chance to apply their knowledge from the classroom
and their professional experiences to the agency-client-service matrix in practice. Students
participate in and gain familiarity with the numerous elements of the social work profession and
its various responsibilities during the supervised field experience. Students can concentrate on
direct practice techniques, policy creation and implementation, as well as other social work
special projects and research activities, in the optimal field placement.

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Field experience has always been seen as a key method of giving students the chance to gain
information and skills in the area of social work. The method through which social knowledge,
values, principles, and other social work-related disciplines are put to use in the fields of social
service welfare and sustainable development is simply referred to as field work.

1.3.1. Types of Field Work:

Social work training institutions especially in Bangladesh generally use one of the three forms of
fieldwork, namely:
1. Concurrent
2. Block and
3. Combination of both Concurrent and Block

1. Concurrent Fieldwork: Concurrent fieldwork occurs simultaneously with classroom

instruction. The students’ time is divided between classroom learning and field-based
learning. Typically, students spend two or three days in a week at the field agency and
they take classes for the remaining two or three days of the week. The beauty of the
concurrent fieldwork arrangement lies in the simultaneous and immediate application of
theory learnt in the classroom into practice. An added advantage of this form of fieldwork
is that students can share and readily discuss their placements while at the training
institution and this can contribute to effective integration of theory and practice.

2. Block Fieldwork: A block fieldwork placement refers to a continuous full-time

engagement of a social work student at a fieldwork agency for a period ranging from at
least a month to one year depending on the institution. Within that given time they apply
their classroom Knowledge in the practical field. Advantages of block placement include
a total-immersion learning experience with excellent continuity with clients and exposure
to learning opportunities. There is no distraction of coursework, missed experiences, or
other classroom responsibilities interrupting the field experience (Wilson, 1981).

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 3. Combination of both Block and Concurrent Fieldwork: In this form of field
placement both the block and concurrent placement have been used. The time of the field
work in this type of placement is split equally in concurrent and block placement. The
students of the field work can share their shortcomings in the classroom and after a time
they can fully attach to the fieldwork without further distraction.

1.3.2. Objectives of Fieldwork:

Fieldwork provides students with genuine experiences in applying social work methods, enabling
them to become familiar with actual work practice. The primary objectives of the fieldwork are
to provide planned observations and a practical demonstration in the selected fields of social
work, which are being analyzed in the classes.

In social work, fieldwork is such a way through which the apprentice social workers get the
opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge acquired in the class. For this, an apprentice
social worker has to use his knowledge and skills of social work in the real sphere under a
supervisor. Practical training allows the students to realize how social problems are influencing
individuals, groups, families, organizations, and communities. It also aims to enable the student
to test themselves to develop a sense of professional discipline to gain self-confidence and feel
themselves social workers with beginning competence (University of Dhaka, 1996).

On the other hand, According to the American Social Work Council, the objectives of practical
training are:

● Making a contribution to getting students acquainted comprehensively with all types of

social work profession
● Creating a due environment to make students self-conscious
● Along with studies, the students' attitudes and skills should have a balanced display in the
classroom
● Making opportunities available to the students to apply social work methods and be
experienced

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 ● Taking necessary steps so that students can acquire primary experience in the social work
profession

The view committee on social work education in India has mentioned the following
objectives:

● Development of skills in problem-solving at the mean and macro mentioned

● Integration of classroom learning with field practices
● Development of skills for professionals’ practice at a particular level of learning
● Development of professional attitudes, values and commitments
● Development of self-awareness and professional ideas

The core seven objectives of Social Work Field Practicum are:

● To acquire fundamental knowledge by applying all theoretical knowledge

● To help students learn how to think critically, analytically and evaluative, so that their
talent can be developed
● To help students develop the capacity to establish and maintain professional relationships
● To help students develop a high degree of social awareness and a deeper understanding of
the democratic process
● To help students develop their professional selves, including some ability to evaluate
their own capacities to help people. This is seen as including identification with the
profession and is understood in terms of progress the students make in identifying with
the school and with their fieldwork agency
● To develop skills in helping, involving the disciplined use of knowledge in thinking about
analyzing and understanding professional problems and in the helping process; and
● It tries to develop professionalism and professional discipline among social workers

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1.3.3. Importance of Fieldwork:

Field work is important that students should be helped to develop the attitude of mind ideas them
to make connections between study and relief…it is needed vital that this should be done if
students are to become professional practitioners in the field rather than goods nature and
amateurs of techniques applying narrow skills by rule of thumbs method (Robert, 1995).

Field practicum is a dynamic course that asks students to apply social work knowledge, skills
and values within an organizational context. It is a vital dimension of students’ graduate and
postgraduate social work education.

In a “Field Work manual” M.A. Momin has mentioned the following importance of field work
practice:

1. Through the field work, the students can learn how to apply social work methods in the
situation of given individuals, groups or community problems;
2. They are exposed to agency practice in which they are in a systematic, preplanned
approach to solve problem processes such as study, diagnosis and treatment;
3. The students achieve self-awareness and discipline to use them as a helper and as agents
of change in an individual and group situation;
4. The students develop facilities in the use of organizational structure. They come to know,
foster and use relationships within a structure and gain insight regarding his/her network
of relationship in the organization;
5. It helps the students to apply the theory and principle of social work into actual practice;
6. The students acquire social work knowledge and are given an opportunity to try a variety
of social work methods, skills and techniques;
7. The students become familiar with administrative procedure and process. They learn how
to run an office, what kind of routine needs to be established, how to facilitate
administrative arrangement, relevant to the discharge of the responsibilities of their own
assignment;

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 8. The students have an opportunity to learn the organizational framework of services. They
understand structure and policy and how to facilitate such policy through practice. They
become familiar with difference institutional styles and tempos of agencies associated
with various field practices;
9. The students acquire significant substance substitute knowledge in the specified field of
practice characterized by the agency. They become acquire with causes of the problem
and with social welfare programs, agency structure, laws, and policies, related to its
solution;
10. The students acquire knowledge regarding community structure and process. They know
the kinds of formal and group and force that a community. They should have the ability
to utilize community resources in support of social welfare.

1.4. My Placement of Fieldwork:

Fieldwork is an integral part of social work education. Every student enrolled in social work
education is assigned to a social service organization for fieldwork for a total of 60 days. During
fieldwork, students apply theoretical knowledge taught in the classroom at the field level. Each
student is supervised by a teacher of the department and an officer from the agency.

As a student of social work, I must complete my fieldwork course. So, I was placed in the
“Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet”
for my field practicum under the supervision of Professor Dr. Muhammed Muazzam Hussain
(faculty supervisor), department Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
and Mr. Md. Lutfor Rahman (agency supervisor) who is the assistant Manager cum Socialworker
of the organization. It is a Governmental Organization of the Department of Social Services
(DSS) under the Ministry of Social Welfare.

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This organization works with “Socially Disadvantaged Girls” (who are subjected to poverty,
fraud, coercion, helplessness and other adverse conditions and engaged in sexual activities in
return for money or dowry and are engaged in unethical professions). It rescues them, provides
general, moral and vocational education, provides training and tries to rehabilitate them in
mainstream society.

1.5. Assigned Tasks:

On the first day of field work a set of tasks were assigned by both my department and agency
supervisor to perform during my field practicum. Those are-

● Making professional relationships (rapport) with the supervisors, clients, staff and others.
● Maintaining punctuality and daily process record.
● Following values, principles and ethical standards of social work.
● Practicing methods of social work related to these practice settings.
● Applying theoretical knowledge and skills of social work in practical situations.
● Providing basic education to the girls.
● Skill development of the inmates through different types of activities.
● Awareness building of the girls.
● To counsel the inmates.
● Resource mobilization.
● To know about the activities of the agency and direct observation of their work.
● To know about the major goals and objectives of the organization.

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 Chapter Two

Introduction to the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially

Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet at a Glance

2.1. Background of the Organization:

Most of the girls engaged in sex work in (brothels, hotels, parks, roads, railways and buses,
ferries and launch jetties, massage parlors and even the elite areas of the city) are girls, children
and adolescents. It is observed that, due to their poverty and helplessness, they are being forced
to become involved in such abominable, immoral, and anti-social activities against their will and
being cheated by some of the greedy and adulterous individuals of the society. It is an inhumane
and highly detrimental act to the society which makes the society corrupt, and also poses a
serious threat to public health.

Moreover, these girls are considered socially stigmatized and unacceptable due to being engaged
in commercial sex work. As a result they are considered incapable and unfit to live a normal life
with other members of the society. Due to these social adversities, the mentioned adolescent and
girl children do not get the slightest place in the society, but rather become a product of the
society as an abominable and deviant population. It is heartbreaking what these girls go through
because of their social situation.

According to the existing Children Act, 2013 (previously the Children Act, 1974) and the
Women and Child Oppression Restraint Act, 2000 the use and employment of female children
and adolescents in such work amounts to ‘Sexual Harassment and Torture’ which is a punishable
offence. Moreover, Article 18(2) of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
states that “The state shall adopt effective measures to prevent prostitution and gambling”.
Therefore, there is a need to rescue adolescent and girl children from this illegal, immoral,
anti-social and health-harmful work by implementing various useful programs including safety
provisions and rehabilitating them socio-economically. The Training and Rehabilitation Centers
for Socially Disadvantaged Girls has provided therapeutic support for the girls engaged in
various illegal, immoral, unsocial, and/or dangerous activities.

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With the aim of rehabilitating the disadvantaged girls socio-economically and integrating them
into the mainstream of society, the Government of Bangladesh has launched “Social Training and
Rehabilitation of Girls with Disabilities” program in FY 2002-2003. At present there are 06
training and rehabilitation centers for socially disadvantaged girls in 06 divisions of the country.
The “Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls” program was
undertaken by the Ministry of Social Welfare in six divisions to rehabilitate these girls socially
and economically (dss.gov.bd).

Serial No. Division Location Capacity

1. Dhaka Baytul Aman, Faridpur 100

2. Chattogram 2 no Gas Field, Brahmanbaria 100

3. Rajshahi Baropur, Bogra 100

4. Khulna Bot-toil, Kushtia 100

5. Barisal Rupatali, Barisal 100

6. Sylhet Khadimnagar, Sylhet 100

2.2. The Vision:

Helping to return to the mainstream of family and society by rescuing teenage girls and girls who
are engaged in sexual activities in exchange for money or dowry and engaged in unethical
professions due to poverty, fraud, coercion, helplessness or other adverse conditions, meeting
their basic human needs and protecting civil rights.

2.3. Objectives of the agency:

● To rescue the adolescents, children and tender aged young girls who are engaged in sex
work in various brothels and other places by force and deception.
● To provide socio-economic rehabilitation to the rescued girls by ensuring safety, intensive
treatment, rehabilitation, education and training.

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 ● Commercial sex work is socially, mentally, and physically extremely harmful. Therefore,
public awareness should be created about the harmful aspects of such anti-social and
inhuman activities, and social movement must be built up to ensure that children, tender
aged and young girls from poor families are not forced to do this work.
● According to the Constitution, the Children Act and the United Nation Declaration of
Children Rights, proper opportunity for full development of girls and children should be
provided, and make them aware about their rights.

2.4. Definition, Legal Aspects, Admission and Release Procedure of the Socially
Disadvantaged Girls:
1. Socially Disabled: Socially disabled refers to any person who is engaged in activities or
professions that are contrary to society, state, culture, religious sentiments and morality,
and female available for the purpose of prostitution.
2. Socially Disabled Girls: Socially disabled girls are those who are subjected to poverty,
fraud, coercion, helplessness and other adverse conditions and engaged in sexual
activities in return for money or dowry and are engaged in unethical professions.
3. Legal Basis:
● The Article 18(2) of the Constitution of People’s Republic of Bangladesh
● The Children Act, 2013
● Suppression of Immoral Scholarship Act, 1933
● The Women and Children Oppression Restrain Act, 2000
● Article 366(a), 372, 373 of the Punishment Act
● The UN declaration of the Children Rights Act, article 34
● The Vagrant and Shelter less Persons (Rehabilitation) Act, 2011
● The other laws of the country.

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4. Source:

Based on the said constitutional commitments, laws, regulations and child rights charter,
girls engaged in anti-social and commercial sex work may be sent to these centers for
education, training, correction, welfare, development and rehabilitation by the competent
authorities. Competent authority in this case means Probation Officer, Police Officer and
Magistrate of 1st Class with special powers. Generally 5 methods are followed for
sending residents to the center.

● Referred by the court.

● Referred by any other institution or organization (however, the institution which
will transfer should certify the said resident as a socially disadvantaged girl).
● Referred by police for an interim period before trial or declaration of judgment in
the court.
● The socially disadvantaged girls who are affidavits by the magistrate or notary
public.
● Rescued girls from the traffickers.

5. Rehabilitation:

Most of the time, girls are referred to the center by the court without determining specific
time. In this case, by considering their behavior, attitude, training, employment
opportunity and marriage the manager of the center recommends them to the president of
the committee for their rehabilitation. The president will give orders to release them
according to his gratification. However, the information of the rehabilitated girls should
be presented in the next meeting of the management.

6. Sources of Fund:

This agency is generally run by the government. Government spends only Tk. 4000 for
each intimate every month. This money is only used for their food, cloth, medicine and
other necessary things.

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 2.5. Activities of the Organization:

Each institution has its own infrastructure, offices, training centers, medical units, primary
education centers, correctional units, residents’ dormitories and staff accommodation facilities.
The activities of the agency are:

I. To rescue girls engaged in sex work and admit them to this centre and provide them with
sustenance, maintenance, care and security.
II. Recruiting specialist doctors for sexual disorders as well as general treatment.
III. Taking measures for correction, character building and mental development of socially
disadvantaged girls through religions and moral education, case work and motivation and
other suitable methods.
IV. Conducting primary, non-formal and practical/vocational education programs.
V. Conducting vocational training programs and arranging employment for them.
VI. Providing equipment grants and other facilities for self-employment and employment of
the trained girls.
VII. To arrange social rehabilitation for the residents through case work, communication,
motivation and other processes.
VIII. To assist in social rehabilitation of marriageable girls by providing financial assistance
through marriage.
IX. To arrange entertainment for residents.
X. Creating social awareness about various harmful aspects of sex work and building a
social movement to protect children, adolescents and young women from poor families
from the clutches of sex workers and other evil people.

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2.6. Vocational Training Programmes:

To rehabilitate the girls socio-economically, this project helps them through vocational training.
The training programs are:

Serial No. Program Name Trainer Receivers Duration

1. Sewing and Embroidery 1 25 6 months

2. Beautification Training 3 10 3 months

3. Vegetable Gardening 1 25 6 months

4. Batik Printing/Screen Printing 1 25 6 months

The “Zamini” Project:

This project was introduced in January 2020. The honorable Minister of Parliament, Mr. Hafiz
Ahmed Mojumdar took the initiative to start this project. This project is running under the
supervision of agency manager, Mr. Md. Lutfur Rahman and the Director of District Social
Service Office, Sylhet is playing the role of advisor. Under this project the girls are getting
training from professional trainers in sewing various materials like nakshi katha, carpet, baby
dresses, dresses for young girls, bed sheets, pillow cover, wall matt and many decorative items.
The fund is coming from Hafiz Mojumdar Trust. The girls already got many sewing machines
and other equipment. A show room has been opened in Chowhatta, Sylhet with a view to selling
the products made by girls. The aim of this project is to make a garment inside the agency where
the girls will work, produce products and it will be sold in the showroom. It is a welfare project,
and the amount of profit will be used for the betterment of the girls. Moreover, every girl
working in this project is getting a salary which they can use after leaving this agency in future.
The money is deposited in their bank account and this money can help make them self-sufficient
after going from the organization.

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2.7. Manpower of the Organization:

To run different activities of the center properly workers for specific fields must be needed. They
are:
1. Mr. Md. Lutfor Rahman, Assistant Manager cum Caseworker
2. Md. Diloar Hossain, Vocational Trainer ( now at Gopalganj)
3. Mst. Khaleda Khatun, Vocational Trainer (now at Mirpur, Dhaka)
4. Md. Jahangir Hossain, Vocational Trainer (now at Bagbari, Sylhet)
5. Akhtar Hossain, Teacher
6. Jeevan Chandra Deb, Teacher
7. Abu Halim, Head Warder
8. Shaheen Uddin Ahmed, Warder (now at Habiganj,Sylhet)
9. Mst. Salma Vuiya, Warder
10. Mst. Nazma Khanam, Warder
11. Abdul Hannan, warder
12. Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, warder (now at Sylhet Sadar attachment)
13. Mst. Minu Ara Begum, warder
14. Mst. Shilpi Begum, Warder
15. Anoara Begum, Cook

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2.8. Steering Committee:

To run the institution properly, an administrative body has been formed by the Ministry of Social
Services which consists of various governmental authorities. The concerned authorities are:

Serial Authority Rank

No.

1. Secretary (Ministry of Social Welfare) President

2. Joint Secretary (Department of Finance) Member

3. Joint Secretary (Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Member

Affairs)

4. Joint Secretary (Department of Local Government) Member

5. Joint Secretary (Home Ministry) Member

6. Joint Secretary (Ministry of Social Welfare) Member

7. Joint Secretary (Ministry of Women and Child Affairs) Member

8. Joint Secretary (Ministry of Planning) Member

9. Joint Secretary (Ministry of Information) Member

10. Joint Secretary (Ministry of Health) Member

11. Directorate (Prime Minister’s Office) Member

12. Representative (Directorate of Public Health Engineering) Member

13. Director (Department of Social Services) Deputy-Secretary

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2.9. Management Committee of the Organization:

The Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls should have a
management committee for the proper management of the center.

Organogram of Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls:

1. Deputy Commissioner- President

2. Police Super- Member
3. Civil Sergeant- Member
4. Sub-Director, Agriculture Extension Department- Member
5. District Primary Education Officer- Member
6. Executive Engineer, Public Works Division- Member
7. Sub-Director, District Social Welfare Office- Member
8. District Women Related Officer- Member
9. Sub-Director, Youth Development Department- Member
10. One Representative of the Small and Cottage Industry Institution- Member
11. One Representative from Local Chamber of Commerce- Member
12. District Anser and V.D.P Officer- Member
13. One Representative from District Social Service Office- Member
14. Chairman and/or Representative of the City Corporation- Member
15. Manager of the Center- Member-Secretary

2.10. Concerned Officers:

Manager, concerned/related Centre.

Next Concerned Officers if failed to get specific service:

For Districts-
● Divisional Director (concerned division).
● Deputy Director (concerned district).

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 For Headquarters-

● Director (Institution), Department of Social Services, Agargaon, Dhaka.

● Deputy Director (concerned branch), Department of Social Services, Agargaon, Dhaka.

2.11. Responsibilities of the management Committee:

I. The Management Committee shall be responsible for the overall management of the
Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls and supervise the
activities of the Center from time to time.
II. The Committee shall meet once in every 3 months to review the overall activities of the
Center and take necessary measures to strengthen its activities. Special meetings of the
committee can be held in case of urgent need.
III. They shall ensure cultivation of all lands within the center/institution with the help of
residents and also ensure that the land is planted with vegetables, fruits and trees
throughout the year.
IV. Special attention should be given to strengthen and accelerate the education, training and
rehabilitation of the residents.
V. The committee will advise on filling up the vacant seats at the center.
VI. In order to carry out various duties properly, the committee may form several
sub-committees from among them and determine the responsibilities of the
sub-committees.
VII. They should supervise the supply of food and food accessories and other goods within the
prescribed budget as per government regulations. If necessary, the committee can form
sub-committees in this regard.
VIII. Necessary measures will be taken by the committee regarding sports and cultural
activities of the residents.
IX. The committee will ensure the maintenance of order and security of the penal center.
X. The proposal/recommendation raised by the Manager for the purpose of release and
rehabilitation of the residents shall be considered.

The government can reduce or increase the responsibility of the management committee by
executive order if necessary.

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2.12. Responsibilities of the Manager:
● To direct the center responsibilities
● Distribution of work among the personnel
● Taking responsibility as an accountant of the center
● To prepare budget for the center and send it to the senior authority
● To maintain all kinds of contact for the purpose of monthly advancement report
● To take responsibility of making coordination with all authorities
● To send annual report about personnel to the senior authority
● To provide training for the junior officer
● To take responsibility of maintaining and protecting all the property of the center
● To arrange the meeting of management committee and maintain the records of the
meeting
● To arrange various type of meeting at the center level and taking initiatives for
implementing the decision of the meeting
● To take responsibility for rehabilitating the inmates through employment, marriage, and
any other ways like send them to their family or reliable relatives
● To take any responsibility that is given by the government.

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 Chapter Three

Scope of the Application of Social Work Knowledge

Social work as an applied scientific discipline works through its different methods. The methods
are:
1. Basic and
2. Auxiliary.

Basic methods of social work include a) Social Casework, b) Social Group Work, and c)
Community Organization. On the other hand, auxiliary methods of Social work include a) Social
Welfare Administration, b) Social Work Research and c) Social Action.

Among these, in the training and rehabilitation center of the socially disadvantaged girls,
Kadimnagar, Sylhet, social work practice with individuals and groups could be applied. As there
are inmates with psycho-social problems we can apply Social Casework and Social Group Work
with them.

3.1. Social Casework:

“Social Casework is an art in which knowledge of the science of human relations and skill in
relationship are used to mobilize capacities in the individual and resources in the community
appropriate for better adjustment between the client and ail or any part of his total environment”
(Hussain & Alauddin, 1970). The goal of social casework is to help better adjustment between
the client and his environment by mobilizing capacities in the client and resources in the
community.

According to Werner Boehm, Social casework is a method of social work which intervenes in the
psycho-social aspects of a person's life to improve, restore, maintain, or enhance his social
functioning by improving his/her role performance.

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3.1.1. Components of Social Case Work:

Social casework is carried out through its five components. These are-

I. Person
II. Problem
III. Place
IV. Professionalism
V. Process

3.1.2. Principles of Social Case Work:

There are some generic principles that must be followed by the social worker to practice social
casework. These are –
● Principle of Acceptance
● Principle of Communication
● Principle of Participation
● Principle of Self-Determination
● Principle of Confidentiality
● Principle of Individualization
● Principle of Self-awareness

The Caseworker in order to help solve the problem of the client passes through the following
stages:
● Study (psycho-social study)
● Diagnosis
● Treatment/Intervention
● Evaluation and
● Follow-up

In the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Kadimnagar,
Sylhet, some clients have psycho-social problems, and a social worker could try to improve,
restore, maintain, or enhance their social functioning by enhancing their role performance.

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The social worker can help better adjust between the client and her environment by mobilizing
capacities in the client. Social casework could be applied in the field because here, the
components of social casework are present such as person, problem, place or agency.

3.2. Social Group Work:

Social group work is a method of social work that attempts to reduce or eliminate blockings that
hamper the smooth interaction among the group members (Hussain & Alauddin, 1970). It
attempts to provide the group members with the opportunities of a guided group interaction and
experience in which the members of the group are “helped to meet their needs and develop their
interest along socially acceptable lines with the assistance of a group leader.”

According to Konopka, Social group work is a method of social work which helps the
individuals to enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experiences and cope
more effectively with their personal, group or community problems.

3.2.1. Components of Social Group Work:

Social group alone does not constitute the process of social group work (Hussain & Alauddin,
1970). Social group work process involves other components. The components are-
I. The Group Member
II. Social Group Work Agency
III. Social Group Worker
IV. The Social Group Work Process

3.2.2. Social Group Work Activities:

The activities that are undertaken by social group work are more diversified and less clear than
those of social casework. Some of the important activities that are taken care of by social group
work in different areas of its operation are –
● Recreational Activities
● Educational Activities
● Activities Concerning Cultural Preservation and Assimilation
● Therapeutic Activities
● Activities Concerning Strengthening Community Life

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3.2.3. Principles of Social Group Work:

The group worker is guided in his actions by a number of principles. The general principles that
guide the social group worker is playing his role are:
● Principle of Planned Group Formation
● Principle of Worker-Group relationship
● Principle of Individualization
● Principle of Self-determination
● Principle of Flexible Functional Organization
● Principle of Progressive Program
● Principle of Resource Utilization
● Principle of Evaluation

In the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Kadimnagar,
Sylhet, some clients have maladjustment problems. Some clients are not aware of their health
and hygiene. The social worker could attempt to reduce or eliminate the blockings that hamper
the smooth interaction among the group members.

Through group work, a social worker could help individuals enhance their social functioning
through purposeful group experiences and cope more effectively with their personal, group
community problems. Social group work could be applied in the field because here, the
components of social group work are present. The social group worker can perform those
activities such as recreational activities, educational activities, and activities concerning cultural
preservation and assimilation etc.

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 Chapter Four

Social Work Practice with Individual

Social case work is an art in which knowledge of the science of human relations and skill in
relationship are used to mobilize capacities in the individual and resources in the community
appropriate for better adjustment between the client and all or any of his total environment.
According to Perlman “A person comes to a place where a professional representative helps him
by a given process.” This means a person with a psycho-socio-economic problem comes to an
agency seeking help to get relief from his problem. A professional social worker having adequate
knowledge about casework helps in a systematic way to ensure his satisfaction. A professional
relationship called rapport is very much needed in case work practice. Here some important
cases dealt by me are given below:

Case No: 01
Name: Shemonara
Age: 35 years
Education: Can give signature only
Father: Ejhar Ali
Mother: Fatema Begum
Husband: Shafiq Mia
Children: 4
Address: Pashchimgumandi, Boddarhat, Chattogram
Date of Coming: 27th November 2019.

4.1.1. Background of the Case:

Shemonara used to live with her parents in her hometown Pashchimgumandi, Boddarhat,
Chattogram. At the age of 15 she was forced to get married to Sohag Mia. She didn’t like her and
got divorced only after four months. Then she ran away with Md. Mamun. But, it also did not
work out. After a while Shemonara started to work as a garment worker in Lijon Textile. There
she also got involved with a boy named Suman. When she told him to marry her he took her to
get his mother’s permission.

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Once again Shemonara had to face the harsh reality as his mother did not approve of their
marriage. As a result Shemonara and Sumon broke apart. Then after a few months one of her
friends brought her to Akhaura, Brahmanbaria. There she started working at Manik Mia’s tea
stall. While working there she met Shafiq Mia. With the passage of time they got close and
decided to get married. Shafiq used to sell bottled water /mineral water bottles at Akhaura
station. After getting married her husband used to bring his friends to their house and made my
client physically entertain them. He also took Shemonara to different places to make her continue
the unethical works. Even sometimes he forced her to do that and sexually abused her.

One day police noticed the activity of unethical work and took her to the Akhaura Police station.
A General Diary (GD) was formed on her name. Then the court ordered to send her to the
Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Akhaura, Brahmanbaria
on 24th March 2015. Then she was moved to the Khadimnagar center on 27th November 2019.
She has two girls. Now, they are living in the Government Baby Home.

4.1.2. Rationality of Taking the Case:

During the time of rapport building with the inmates I observed that Shemonara has a tendency
of self-harm. Her ripped hands show the sign of that. She also threatens the inmates by telling,
“If you come to fight with me I will cut my hand.”

She also said, “Normally I don't care that much about what other people say. But if I get hurt I
cannot resist but cut my hand. It gives me mental peace.”

she doesn't even feel the pain. I also noticed that she is a little mentally imbalanced and very
emotional in nature as well. So, I thought that she needs help to change her nature of self harm
and the mind set behind this attitude. Also, she needs help to come out from her imbalanced
nature and be a strong person. For these reasons, I took her as my client

4.1.3. Rapport Establishment:

Rapport establishment with the client is a must in social case work practice. A favorable
environment and non-judgmental behavior towards the client makes them comfortable and free
to open up in front of the social caseworker.

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So, I tried my best to make Shemonara comfortable and free to express anything on her mind,
about her life, feelings and emotions. There are some principles of establishing rapport with the
client which should be followed during the process. I was very careful about following the
principles during the rapport establishment process with my client. The Principles are:

● Principle of Acceptance: Acceptance in social casework is primarily a matter of attitude

of the case worker towards the client. The concept of attitude, generally, embraces both
positive and negative aspects. But it should be remembered that in case work practice
acceptance has always a positive connotation. That is, the caseworker must not condemn
or show hostile attitude towards a client - whether he/she approves or disapproves the
client and her behavior. This is because of the fact that nobody behaves exactly in the
way one wants. So, I followed the Principle of acceptance showing respect for my client,
attaching importance to her individual dignity, appreciating her problems and indicating
care and willingness to be of some help to the client.
● Principle of Communication: It is the exchange of views and ideas, feelings and
thoughts concerning the ‘problem’ between the client and the caseworker. This principle
emphasizes that the inner meanings of the terms, expressions and other symbols that the
caseworker and the client use should be understood by each other. “They may agree or
disagree about the issues they discuss.” But if they are truly communicating one must
understand what the other means, one must, in short, understand the role of the other. I
was very careful and tried my best to understand what she meant by something she said
and tried to understand her role as well.
● Principle of Participation: The core aim of social case work is to help the individual
client to help herself in solving her problem. This being so it implies that participation or
involvement of the client in the problem solving process is essential. The more the Client
actively participates, the more effective the solution becomes. Thus, I followed the
principle of participation and made Shemonara involved in the problem solving process.
● Principle of Confidentiality: This principle demands for the preservation of secret
information let out by the client concerning her problem to the case worker in a
professional relationship. Confidentiality is based upon a basic right of the client. So, the
confidentiality of the client and the case was maintained, during the process.

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4.1.4. Different Phases of Social Work Practice:

In order to help solve the problem of my client Shemonara I have passed through different
stages. The phases I have followed in dealing with this case are as follows:
● Study (psycho-social study)
● Diagnosis
● Treatment/Intervention
● Evaluation and
● Follow-up

Psychosocial Study of the Problem:

Psychosocial study in social case work refers to gathering of facts regarding the client’s
socio-economic condition and psychological conditions. For studying psycho social conditions
of the client, authentic and reliable data is required. I have used the interview method of data
collection for collecting the required data. During the interview sessions I have used
Observation, Questioning, and Listening techniques of the interview.

Name: Shemonara
Age: 35 years
Education: Can give signature only
Father’s Name: Ejhar Ali
Mother’s Name: Fatema Begum
Husband’s Name: Shafiq Mia
Family Pattern: Joint family
Socio-economic Condition: Poor
Diseases: High blood pressure
Address: Pashchimgumandi, Boddarhat, Chattogram
Children: 4 (2 daughters and 2 sons)
Cause of becoming Socially Disadvantaged: Victim of sexual abuse and was involved in
unethical occupation.

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Interview with the Client:

In the first interview with my client Shemonara I tried to find out about her family and the
circumstances behind her coming to this institution. She was. very jolly and willing to share her
experiences and life story with me. She also got emotional while talking about her family and
children. I found out that she has 4 children. 2 of them are boys and 2 of them are girls. One boy
was adopted by some other parents and the other got lost. The two daughters of her are now
living in the government baby home, Sylhet. The names of her daughters are Mariam (13) and
Sumaiya (8). She told me that on 27th November 2019 she was moved here in the Khadimnagar
center from the Brahmanbaria center as it was closing down.

When I asked how she came to Akhaura from Chattogram? She replied that she used to live with
her parents in her hometown Pashchimgumandi, Boddarhat, Chattogram. At the age of 15 she
was forced to get married to Sohag Mia. But, she didn’t like her and got divorced only after four
months. Then she ran away with Md. Mamun as she loved him. But, it also did not work out later
on. After a while Shemonara started to work as a garment worker in Lijon Textile. There she
became close with one of her co-workers, Sumon. After some time they wanted to get married
but Sumon’s mother did not accept her. So, they got separated. Shemonara said, “I used to love
Sumon. But her mother was not a good person. She did not accept me as her daughter in law. I
was sad. But the thing which made me more sad was the behavior of sumon.”

From the interview I found out that after a few months of breaking up with Sumon one of her
friends brought her to Akhaura, Brahmanbaria. There she started working at Manik Mia’s tea
stall. While working there she met Shafiq Mia. He used to sell bottled water/mineral water
bottles at Akhaura station. With the passage of time they got close and decided to get married. At
this point I asked her about her married life with Shafiq Mia. After getting married her husband
used to bring his friends to their house and made my client physically entertain them. He also
took Shemonara to different places to make her continue the unethical works. Even sometimes he
forced her to do that and sexually abused her.

I observed that at first she was shy to tell all these things but eventually she got used to the flow
and started expressing her past sorrows and grieves in front of me. So, I was very careful about
confidentiality and her privacy.

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On the second interview with Shemonara I noticed that she was more flexible and willing to
share her story. She said that, when one of her friends from the garments brought her to Akhaura,
Brahmanbaria besides working at a tea stall which was situated in the Akhaura station she was
also involved with prostitution. Even her husband was one kind of broker for the prostitute girls.
So, after getting married they started living together beside the rail station.

Then I asked her whether she did it willingly or somehow she was forced to. Shemonara replied
that, sometimes she did not want to do it but she was forced eventually. Sometimes she was
sexually abused. I wanted to know if she thought of leaving her husband at times. She said, “No.
Though he used to abuse me physically, I liked being with shafiqqa.”

At this point I wanted to know how she was admitted in the training and rehabilitation center of
the socially disadvantaged girls then? She then explained that, one day a police officer noticed
her doing unethical work and took her to the Akhaura police station. A General Diary (GD) was
formed on her name. Then the court ordered to send her to the Training and Rehabilitation
Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Akhaura, Brahmanbaria on 24th March 2015.
Afterwards, on 27th November 2019 she was transferred to the Training and Rehabilitation
center of socially Disadvantaged girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet branch. Since then she has been
staying in this organization.

On the third day of the interview with my client Shemonara I focused on knowing about her life
and her problems in this organization. Like every other girl in this organization, she also wants to
get out of here and live with her children and husband. She said, “We do nothing here. Just move
from one day to another. I want to live with my children and husband.”

I observed that she shows symptoms of self-harm. There are several wounds on her hand. When I
asked why she harmed herself. She said, “When I cut my hand I feel relieved. All my anger and
anxiety goes down with the stream of blood!”

Then I asked her if it didn't cause her pain? She replied, “No. It does not cause pain. I don't feel
any pain. I feel good.”

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I observed that she does not always remain alone or sad, she is very enthusiastic sometimes and
normally remains in a good mood, she also has friends in the organization. But the friends of her
in the organization also have the tendency to self-harm. I also observed that she gets very
emotional whenever someone sings a sad song. She starts crying while listening to the song and
becomes sad. But the positive thing is that it does not continue for a longer period of time. After
a while she gets normal and laughs with her friends.

Diagnosis/Problem Assessment:

Diagnosis is the process of identifying problems and seeking causes and formulating probable
solutions to the problem. Diagnosis in Social Case Work practice begins with the first interview
with the client and continues throughout the problem-solving process. Diagnosis in Social Work
includes two aspects-the identification of the problem and the personality of the client, and the
formulation of treatment plan (Hossain & Alauddin, 1970). There are three types of diagnosis in
social case work. Those are:
1. Dynamic diagnosis
2. Clinical diagnosis
3. Etiological /Genetic diagnosis.

I have used both the Dynamic diagnosis system and the Etiological diagnosis system to diagnose
her problems.

“The Dynamic Diagnosis" is a kind of cross sectional. a view of the forces interacting in the
client's problem situation. These forces are currently operating within the client herself, within
her social situation and between her and her Situation. The dynamic diagnosis tries to know what
the trouble is and what physical, psychological and Social factors have caused it. It also seeks to
establish what effect it has on the individual’s well being, what solution is sought, what means
exist within the client, and in the community, and what services are available for coping with the
problem.

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“The Etiological Diagnosis” tries to delineate the causes and development of the presenting
difficulty which may lie in the life situation or/and in the client's personality. The present
problem is seen in terms of past events and experiences. This is important to understand because
it gives an idea of the duration, consistency and strength of the problem in the life history of the
client or patient. It also tells how far a particular disturbance has been affecting his social
functioning, why his particular inappropriate behavior has been persisting, how she has been
coping with the problems. What are her personal strengths and how far these causative factors
can be modified or altered.

During my sixty working days, I have identified several problems through dynamic and
etiological diagnosis within her. Such as:
● Tendency to self harm
● Emotionally imbalanced
● She has illogical thoughts

Treatment Plan:

After data collection and assessment, I have formulated an action for resolving the problem. I
identified the main goal is to bring about a positive change in the client’s behavior and connect
her with the existing services of the center. They are as follows:
1. To bring about positive changes in her behavior as well as thought process through
counseling.
2. To apply Systems Theory
3. To follow supportive and modifying treatment method of social casework
4. Focusing more on bringing emotional balance
5. To motivate her not to harm herself
6. Intervention at interpersonal and environmental level
7. Recommend her to a professional psychotherapist if needed

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System Analysis:

System analysis is the term of modern social work practice. It tries to find out the factors related
to the case of emergence of a client's problem and the way of its solution. I tried to identify the
following systems with the help of system analysis.
● The Client System: As I considered Shemonara my client and she wants help from me,
so she is the actual client.
● The Target System: For Shemonara it is needed to change her behavior and thought
process. She needs to change with help from me and the girls in the dormitory of the
organization. So, here Shemonara herself is the target system.
● The Change Agent System: The agency and a professional therapist can bring change in
client's situation, se, they are considered the primary change agent system. Here, I am an
intern social worker, so. I am playing the role of a secondary change agent system.
● The Action System: Here, the agency comes to the action. Moreover, she needs help
from a professional counselor who can treat her illness. So, they are the action system.
● The Value System: Through the process of conducting this case I need to maintain my
professional values, personal values; consider and follow the agency values; client's
values and the other system's values. Professional values that I followed include Service,
Social Justice, Dignity and worth of the person, Importance of Human Relationships etc.
Also followed the client's value of confidentiality, participation, communication etc.

Treatment:

To solve the problems of my client I think that the best treatment method would be modifying
and supportive treatment methods. Besides, I have also followed social work interventions like
counseling, motivation etc and The System Theory as well.

Supportive Treatment Method:

This method requires the use of a number of techniques that help the client improve her
functioning within the framework of her ego mechanism of defense. The techniques used are
given below:

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● Reassurance: It is found that the client may have the capacity to tackle her problems
through her own efforts. But due to the lack of confidence in herself she doubts her
capacities. In such cases the technique of reassurance is used to give expressed
recognition and approval to the client's capacities, achievements, needs and feelings. In
other words, through the application of this technique the client is assured of her
strengths and capacities in solving her problems. It serves to strengthen the client's
functioning. So, I followed this technique to bring back my client's confidence. Also, to
make her assured of her strengths and capacities to solve her problems.
● Logical Discussion: Logical discussion is another technique that helps the client to arrive
at the decisions and to determine her actions whenever her judgment is temporarily
impaired. This technique utilizes the client's ability to perceive reality, to see alternatives,
and to visualize consequences. This technique helped my client a lot whenever her
capacity of judgment to determine her actions was impaired.
● Advice and Guidance: This technique is appropriately used when the Client is unable to
find her own solution and when her need and motivation help her to use direction or
guidance given by the caseworker. The client is sometimes restricted from taking
constructive action either because of ignorance or she is inhibited by fear, anxiety and
other emotions. In such cases this technique is used to give direction or guidance to the
client to act.
● Ventilation: The technique of ventilation is used by the case worker when the client is in
need of releasing energy bound by unexpressed emotion. The released energy is then
utilized in achieving more effective social functioning. The emotions she is helped to
express are conscious and preconscious. I encouraged my client to express the kind and
amount of emotion which she can tolerate without excessive anxiety and which she
understands to be related to the problem she is trying to solve.

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Modifying Treatment Method:

Like the supportive treatment method, the modifying treatment method also uses a number of
techniques. Clarification is the predominant technique in this method of casework treatment.
This technique is always supplemented by appropriate supportive techniques that maintain and
strengthen the client’s capacities.

The technique of clarification is employed to modify the client’s behavior and attitudes. I have
followed several steps that are involved in the use of this technique.

The first step was the step of helping the client bring together incidents in the attitudinal
responses and episodes in her behavior. The purpose was to enable my client to see the
stereotyped themes or patterns she follows.

The second step was enabling the client to see and understand the conscious and preconscious
dissatisfactions and gratifications in her responses towards some selected aspects of her life’s
situation. This activity primarily aimed at helping the client to understand the meaning of her life
and her disabling patterns of responses. This understanding mobilizes the client's capacity to
separate subjective from objective experience, further increases her sense of reality, initiates a
connection between her intellectual awareness and emotional experience and increases her
motivation for change. My client started to understand the meaning of her life and her disabling
patterns of responses. She also became capable of increasing her sense of reality.

In the third step I dealt with the task of giving encouragement to the client to recognize the
connection between incidents that happened in her “remembered past” and her current attitudes
and behaviors and the inappropriate influence of the past on the present. This activity was
consistently repeated with a view to enabling the client to bring the influence of those subjective
experiences that are causal to her disabling patterns of response under realistic conscious control.

The final step was concerned with helping the client to utilize her understanding to visualize and
control disabling responses to her current and predictable future life situation.

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Intervention Strategies:

Intervention strategies in social work are methods used to help people in need. They involve an
active approach that encourages the client to take ownership of their own situation and find
solutions. Strategies of social intervention may be seen as made up of a range of different and
distinctive activities applied in a variety of combinations in the process of social work, with the
purpose of fulfilling objectives related to social functioning. There are two types of strategies of
social intervention, and these are:
● Interpersonal intervention
● Environmental intervention

Interpersonal Intervention: When an individual alone is responsible for his or her problem
then the intervention done at individual level is called Interpersonal intervention.
● Providing Advice: I gave advice to her to be attentive in the training facilities so that she
concentrates less on harming herself. I gave her some advice on how she can talk with
others and communicate with others when destructive thoughts come to her mind. I also
advise her to participate in group activities to improve her social functioning and
emotional stability.
● Enabling Method: The enabling method enables the client to express her feelings, help
her, and put her concern into words to build such a trusting relationship where she feels
safe to share problems with me. I assured her confidentiality and told her she could say
anything that she felt like saying. To achieve my goals by solving her situation, I
followed the enabling method and tried to solve her problem.
● Release of Feeling: I actively listened to her story to enable her to sort out her feelings,
anxiety, and fear. By setting the context, making observations, asking relevant questions,
using reflective statements, checking perceptions, and eliciting reactions, I tried to
develop a comfortable environment so that she can quickly release her negative feelings
and destructive thoughts.
● Encouragement: I encourage her to think positively and always value herself. I have
demonstrated various examples in front of her and told the story of some knowledgeable
persons, the success of their life, and their values and moralities. I also encouraged her to
get involved with the training activities provided to them in the organization.

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Environmental Intervention: Sometime after solving problems there may be a chance that
problem may arise again. So, I provided counseling services to the other inmates to change or
modify. I tried to intervene more on the inmates who also have the tendency to self harm. I tried
to motivate them to control themselves and get busy with other activities. I showed them the
negative consequences of their destructive character so that they understand the severity of the
problem and get out of it. Moreover, motivated them to be united with the inmates and not to get
involved in any kind of dispute or quarrel.

Counseling:

Counseling is the psychotherapeutic relationship in which an individual (client) receives direct

help from an adviser (directive counseling) or finds an opportunity. to release negative feelings
and thus clear the ways for positive growth personality (Harriman).

“Counseling is an accepting, trusting and safe relationship in which clients learn to openly
discuss what worries and upsets them, to define precise behavior goals, to acquire the essential
social Skills, and to develop the courage and self-confidence to implement desired new behavior
(Merle M. Ohlsen).

Counseling is an interactive process characterized by a unique relationship between counselor

and client that leads to change in the client in one or more of the following areas:
a) Behavioral: Overt changes in the ways clients act, their coping skills, decision making
skills, relationship skills etc.
b) Beliefs: Ways of thinking about oneself, others, and the world or emotional concerns
relating to these perceptions.
c) Levels of Emotional Distress: Uncomfortable feelings or reactivity to emotional stress.

Counseling is a dynamic process during which a trained individual assists another person who is
functioning at a low or ineffective level to become a more effectively functioning person. There
are different models of counseling practice. Such as-
1. DASIE Model
2. 3 Stage Model
3. 5 Stage Model of Robert Doyle

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Five Stage Model of Counseling: Counseling is a developmental process; it has a beginning,
progress through an orderly, transitional sequence, and has an ending. This development process
can be described in terms of the following 5 stages:
1. Relationship Building Stage: Developing the foundation for a sound collaborative
working association.
2. Exploratory Stage: Examining and understanding the client and his or her frame of
reference.
3. Decision Making Stage: Formulating a counseling goal and an intervention Strategy.
4. Working Stage: Expending effort to ameliorate the situation or solve the problem; and
5. Termination Stage: Concluding the counseling process.

The five stages of counseling are developmental in nature and therefore transitional, overlapping,
and continuous rather than rigid, discrete and discontinuous. This transitional concept implies
that, while each of these stages has its own theme and developmental tasks, elements of any
stage may be evident at any other stage.

I have followed this five stage model of counseling by Robert Doyle to make my client
Shemonara a fully functioning person and help her get out of her self-harm nature. It also helped
her to control her emotional Characteristics. Furthermore, it helped her to control her unstable
mind set-up.

The Relationship-Building Stage: When the counseling process begins, the counselor and the
client ordinarily do not know one another, so the foundation for a collaborative working
relationship must be developed.
➔ Establishing Facilitative Conditions: At the beginning of this process clients are
frequently of themselves, unsure about the counselor, and most of all, unsure about the
counseling process. In this situation, clients may be quite guarded in what they say.
Clients need to feel a sense of trust, genuineness and respect. So, I tried to provide the
conditions that would facilitate open, honest and complete communication.
➔ Determining Initial Goals: The initial goals were to work on the presenting problem of
my client; to listen to the client in order to help her gain some insight and a better
understanding of herself.

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 ➔ Structuring the Relationship: All counseling relationships need to be structured in order
to provide the client with. a sense of clarification, direction, and understanding of the
process. As the counselor I have developed a mutual understanding and agreement
between myself and the client regarding the dynamics and methodology of the process;
the logistical, pragmatic, and procedural issues involved; and the client's personal or
consumer oriented concerns.
➔ Maintaining Ethical Standards: At the initial stage of counseling, the major ethical
concerns involve confidentiality, informed consent, and the appropriate representation of
my skills and credentials. I have addressed these issues while structuring the relationship.
But I need to continue to be concerned about ethical standards throughout the entire
counseling process.

The Exploratory Stage: During the second transitional stage counselor should focus on
assisting the client in exploring, perceiving, analyzing, and understanding the parameters of self
and her problem. To gain an understanding of the client and her initial frame of reference, it is
most useful to address the following four major tasks at this stage:

● explore the scope or depth and breadth of the client's presenting problem;
● analyze the client's degree of functioning in several major dimensions of the client’s life;
● understand the historical and idiosyncratic ways that this particular client has changed
and the amount of resistance that exist presently toward change; and
● identify the client's internal strengths and the external resources available to the client.

➔ The scope of the Problem: The major task at this stage is to explore and understand the
reasons the client came for help. To facilitate this exploratory process, my client clarified
whether the presenting problem is the major or real problem, identified the context of the
environmental situation where the problem occurs; evaluated the nature, severity and
duration of the problem;

Page 41
 Assessed the consequences that this particular problem of self-harm has caused the client
and significant others; and estimated the effects that many changes would have on both
the client and Significant others in the client’s life. It is seen that, whenever any girl from
the center taunts her about her past she gets triggered and can’t control herself and
performs self-harm.

➔ The client's Degree of Functioning: To understand the client's internal frame of reference,
it is usually helpful to examine the client's degree of functioning in several major aspects
of life. As the exploratory process unfolded. I formed a professional judgment about
whether the client is progressing through the developmental life stages with a minimum
of problems; meeting her physiological, and social needs in effective ways; functioning at
an appropriate cognitive level; relating in positive ways to significant others; coping and
adjusting well to the conflicts, frustrations, and other thwarting conditions encountered in
life, and manifesting appropriate behavioral patterns.
➔ Historical Patterns: I helped my client to explore and understand how she has
encountered the problem and how she has historically dealt with problems. Similar to the
present one. She said she didn’t care what people said when she was living in Akhaura.
But after coming into this organization when the girls say something bad she gets sad and
angry as well.
➔ Strengths and Resources: The client's internal strengths and the resources and kinds of
resources available to the client may also be explored during this stage. The strengths of
my client are that she can interact with people easily and gets mixed up easily.

The Decision Making Stage: The third transitional stage is intermediate between the
exploration of a client’s concerns and the application of a particular intervention plan. Two
interrelated tasks need to be accomplished at this stage: the goals of the counseling process must
be mutually agreed upon by me and my client, and a decision should be made by me regarding
the particular intervention strategy that will be used. I have redefined and revised the initial goals
on the basis of the understanding reached in the first two stages of counseling.

Page 42
I have used the Person-centered approach and Behavioral approach as the intervention strategy.
There are a number of client, counselor, and environmental variables that influence the
specificity of the counseling goals and the intervention strategy used.

The Working Stage: The fourth counseling stage is the application of an appropriate
intervention strategy. The major task at this stage is helping the client resolve her concern and
learning to function more effectively. This may require the counselor to provide emotional
support, encouragement, and reinforcement of newly gained insights. I have provided emotional
Support and encouragement to my client at my best.

Treatment strategies may be cognitively focused, affectively focused or Performance focused.

Cognitively focused interventions should be considered when the counselor believes that the
client needs help or assistance to obtain or retain factual information, when the client needs. help
making decisions, or when the client reveals faulty deductive or inductive thinking process.

Affectively focused interventions should be considered when the counselor concludes that the
client reveals inadequate self-worth, poor acceptance of others, and minimal skills in dealing
with her own attitudes, beliefs, emotions, or values.

Performance focused interventions may be appropriate when the client's behavioral repertoire is
limiting her functioning.

I have used both the Affectively focused and Performance focused interventions. In the working
or intervention stage of counseling counselors often use several resources to assist clients in
resolving their concerns. These resources may be significant others in a client’s life, community
resources, or published materials. I have also used these resources.

The Termination Stage: During the fifth and final transitional counseling stage, the termination
process occurs. This is an extremely important period in which the counselor needs to focus on
accomplishing three interrelated tasks.

First, progress was summarized and evaluated; second, other issues that required attention at this
time were brought forward; and third, methods to foster client growth after the counseling
process terminated was established.

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To evaluate the counseling process, me and my client determined whether the desired goals were
met. Determining the client's preparedness to terminate requires an assessment of the client's
overall level of functioning and whether or not other client concerns or unresolved issues were
needed to be addressed at this time. The final task in the termination stage was helping the client
develop a systematic method to ensure the growth and change process would continue. This
included arrangements for periodic follow-up sessions, self-monitoring plans etc.

Evaluation:

Evaluation in social work is an attempt to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
problem-solving process. In other words, it is an assessment of courses of action taken to help
solve the problem. Evaluation begins at the very in-take and continues throughout the problem
solving process. “It begins in the first interview when we try to decide whether the case is
suitable for our agency; whether we are the best resource for the help needed. It appears again
when we appraise the client's strengths to work on her problems, her reliability, her practical
assets, and her character.” Thus, I applied the strength perspective of Social work during the
evaluation process of this case and also used the 5 stage model of counseling and worked on the
client's problem solving process.

Follow-up:

Since treatment does not mean total cure and susceptibility of the problem remains, the case
needs to be followed up with a view to giving supplementary support to have improved
treatment. Follow-up is important in case work because of the complex nature of the individual
and dynamic environment in which she lives. So, while working with other clients I followed up
this case also.

It should be noted that the sequence of these stages are not always rigidly maintained; rather they
overlap each other. For example, “treatment begins at the moment when the case worker and the
client first meet, and continues as long as the case remains active.” The sequential treatment that
has been given to the stages in the problem solving process is only for better understanding.

Page 44
Case No: 02

Name: Roksana
Age: 34 years
Education: Primary Education
Father: Nasir Uddin
Mother: Samina Begum
Address: Nabiganj, Habiganj
Date of Coming: 30th August 2014

4.2.1. Background of the Case:

Roksana used to live with her parents in Habiganj. At a young age she ran away with a boy of
her age against her parent’s consent. The person took her to Jaflong and abandoned her there
after sexually abusing her. She was the victim of social degradation and did not know anyone at
Jaflong. She could not remember her address either. Then one woman saw her crying and took
her. She started addressing her as sister. Roksana started living in her sister’s house in Jaflong.
There with some 3/4 girls she worked in a shop. They sold clothes, jewelry etc. She gradually
became lazy, mentally unstable and incapable of working at the shop. On 30th August 2014 she
was admitted to this organization.

4.2.2. Rationality of taking the Case:

I observed that Roksana is always alone sitting in a corner of the room. She doesn't like to
interact with other girls and does not talk much. Even whenever I ask her any question she
replies using short sentences. She doesn't like to do anything and even does not like being called.
She might be recognized as clinically depressed. I thought she might need some serious help to
get along with the other girls and to share her problems. So, I chose her as my client.

Page 45
4.2.3. Rapport Establishment:

Rapport establishment with the client is a must in social case work to know about the client. A
favorable environment and non judgmental behavior towards the client makes them comfortable
and free to open up. So, I tried my best to make Roksana comfortable and free to say anything
about her life, feelings and emotions. There are some principles of establishing rapport with the
client which should be followed. The principles I have followed are:

● Principle of Acceptance: Acceptance in social casework is primarily a matter of attitude

of the case worker towards the client. The concept of attitude, generally, embraces both
positive and negative aspects. But it should be remembered that in case work practice
acceptance has always a positive connotation. That is, the caseworker must not condemn
or show hostile attitude towards a client - whether he/she approves or disapproves the
client and her behavior. This is because of the fact that nobody behaves exactly in the
way one wants. So, I followed the Principle of acceptance showing respect for my client,
attaching importance to her individual dignity, appreciating her problems and indicating
care and willingness to be of some help to the client.
● Principle of Communication: It is the exchange of views and ideas, feelings and
thoughts concerning the ‘problem’ between the client and the caseworker. This principle
emphasizes that the inner meanings of the terms, expressions and other symbols that the
caseworker and the client use should be understood by each other. “They may agree or
disagree about the issues they discuss.” But if they are truly communicating one must
understand what the other means, one must, in short, understand the role of the other. I
was very careful and tried my best to understand what she meant by something she said
and tried to understand her role as well.
● Principle of Participation: The core aim of social case work is to help the individual
client to help herself in solving her problem. This being so it implies that participation or
involvement of the client in the problem solving process is essential. The more the Client
actively participates, the more effective the solution becomes. Thus, I followed the
principle of participation and made Roksana involved in the problem solving process.

Page 46
 ● Principle of Confidentiality: This principle demands for the preservation of secret
information let out by the client concerning her problem to the case worker in a
professional relationship. Confidentiality is based upon a basic right of the client. So, the
confidentiality of the client and the case was maintained, during the process.

4.2.4. Different Phases of Social Work Practice:

In order to help solve the problem of my client I have passed through different stages. The
phases I have followed in dealing with this case are as follows:
● Study (psycho-social study)
● Diagnosis
● Treatment/Intervention
● Evaluation and
● Follow-up

Psychosocial Study of the Problem: Psychosocial study in social case work refers to gathering
of facts regarding the client's socio- economic and psychological conditions. For studying the
psychosocial condition of the client, authentic and reliable data is required. I have used the
Interview method of data collection for collecting the required information. During the interview
sessions I have used observation, questioning and listening techniques of Interview.

Name: Roksana
Age: 34 years
Education: Primary Education
Father’s Name: Nasir Uddin
Mother’s Name: Samina Begum
Family Pattern: Joint family
Socio-economic Condition: Semi-poor
Address: Nabiganj, Habiganj
Cause of becoming Socially Disadvantaged: Victim of Social Degradation

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Interview with the Client:

Roksana is a quiet woman. She doesn't talk much. So, I had to sit several times with her to know
her story and identify her problems. I found out that as she does not have anywhere to go she is
being kept here in the institution. But she doesn't like it here. She even feels sick. She wanted to
go outside. Roksana told me to take her outside in every interview session. She said, "I don't like
it here. But there is no one to take me out of here. It hurts. Even sometimes I get angry."

From the interview I came to know that her home district is in Habiganj but she came here from
Jaflong. So, I asked her how she got there and who took her? She said, At a young age she ran
away with a boy of her age against her parent’s consent. The person took her to Jaflong and
abandoned her there after sexually abusing her. She was the victim of social degradation and did
not know anyone at Jaflong. She could not remember her address either. Then one woman saw
her crying and took her. She started addressing her as sister. Roksana started living in her sister’s
house in Jaflong. There with some 3/4 girls she worked in a shop. They sold clothes, jewelry etc.
She gradually became lazy, mentally unstable and incapable of working at the shop.

Then I asked her how she came here and she replied that there was a person in Jaflong whom she
used to call her grandfather. One day he said that in Khadimnagar, Sylhet, there is an
organization where she could stay and asked her whether she wanted to go there. She didn't
know much about the organization but she said yes. On 30th August 2014 she was admitted to
this organization.

I observed that she always remains sad and lost in her own thoughts. I also observed that she is
unwilling to talk and give attention when someone is talking to her. She also lacks patience. She
might be diagnosed as clinically depressed.

Diagnosis/Problem Assessment:

Diagnosis is the process of identifying problems and seeking causes and formulating probable
solutions to the problem. Diagnosis in Social Case Work practice begins with the first interview
with the client and continues throughout the problem-solving process.

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Diagnosis in Social Work includes two aspects-the identification of the problem and the
personality of the client, and the formulation of treatment plan. (Hossain & Alauddin, 1970).
There are three types of diagnosis in social case work. Those are:
1. Dynamic diagnosis
2. Clinical diagnosis
3. Etiological /Genetic diagnosis.

I have used both the Dynamic diagnosis system and the Etiological diagnosis system to diagnose
her problems.

“The Dynamic Diagnosis” is a kind of cross sectional view of the forces interacting in the client's
problem situation. These forces are currently operating within the client herself, within her social
situation and between her and her Situation. The dynamic diagnosis tries to know what the
trouble is and what physical, psychological and Social factors have caused it. It also seeks to
establish what effect it has on the individual’s well being, what solution is sought, what means
exist within the client, and in the community, and what services are available for coping with the
problem.

“The Etiological Diagnosis” tries to delineate the causes and development of the presenting
difficulty which may lie in the life situation or/and in the client's personality. The present
problem is seen in terms of past events and experiences. This is important to understand because
it gives an idea of the duration, consistency and strength of the problem in the life history of the
client or patient. It also tells how far a particular disturbance has been affecting his social
functioning, why his particular inappropriate behavior has been persisting, how she has been
coping with the problems. What are her personal strengths and how far these causative factors
can be modified or altered. During my sixty working days, I have identified several problems
through dynamic and etiological diagnosis within her. Such as:
● Very much introvert in nature
● Pessimistic
● Imbalanced mental condition
● Always remains sad and isolated
● Might have clinical depression

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Treatment Plan:

After data collection and assessment, I have formulated an action for resolving the problem. I
identified the main goal is to bring about a positive change in the client’s behavior and connect
her with the existing services of the center. They are as follows:
1. To bring about positive change in her behavior as well as thought process through
counseling.
2. To make her involved in different types of activities like sewing, learning, playing indoor
games etc.
3. To help her make friends and be able to share her feelings with them.
4. To make her more optimistic in life to remain happy.
5. To follow the Supportive and Modifying Treatment Method.
6. To apply Interactional Model
7. Recommend her to a professional psychotherapist if needed

System Analysis:

System analysis is the term of modern social work practice. It tries to find out the factors related
to the case of emergence of a client's problem and the way of its solution. I tried to identify the
following systems with the help of system analysis.

● The Client System: As I considered Roksana my client and She wants help from me, so
she is the actual client.
● The Target System: For Roksana it is needed to change her behavior and thought
process. She needs to change with help from me and the girls in the dormitory of the
organization. So, here Roksana herself is the target system.
● The Change Agent System: The agency and a professional therapist can bring change in
client's situation, se, they are considered the primary change agent system. Here, I am an
intern social worker, so. I am playing the role of a secondary change agent system.
● The Action System: Here, the agency comes to the action. Moreover, she needs help
from a professional counselor who can treat her illness. So, they are the action system.

Page 50
 ● The Value System: Through the process of conducting this case I need to maintain my
professional values, personal values; consider and follow the agency values; client's
values and the other system's values. Professional values that I followed include Service,
Social Justice, Dignity and worth of the person, Importance of Human Relationships etc.
Also followed the client's value of confidentiality, participation, communication etc.

Treatment:

To solve the problems of the case I think that the best treatment method for the client would be
providing modifying and supportive treatment methods. But in my opinion, using the
Interactional Model would also help beside providing counseling.

Supportive Treatment Method:

This method requires the use of a number of techniques that help the client improve her
functioning within the framework of her ego mechanism of defense. The techniques used by me
are:
● Reassurance: It is found that the client may have the capacity to tackle her problems
through her own efforts. But due to the lack of confidence in herself she doubts her
capacities. In such cases the technique of reassurance is used to give expressed
recognition and approval to the client's capacities, achievements, needs and feelings. In
other words, through the application of this technique the client is assured of her
strengths and capacities in solving her problems. It serves to strengthen the client's
functioning. So, I followed this technique to bring back my client's confidence and also to
make her assured of her strengths and capacities to solve her problems.
● Giving Information: Most of the clients fail to make proper decisions about the solution
of their problems mainly because of the lack of information that is essentially needed in
doing so. This technique supplies a lack of information when the client's need for it is
apparent. It then helps the client to make constructive action towards the solution of her
problem. So, I provided her information like how she can get the help from the agency;
the agency can take her to a therapist or counselor who can Check her and give her
proper treatment and medication if needed.

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● Setting Realistic Limits: often it is found that the client's capacity to restrain and
prohibit behavior is seriously impaired. In such situations the case worker applies this
technique to get limits to the client's behavior. I also applied this technique on her.
● Logical Discussion: Logical discussion is another technique that helps the client to arrive
at the decisions and to determine her actions whenever her judgment is temporarily
impaired. This technique utilized the client's ability to perceive reality, to see alternatives,
and to visualize the consequences. This technique helped my client a lot to become
willing to change her situation.
● Advice and Guidance: This technique is appropriately used when the client is unable to
find his own solution and when her need and motivation help her to use direction or
guidance given by the caseworker. The client is sometimes restricted from taking
constructive action either because of ignorance or she is inhibited by fear, anxiety and
other emotions. In such cases this technique is used to give direction or guidance to the
client to act. This technique helped her to get rid of the ignorance she was showing.
● Ventilation: The technique of ventilation is used by the case worker when the client is in
need of - releasing energy bound by unexpressed emotion. The released energy is then
utilized in achieving more effective social functioning. The emotions she is helped to
express are conscious and preconscious. The client is encouraged to express at any time
the kind and amount of emotion which she can tolerate without excessive anxiety and
which she understands to be related to the problem she is trying to solve. This technique
was very much needed for her. Following this technique she was able to express her
emotions freely in front of me. She was becoming able to handle and tolerate her
emotions more effectively.
● Utilization of Habitual Patterns: This technique is used to assist the client to effect
improvement in social functioning through improved use of selected established patterns
of response. In this way the client is helped to direct her energy more constructively so
that the outward form of her behavior is modified.

And internal changes may occur as a contingent gain. My client became more positive
and optimistic. She was slowly getting better. Her behavior reflected internal positive
changes within her.

Page 52
 ● Self Awareness: This technique is employed with a view to strengthening the client's
perception of ‘herself’ and her relation to other persons and situations. This
self-awareness of the client helped my client to sense and understand herself more
accurately. It, in turn, facilitates the achievement of a client's goal. This technique indeed
helped a lot to achieve my client's goal.

These are all the techniques of Supportive Treatment Method of social casework that I have
used to solve the problems of my client and make her able to solve and understand her own
problems by herself. Positive change in her behavior was seen till the end of my field work days.
Hope she will continue to show a happy and optimistic behavior.

Modifying Treatment Method:

Like the supportive treatment method, modifying treatment method also uses a number of
techniques. Clarification is the predominant technique in this method of casework treatment.
This technique is always supplemented by appropriate supportive techniques that maintain and
strengthen the client’s capacities. The technique of clarification is employed to modify the
client’s behavior and attitudes. I have followed several steps that are involved in the use of this
technique.

The first step was the step of helping the client bring together incidents in the attitudinal
responses and episodes in her behavior. The purpose was to enable my client to see the
stereotyped themes or patterns she follows.

The second step was enabling the client to see and understand the conscious and preconscious
dissatisfactions and gratifications in her responses towards some selected aspects of her life’s
situation. This activity primarily aimed at helping the client to understand the meaning of her life
and her disabling patterns of responses.

This understanding mobilizes the client's capacity to separate subjective from objective
experience, further increases her sense of reality, initiates a connection between her intellectual
awareness and emotional experience and increases her motivation for change.

Page 53
My client started to understand the meaning of her life and her disabling patterns of responses.
She also became capable of increasing her sense of reality.

In the third step I dealt with the task of giving encouragement to the client to recognize the
connection between incidents that happened in her “remembered past” and her current attitudes
and behaviors and the inappropriate influence of the past on the present. This activity was
consistently repeated with a view to enabling the client to bring the influence of those subjective
experiences that are causal to her disabling patterns of response under realistic conscious control.

The final step was concerned with helping the client to utilize her understanding to visualize and
control disabling responses to her current and predictable future life situation.

Interactional Model:

The purpose of this model is to improve social functioning of a person by mediating the
interactions between people. This model consists of four major elements:

I. People (i.e. clients)

II. The interactions among and between people
III. The social system and people with whom the client interacts
IV. The element of time or the phases in the helping process

It also includes four phases. The phases are:

I. The Preliminary or Preparatory Phase

II. The Beginning Contracting Phase
III. The Middle Work Phase
IV. The Ending or Transitional Phase

Page 54
At first, I made my client Roksana prepared for interacting with the inmates. I advised her to
come out and challenge her. Also assured her that she is capable of change. Then I tried to
motivate her to set up her mind and give it a chance. At this point she agreed to take the
challenge. So, I arranged a little gathering with some of the inmates who were willing to help
her. They shared different stories with each other. Though at first Roksana did not mix really
well. She was quiet all the time.

The next day she seemed a little interested to interact with the inmates. The other inmates were
cooperative too. When I arranged for little games they enjoyed it very much. My client Roksana
seemed much happier. She didn’t look that sad and depressed. When I talked with her she did not
say any negative words. Her words showed optimism and hope. She started to accept her life in
the organization and find the purpose of her life.

As she is quiet in nature later on when the activities got reduced she started to interact less again.
But the positive thing is that she did not become sad, depressed and pessimistic once again. The
use of the Interaction Model with my client Roksana was very effective for solving her problem.

Evaluation:

Evaluation in social work is an attempt to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
problem-solving process. In other words, it is an assessment of courses of action taken to help
solve the problem. Evaluation begins at the very in-take and continues throughout the problem
solving process. “It begins in the first interview when we try to decide whether the case is
suitable for our agency; whether we are the best resource for the help needed. It appears again
when we appraise the client's strengths to work on her problems, her reliability, her practical
assets, and her character.” Thus, I applied different perspectives and models of Social work
during the evaluation process of this case and worked on the client's problem solving process.

Page 55
Follow-up:

Since treatment does not mean total cure and susceptibility of the problem remains, the case
needs to be followed up with a view to giving supplementary support to have improved
treatment. Follow-up is important in case work because of the complex nature of the individual
and dynamic environment in which she lives. So, while working with other clients I followed up
this case also.

It should be noted that the sequence of these stages are not always rigidly maintained; rather they
overlap each other. For example, “treatment begins at the moment when the case worker and the
client first meet, and continues as long as the case remains active.” The sequential treatment that
has been given to the stages in the problem solving process is only for better understanding.

Page 56
Case No: 03

Name: Sathi Akter

Age: 17 years
Education: Secondary Education (class viii)
Father: Md. Abdul Sattar
Mother: Maya Begum
Address: Jalam, Barora, Kumilla
Date of Coming: 23rd August 2022

4.3.1. Background of the Case:

Sathi Akter is the daughter of Md. Abdul Sattar and Maya Begum. Her father is a day laborer
and her mother is a worker in a country in the Middle East. Her home district is in Kumilla. One
day she was found crying in front of Ambarkhana Masjid by Sohel Ahmed. He took her to
Ambarkhana police outpost under Airport police station. A GD (General Diary) was formed
under her name as she was lost. The court ordered to send her to the Training and Rehabilitation
Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls until the next judgment. So, the police contacted the
organization and took her there. On 23rd August 2022 she was admitted to the organization.

4.3.2. Rationality of Taking the Case:

During the time of rapport building with the inmates I observed that she was very hot-tempered.
Always quarreled with other inmates. She even beat up other girls whenever she got involved in
a quarrel. She sometimes even threatened the inmates by telling them “I don't care about
anyone. If anybody comes to argue with me my body burns due to anger. It makes me furious and
I want to beat them up!" Even I noticed that she wanted to be the leader in the dormitory and did
not care about anyone. One day, in front of us, Sathi got into a fight with another inmate named
Mukta (inmate) due to a silly matter. She literally ripped Mukta's dress out of anger. So, I
thought her anger issues should be solved and she needs serious help. I was also curious about
the reason behind her anger issues. Different types of questions like why was she always angry?
What made her like this? What were the reasons behind her anger issues? So, to find out the
reasons and the answers of my questions I took her as my client.

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4.3.3. Rapport Establishment:

Rapport establishment with the client is a must in social case work to know about the client. A
favorable environment and non-judgmental behavior towards the client makes them comfortable
and free to open up. So, I tried my best to make Sathi comfortable and free to say anything about
her life, feelings and emotions. There are some principles of establishing rapport with the client
which should be followed. The principles I have followed are:

● Principle of Acceptance: Acceptance in social casework is primarily a matter of attitude

of the case worker towards the client. The concept of attitude, generally, embraces both
positive and negative aspects. But it should be remembered that in case work practice
acceptance has always a positive connotation. That is, the caseworker must not condemn
or show hostile attitude towards a client - whether he/she approves or disapproves the
client and her behavior. This is because of the fact that nobody behaves exactly in the
way one wants. So, I followed the Principle of acceptance showing respect for my client,
attaching importance to her individual dignity, appreciating her problems and indicating
care and willingness to be of some help to the client.
● Principle of Communication: It is the exchange of views and ideas, feelings and
thoughts concerning the ‘problem’ between the client and the caseworker. This principle
emphasizes that the inner meanings of the terms, expressions and other symbols that the
caseworker and the client use should be understood by each other. “They may agree or
disagree about the issues they discuss.” But if they are truly communicating one must
understand what the other means, one must, in short, understand the role of the other. I
was very careful and tried my best to understand what she meant by something she said
and tried to understand her role as well.
● Principle of Participation: The core aim of social case work is to help the individual
client to help herself in solving her problem. This being so it implies that participation or
involvement of the client in the problem solving process is essential. The more the Client
actively participates, the more effective the solution becomes. Thus, I followed the
principle of participation and made Sathi involved in the problem solving process.

Page 58
 ● Principle of Confidentiality: This principle demands for the preservation of secret
information let out by the client concerning her problem to the case worker in a
professional relationship. Confidentiality is based upon a basic right of the client. So, the
confidentiality of the client and the case was maintained, during the process.

4.2.4. Different Phases of Social Work Practice:

In order to help solve the problem of my client I have passed through different stages. The
phases I have followed in dealing with this case are as follows:
● Study (psycho-social study)
● Diagnosis
● Treatment/Intervention
● Evaluation and
● Follow-up

Psychosocial Study of the Problem:

Psychosocial study in social case work refers to gathering of facts regarding the client's socio-
economic and psychological conditions. For studying the psychosocial condition of the client,
authentic and reliable data is required. I have used the Interview method of data collection for
collecting the required information. During the interview sessions I have used observation,
questioning and listening techniques of Interview.

Page 59
Name: Sathi Akter
Age: 17 years
Education: Secondary Education
Father’s Name: Md. Abdul Sattar (day laborer)
Mother’s Name: Maya Begum (Worker in a foreign country)
Family Pattern: Nuclear family
Socio-economic Condition: Semi-poor
Address: Jalom, Barora, Kumilla
Cause of becoming Socially Disadvantaged: Was lost due to family dispute

Interview with the Client:

In the first interview sessions with my client Sathi I tried to find out about her family and the
reasons behind her coming here in this institution. But she didn't share anything. She said, “I
won't give you any information. Why do you need it.” It shows that she actually did not feel
comfortable in front of me yet. She was confused if she should trust me or not. So, I focused
more on showing genuineness to her. I tried more on showing myself as a trustworthy person and
ensured her about the confidentiality of her story. As a result she seemed to trust me and said that
she needed a little bit more time to open up.

In the next session of interview with Sathi she truly started telling her story. She told me that her
father is a day laborer and her mother works in a foreign country. She also has a brother. They
are a poor and nuclear family. But her father got married again when her mother left.

When I asked her why aren't her parents taking her home, she replied, “My father got married
again. So, they don't want me anymore. When my mother comes back she will take me from
here.” Then I asked her why she was admitted into this institution. She said, “I was lost. My
brother told me that he would take me to visit Sylhet with him. I was so excited to visit. So, he
brought me here and abandoned me at the Sylhet rail station! Then one person took me to the
police station and they got me admitted to this institution.”

At this point, I wanted to know why her brother did this to her? She replied that one day she got
into a fight with her brother. Then she broke all the furniture out of anger! She also added, once
she kicked at the belly of her pregnant sister in law and the child died, though it was not
intentional. For these several reasons her own brother abandoned her.

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All these incidents showed that she had severe anger issues and she was very much stressed. She
was mentally disturbed and bothered about something. She didn't even show any sense of guilt in
her behavior. Even during the interview sessions she did not show any type of emotion. She only
hoped for her mother to come back and take her out of this institution.

Next, I wanted to focus more on the reason behind her aggressiveness and anger issues. During
the interviews I observed that she was very attached to her mother. So, I asked her what made her
angry the most. She replied, “When I was little I saw my father beating up my mother. While
growing up he still used to beat up my mother. It made me very angry. From then I started getting
angry very easily. Every little thing made me angry.” So, it showed that she had a childhood
trauma which contributed to her aggressive character and anger issues.

Later on, I focused more on what made her sad or happy rather than angry. So, I asked her if she
cries for her family. She said, “Not much. Maybe I would for 20 days. Or for 40 days. Then I
would not cry anymore.” She also said that nothing makes her that happy or sad here. She only
sometimes feels for her mother and wants to get out of here. She also showed a judgmental
attitude towards other inmates by telling them, “Here I am stuck with all the disabled and spoiled
girls. I don't like it here.”

So, she needed serious help through different types of intervention techniques, theories, models,
and treatment methods.

Diagnosis/Problem Assessment:

Diagnosis is the process of identifying problems and seeking causes and formulating probable
solutions to the problem. Diagnosis in Social Case Work practice begins with the first interview
with the client and continues throughout the problem-solving process. Diagnosis in Social Work
includes two aspects-the identification of the problem and the personality of the client, and the
formulation of treatment plan. (Hossain & Alauddin, 1970). There are three types of diagnosis in
social case work. Those are:
1. Dynamic diagnosis
2. Clinical diagnosis
3. Etiological /Genetic diagnosis.

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I have used both the Dynamic diagnosis system and the Etiological diagnosis system to diagnose
her problems. During my sixty working days, I have identified several problems through
dynamic and etiological diagnosis within her. Such as:
● Very aggressive in nature
● Has childhood trauma
● Has anger issues
● Low self control
● Might have clinical depression

Treatment Plan:

After data collection and assessment, I have formulated an action for resolving the problem. I
identified the main goal is to bring about a positive change in the client’s behavior and connect
her with the existing services of the center. They are as follows:
1. To bring positive changes in her behavior and in her thought process as well
2. To counsel her for making a fully functioning person
3. To apply Systems Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Theory
4. To utilize her own resources to solve her anger issues
5. Make her involved with more creative works like sewing, drawing, singing, dancing etc.
6. Help her forget about the childhood trauma
7. Recommend her to a professional psychotherapist if needed

System Analysis:

System analysis is the term of modern social work practice. It tries to find out the factors related
to the case of emergence of a client's problem and the way of its solution. I tried to identify the
following systems with the help of system analysis.
● The Client System: As I considered Sathi my client and She wants help from me, so she
is the actual client.
● The Target System: For Sathi it is needed to change her behavior and thought process.
She needs to change with help from me and the girls in the dormitory of the organization.
So, here Sathi herself is the target system.

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 ● The Change Agent System: The agency and a professional therapist can bring change in
client's situation, se, they are considered the primary change agent system. Here, I am an
intern social worker, so. I am playing the role of a secondary change agent system.
● The Action System: Here, the agency comes to the action. Moreover, she needs help
from a professional counselor who can treat her illness. So, they are the action system.
● The Value System: Through the process of conducting this case I need to maintain my
professional values, personal values; consider and follow the agency values; client's
values and the other system's values. Professional values that I followed include Service,
Social Justice, Dignity and worth of the person, Importance of Human Relationships etc.
Also followed the client's value of confidentiality, participation, communication etc.

Treatment:

To solve the problems of the case I think that the best treatment method for the client would be
providing modifying and supportive treatment methods. But in my opinion, using the Cognitive
Behavioral Theory would also help besides providing counseling.

Supportive Treatment Method:

This method requires the use of a number of techniques that help the client improve her
functioning within the framework of her ego mechanism of defense. The techniques used by me
are:
● Reassurance: It is found that the client may have the capacity to tackle her problems
through her own efforts. But due to the lack of confidence in herself she doubts her
capacities. In such cases the technique of reassurance is used to give expressed
recognition and approval to the client's capacities, achievements, needs and feelings. In
other words, through the application of this technique the client is assured of her
strengths and capacities in solving her problems. It serves to strengthen the client's
functioning. So, I followed this technique to bring back my client's confidence and also to
make her assured of her strengths and capacities to solve her problems.
● Setting Realistic Limits: often it is found that the client's capacity to restrain and
prohibit behavior is seriously impaired. In such situations the case worker applies this
technique to get limits. to the client's behavior. I also applied this technique on her.

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 ● Logical Discussion: Logical discussion is another technique that helps the client to arrive
at the decisions and to determine her actions whenever her judgment is temporarily
impaired. This technique utilized the client's ability to perceive reality, to see alternatives,
and to visualize the consequences. This technique helped my client a lot to become
willing to change her situation.
● Advice and Guidance: This technique is appropriately used when the client is unable to
find his own solution and when her need and motivation help her to use direction or
guidance given by the caseworker. The client is sometimes restricted from taking
constructive action either because of ignorance or she is inhibited by fear, anxiety and
other emotions. In such cases this technique is used to give direction or guidance to the
client to act. This technique helped her to get rid of the ignorance she was showing.
● Ventilation: The technique of ventilation is used by the case worker when the client is in
need of - releasing energy bound by unexpressed emotion. The released energy is then
utilized in achieving more effective social functioning. The emotions she is helped to
express are conscious and preconscious. The client is encouraged to express at any time
the kind and amount of emotion which she can tolerate without excessive anxiety and
which she understands to be related to the problem she is trying to solve.

This technique was very much needed for her. Following this technique she was able to
express her emotions freely in front of me. She was becoming able to handle and tolerate
her emotions more effectively.
● Self Awareness: This technique is employed with a view to strengthening the client's
perception of ‘herself’ and her relation to other persons and situations. This
self-awareness of the client helped my client to sense and understand herself more
accurately. It, in turn, facilitates the achievement of a client's goal. This technique indeed
helped a lot to achieve my client's goal.

These are all the techniques of Supportive Treatment Method of social casework that I have used
to solve the problems of my client and make her able to solve and understand her own problems
by herself. Positive change in her behavior was seen till the end of my field work days. Hope she
will continue to show a happy and optimistic behavior.

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Modifying Treatment Method:

Like the supportive treatment method, the modifying treatment method also uses a number of
techniques. Clarification is the predominant technique in this method of casework treatment.
This technique is always supplemented by appropriate supportive techniques that maintain and
strengthen the client’s capacities. The technique of clarification is employed to modify the
client’s behavior and attitudes. I have followed several steps that are involved in the use of this
technique.

The first step was the step of helping the client bring together incidents in the attitudinal
responses and episodes in her behavior. The purpose was to enable my client to see the
stereotyped themes or patterns she follows.

The second step was enabling the client to see and understand the conscious and preconscious
dissatisfactions and gratifications in her responses towards some selected aspects of her life’s
situation. This activity primarily aimed at helping the client to understand the meaning of her life
and her disabling patterns of responses. This understanding mobilizes the client's capacity to
separate subjective from objective experience, further increases her sense of reality, initiates a
connection between her intellectual awareness and emotional experience and increases her
motivation for change. My client started to understand the meaning of her life and her disabling
patterns of responses. She also became capable of increasing her sense of reality.

In the third step I dealt with the task of giving encouragement to the client to recognize the
connection between incidents that happened in her “remembered past” and her current attitudes
and behaviors and the inappropriate influence of the past on the present. This activity was
consistently repeated with a view to enabling the client to bring the influence of those subjective
experiences that are causal to her disabling patterns of response under realistic conscious control.

The final step was concerned with helping the client to utilize her understanding to visualize and
control disabling responses to her current and predictable future life situation.

Page 65
Cognitive Behavioral Theory:

CBT helps to change how any person thinks ('Cognitive') and what they do ('Behavior'). These
changes help the person feel better. Unlike some of the other talking treatments, it focuses on
‘here and now’ problems and difficulties. Instead of focusing on the causes of distress or
symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve the present state of mind.

It is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist and the client work together as a team to
identify and solve the problem. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that our
thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, situations, and events.
The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we think to feel/act better even if the
situation does not change.

Firstly I worked on building rapport with my client. I took the first half of the first session to talk
about her history, discuss her background, address any concerns, etc. Additionally, furthering the
therapeutic relationship should not be forgotten after the first session. Establishing rapport is a
continuous process and parts of each session should be spent building a collaborative
relationship as we won’t get much anywhere without a strong relationship. Homework is a
central feature of CBT. So, I focused more on giving her homework from the first sessions. I also
made sure that she got involved in the process and let me know about her concerns. To find out
the client’s actual problem staying on the track is very important. But rigidity makes it even
worse. So, I remained flexible while staying on the track. As a result my client was able to
express her feelings and thoughts which made me able to help her solve the issues and problems
by amending her thought process. Asking for feedback and also providing feedback while
conducting the sessions makes the therapy very effective and fruitful. So, during the therapy
sessions we asked for feedback from each other and reflected on the shortcomings and
limitations. The use of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With my client Sathi was very effective
for improving her anger issues and low self control.

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Counseling:

Counseling is a dynamic process during which a trained individual assists another person who is
functioning at a low or ineffective level to become a more effectively functioning person. There
are different models of counseling practice. Such as-

1. DASIE Model
2. 3 Stage Model
3. 5 Stage Model of Robert Doyle

I have used the DASIE model of counseling to minimize the problems of my client Sathi. DASIE
is a systematic five stage model for helping clients both to manage problems and problematic life
skills. The model provides a Framework or set of guidelines for helper choices. DASIE's five
stages are:
1. D - Develop the relationship, identity and clarify problems.
2. A -Assess Problem (s) and redefine in skill terms.
3. S - State working goals and plan interview.
4. I - Intervene to develop self-helping skills.
5. E - End and consolidate self-helping skills.

During the first stage I used basic counseling skills such as reflective responding, summarizing
and understanding the cultural and other contexts of my client’s problems. However, I did not
always stay within the client’s frames of reference. Rather used questions and probes,
interspersed with reflective responses, to help my client identify her real agendas and break them
down into their component parts. Skills language was introduced during initial session
structuring. I started the session with an open-ended question encouraging my client to tell her
story. In the second stage I used focused questioning to assess her problems and how to work for
change. While the major focus was on pin-pointing skills deficits, attention was also paid to
redefine one or more problems in skills terms. Redefinitions of problems in skills terms are
essentially hypotheses, based on careful assessment of available information, about clients’
thinking and action skills deficits. Redefining problems in skills terms can be difficult. Mistakes
in redefinition not only lead to wasted time and effort, but may contribute to clients being even
less able to manage problems. Clear and simple skills redefinitions are essential. So, I was very
careful in this regard.

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The third stage consists of two phases: Stating Goals and Planning Interventions. Goals can be
stated at different levels of specificity. Statements of working goals provide bridges to choosing
interventions. Interventions are intentional behaviors, either on the part of helpers or clients,
designed to attain working goals. Plans are statements of how to combine and sequence
interventions. Here we had a choice between: structured plans (predetermined step-by-step
packages of interventions), open plans (using material clients bring to helping sessions as the
basis for training interventions), or partially structured plans (setting aside some sessions for
predetermined structured work and leaving others open).

The fourth stage focuses on delivering specific thinking and action skills interventions. Within
the context of supportive relationships, I aimed for educational efficiency. Thinking skills
interventions tend to entail three steps: increasing awareness of targeted thinking skills deficits;
challenging faulty thinking; and training in effective thinking. Action skills interventions include
assisting clients to develop: self-monitoring skills, time-tabling skills, generating and evaluating
alternative actions and action skills, and using self-reward skills. Role-play rehearsals inside
helping, and conducting experiments in which clients try out behavior changes outside helping,
are additional action skills interventions (Nelson-Jones, 1993a, 1993b). Frequently work done in
one problem area has great relevance for other problem areas, especially when focusing on
thinking skills. So, I followed all the interventions very carefully.

The fifth or final stage is about ending the case and consolidating self-helping skills. I stressed
the finite nature of helping and consequently the need for clients to develop self-helping skills.
Consolidating learned skills as self-helping skills took place at the end of and between each
session. Homework assignments were negotiated so that between-sessions time was used
productively. I encouraged the transfer and maintenance of skills throughout the helping model
by developing client’s self-assessment and self-instructional skills.

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Evaluation:

Evaluation in social work is an attempt to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
problem-solving process. In other words, it is an assessment of courses of action taken to help
solve the problem. Evaluation begins at the very in-take and continues throughout the problem
solving process.

“It begins in the first interview when we try to decide whether the case is suitable for our agency;
whether we are the best resource for the help needed. It appears again when we appraise the
client's strengths to work on her problems, her reliability, her practical assets, and her character.”
Thus, I applied different perspectives and models of Social work during the evaluation process of
this case and worked on the client's problem solving process.

Follow-up:

Since treatment does not mean total cure and susceptibility of the problem remains, the case
needs to be followed up with a view to giving supplementary support to have improved
treatment. Follow-up is important in case work because of the complex nature of the individual
and dynamic environment in which she lives. So, while working with other clients I followed up
this case also.

It should be noted that the sequence of these stages are not always rigidly maintained; rather they
overlap each other. For example, “treatment begins at the moment when the case worker and the
client first meet, and continues as long as the case remains active.” The sequential treatment that
has been given to the stages in the problem solving process is only for better understanding.

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Case No: 04

Name: Rabeya
Age: 20 years
Education: Knowledge of signature only
Father: Md. Ismail
Mother: Mariam (dead)
Address: Collegepara, Akhaura, Brahmanbaria
Date of Coming: 8th October 2022

4.4.1. Background of the Case:

Rabeya lost her mother at a young age. After the death of her mother her father got married
again. But the step mother used to beat her a lot. She had even thrown hot water on her body. So,
at a young age she was deprived of parental care, especially the motherly care. As a consequence
she flew away from home and married a boy named Shobuj at the age of 12. She also got
involved in various types of unethical works. Such as, floating prostitution, child and drug
trafficking etc. She has a 3 year old daughter named Maria who is living with her father. One day
police doubted her activities and arrested her from Dorga Gate, Sylhet. Then the court sent her to
the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet
on 8th October 2022.

4.4.2. Rationality of Taking the Case:

During the time of rapport building with the inmates I observed that she was very sensitive in
nature. Always remains in anxiety that someone was saying something bad about her. Even when
I conducted my other caseworks separately she thought that the client was saying something
about her. I also observed that she always talked about her daughter and remained in anxiety by
thinking about her daughter. So, to identify and solve her problems I took her as my client.

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4.3.3. Rapport Establishment:

Rapport establishment with the client is a must in social case work to know about the client. So, I
tried my best to make Rabeya comfortable and free to say anything about her life, feelings and
emotions. There are some principles of establishing rapport with the client which should be
followed. The principles I have followed are:
● Principle of Acceptance: Acceptance in social casework is primarily a matter of attitude
of the case worker towards the client. The concept of attitude, generally, embraces both
positive and negative aspects. But it should be remembered that in case work practice
acceptance has always a positive connotation. That is, the caseworker must not condemn
or show hostile attitude towards a client - whether he/she approves or disapproves the
client and her behavior. This is because of the fact that nobody behaves exactly in the
way one wants. So, I followed the Principle of acceptance showing respect for my client,
attaching importance to her individual dignity, appreciating her problems and indicating
care and willingness to be of some help to the client.
● Principle of Communication: It is the exchange of views and ideas, feelings and
thoughts concerning the ‘problem’ between the client and the caseworker. This principle
emphasizes that the inner meanings of the terms, expressions and other symbols that the
caseworker and the client use should be understood by each other. “They may agree or
disagree about the issues they discuss.” But if they are truly communicating one must
understand what the other means, one must, in short, understand the role of the other. I
was very careful and tried my best to understand what she meant by something she said
and tried to understand her role as well.
● Principle of Participation: The core aim of social case work is to help the individual
client to help herself in solving her problem. This being so it implies that participation or
involvement of the client in the problem solving process is essential. The more the Client
actively participates, the more effective the solution becomes. Thus, I followed the
principle of participation and made Rabeya involved in the problem solving process.
● Principle of Confidentiality: This principle demands for the preservation of secret
information let out by the client concerning her problem to the case worker in a
professional relationship. Confidentiality is based upon a basic right of the client. So, the
confidentiality of the client and the case was maintained, during the process.

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4.4.4. Different Phases of Social Work Practice:

In order to help solve the problem of my client I have passed through different stages. The
phases I have followed in dealing with this case are as follows:
● Study (psycho-social study)
● Diagnosis
● Treatment/Intervention
● Evaluation and
● Follow-up

Psychosocial Study of the Problem:

Psychosocial study in social case work refers to gathering of facts regarding the client's socio-
economic and psychological conditions. For studying the psychosocial condition of the client,
authentic and reliable data is required. I have used the Interview method of data collection for
collecting the required information. During the interview sessions I have used observation,
questioning and listening techniques of Interview.

Name: Rabeya
Age: 20 years
Education: Knowledge of signature only
Father’s Name: Md. Ismail
Mother’s Name: Mariam (dead)
Family Pattern: Nuclear family
Socio-economic Condition: Poor
Address: Collegepara, Akhaura, Brahmanbaria
Cause of becoming Socially Disadvantaged: Was involved in various unethical works

Interview with the Client:

In the first interview sessions with my client Rabeya I tried to find out about her family and the
reasons behind her coming here in this institution. She told me that she lost her mother at a
young age. After the death of her mother her father got married again. But the step mother used
to beat her a lot. She had even thrown hot water on her body.

Page 72
So, at a young age she was deprived of parental care, especially the motherly care. When I asked
her why aren't her parents taking her home, she replied, “My father got married again. My step
mother doesn’t want me in her family.”

Then I asked her why she was admitted into this institution. She said, she could not tolerate her
stem mother’s torture anymore. As a consequence, she flew away from home and married a boy
named Shobuj at the age of 12. She said that she got involved in various types of unethical
works. Such as, floating prostitution, child and drug trafficking etc. She has a 3 year old daughter
named Maria who is named after her dead mother. Her daughter is now living with her father.
One day police doubted her activities and arrested her from Dorga Gate, Sylhet. Then the court
sent her to the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls,
Khadimnagar, Sylhet on 8th October 2022.

Next, I wanted to focus more on the reason behind her anxiety and trust issues. During the
interviews I observed that she missed her daughter very much. So, I asked her what made her
anxious the most. She replied that here in the organization the girls easily stigmatize one another
and teases the girls who were involved in unethical works. That's why she always remained on
her twos and anxious. Moreover, she got tensed by thinking about her daughter as she didn’t
know where her daughter lives and from which situation she is going through. So, she needed
serious help through different types of intervention techniques, theories, models, and treatment
methods.

Diagnosis/Problem Assessment:

Diagnosis in Social Work includes two aspects-the identification of the problem and the
personality of the client, and the formulation of treatment plan (Hossain & Alauddin, 1970).
There are three types of diagnosis in social case work. Those are:
1. Dynamic diagnosis
2. Clinical diagnosis
3. Etiological /Genetic diagnosis.

Page 73
I have used both the Dynamic diagnosis system and the Etiological diagnosis system to diagnose
her problems. During my sixty working days, I have identified several problems through
dynamic and etiological diagnosis within her. Such as:
● Very sensitive in nature
● Has trust issues
● Anxiety Disorder

Treatment Plan:

After data collection and assessment, I have formulated an action for resolving the problem. I
identified the main goal is to bring about a positive change in the client’s behavior and connect
her with the existing services of the center. They are as follows:
1. To bring positive changes in her behavior and in her thought process as well
2. To counsel her for making a fully functioning person
3. To apply Systems Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Theory
4. To utilize her own resources to solve her anger issues
5. Recommend her to a professional psychotherapist if needed

System Analysis:

System analysis is the term of modern social work practice. It tries to find out the factors related
to the case of emergence of a client's problem and the way of its solution. I tried to identify the
following systems with the help of system analysis.
● The Client System: As I considered Rabeya my client and She wants help from me, so
she is the actual client.
● The Target System: For Rabeya it is needed to change her behavior and thought process.
She needs to change with help from me and the girls in the dormitory of the organization.
So, here Rabeya herself is the target system.
● The Change Agent System: The agency and a professional therapist can bring change in
client's situation, se, they are considered the primary change agent system. Here, I am an
intern social worker, so. I am playing the role of a secondary change agent system.

Page 74
 ● The Action System: Here, the agency comes to the action. Moreover, she needs help
from a professional counselor who can treat her illness. So, they are the action system.
● The Value System: Through the process of conducting this case I need to maintain my
professional values, personal values; consider and follow the agency values; client's
values and the other system's values. Professional values that I followed include Service,
Social Justice, Dignity and worth of the person, Importance of Human Relationships etc.
Also followed the client's value of confidentiality, participation, communication etc.

Treatment:

To solve the problems of the case I think that the best treatment method for the client would be
providing modifying and supportive treatment methods. But in my opinion, using the Cognitive
Behavioral Theory would also help besides providing counseling.

Supportive Treatment Method:

This method requires the use of a number of techniques that help the client improve her
functioning within the framework of her ego mechanism of defense. The techniques used by me
are:
● Reassurance: It is found that the client may have the capacity to tackle her problems
through her own efforts. But due to the lack of confidence in herself she doubts her
capacities. In such cases the technique of reassurance is used to give expressed
recognition and approval to the client's capacities, achievements, needs and feelings. In
other words, through the application of this technique the client is assured of her
strengths and capacities in solving her problems. It serves to strengthen the client's
functioning. So, I followed this technique to bring back my client's confidence and also to
make her assured of her strengths and capacities to solve her problems.
● Logical Discussion: Logical discussion is another technique that helps the client to arrive
at the decisions and to determine her actions whenever her judgment is temporarily
impaired. This technique utilized the client's ability to perceive reality, to see alternatives,
and to visualize the consequences. This technique helped my client a lot to become
willing to change her situation.

Page 75
 ● Advice and Guidance: This technique is appropriately used when the client is unable to
find his own solution and when her need and motivation help her to use direction or
guidance given by the caseworker. The client is sometimes restricted from taking
constructive action either because of ignorance or she is inhibited by fear, anxiety and
other emotions. In such cases this technique is used to give direction or guidance to the
client to act. This technique helped her to get rid of the ignorance she was showing.

Modifying Treatment Method:

Like the supportive treatment method, the modifying treatment method also uses a number of
techniques. Clarification is the predominant technique in this method of casework treatment.
This technique is always supplemented by appropriate supportive techniques that maintain and
strengthen the client’s capacities. The technique of clarification is employed to modify the
client’s behavior and attitudes. I have followed several steps that are involved in the use of this
technique.

The first step was the step of helping the client bring together incidents in the attitudinal
responses and episodes in her behavior. The purpose was to enable my client to see the
stereotyped themes or patterns she follows. The second step was enabling the client to see and
understand the conscious and preconscious dissatisfactions and gratifications in her responses
towards some selected aspects of her life’s situation. This activity primarily aimed at helping the
client to understand the meaning of her life and her disabling patterns of responses. This
understanding mobilizes the client's capacity to separate subjective from objective experience,
further increases her sense of reality, initiates a connection between her intellectual awareness
and emotional experience and increases her motivation for change. My client started to
understand the meaning of her life and her disabling patterns of responses. She also became
capable of increasing her sense of reality.

In the third step I dealt with the task of giving encouragement to the client to recognize the
connection between incidents that happened in her “remembered past” and her current attitudes
and behaviors and the inappropriate influence of the past on the present. This activity was
consistently repeated with a view to enabling the client to bring the influence of those subjective
experiences that are causal to her disabling patterns of response under realistic conscious control.

Page 76
The final step was concerned with helping the client to utilize her understanding to visualize and
control disabling responses to her current and predictable future life situation.

Cognitive Behavioral Theory:

CBT helps to change how any person thinks ('Cognitive') and what they do ('Behavior'). These
changes help the person feel better. Unlike some of the other talking treatments, it focuses on
‘here and now’ problems and difficulties. Instead of focusing on the causes of distress or
symptoms in the past, it looks for ways to improve the present state of mind.

It is a form of psychotherapy in which the therapist and the client work together as a team to
identify and solve the problem. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is based on the idea that our
thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, situations, and events.
The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we think to feel/act better even if the
situation does not change.

Firstly I worked on building rapport with my client. I took the first half of the first session to talk
about her history, discuss her background, address any concerns, etc. Additionally, furthering the
therapeutic relationship should not be forgotten after the first session. Establishing rapport is a
continuous process and parts of each session should be spent building a collaborative
relationship as we won’t get much anywhere without a strong relationship. Homework is a
central feature of CBT. So, I focused more on giving her homework from the first sessions. I also
made sure that she got involved in the process and let me know about her concerns. To find out
the client’s actual problem staying on the track is very important. But rigidity makes it even
worse. So, I remained flexible while staying on the track. As a result my client was able to
express her feelings and thoughts which made me able to help her solve the issues and problems
by amending her thought process. Asking for feedback and also providing feedback while
conducting the sessions make the therapy very effective and fruitful. So, during the therapy
sessions we asked for feedback from each other and reflected on the shortcomings and
limitations. The use of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With my client Rabeya was very
effective for improving her anger issues and low self control.

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Evaluation:

Evaluation in social work is an attempt to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
problem-solving process. In other words, it is an assessment of courses of action taken to help
solve the problem. Evaluation begins at the very in-take and continues throughout the problem
solving process.

“It begins in the first interview when we try to decide whether the case is suitable for our agency;
whether we are the best resource for the help needed. It appears again when we appraise the
client's strengths to work on her problems, her reliability, her practical assets, and her character.”
Thus, I applied different perspectives and models of Social work during the evaluation process of
this case and worked on the client's problem solving process.

Follow-up:

Since treatment does not mean total cure and susceptibility of the problem remains, the case
needs to be followed up with a view to giving supplementary support to have improved
treatment. Follow-up is important in case work because of the complex nature of the individual
and dynamic environment in which she lives. So, while working with other clients I followed up
this case also.

It should be noted that the sequence of these stages are not always rigidly maintained; rather they
overlap each other. For example, “treatment begins at the moment when the case worker and the
client first meet, and continues as long as the case remains active.” The sequential treatment that
has been given to the stages in the problem solving process is only for better understanding.

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Case No: 05

Name: Moushumi
Age: 30 years
Education: Primary Education
Father: Md. Riaz Ussin
Mother: Julekha Begum
Address: Raigarh, Shibganj, Bogra
Date of Coming: 25th January 2015

4.5.1. Background of the Case:

Moushumi used to work in households in Dhaka. There she got introduced to a driver named
Hridoy Alam and got intimate. After a while they got married. Then, through her husband
Moushumy got involved in unethical works. One day police doubted her activities and arrested
her. Then the court sent her to the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially
Disadvantaged Girls, Brahmanbaria on 30th June 2006. She was transferred to the Training and
Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet on 25th January
2015.

4.5.2. Rationality of Taking the Case:

During the time of rapport building with the inmates I observed that she remained depressed.
One day she said that they don’t have any life. She is staying in the organization for a long time
now. So, she has lost her purpose in life. She said that it makes her sad and cries alone at night.
So, to identify and solve her problems I took her as my client.

4.5.3. Rapport Establishment:

Rapport establishment with the client is a must in social case work to know about the client. A
favorable environment and non judgmental behavior towards the client makes them comfortable
and free to open up. So, I tried my best to make Moushumi comfortable and free to say anything
about her life, feelings and emotions. There are some principles of establishing rapport with the
client which should be followed. The principles I have followed are:

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 ● Principle of Acceptance: Acceptance in social casework is primarily a matter of attitude
of the case worker towards the client. The concept of attitude, generally, embraces both
positive and negative aspects. But it should be remembered that in case work practice
acceptance has always a positive connotation. That is, the caseworker must not condemn
or show hostile attitude towards a client - whether he/she approves or disapproves the
client and her behavior. This is because of the fact that nobody behaves exactly in the
way one wants. So, I followed the Principle of acceptance showing respect for my client,
attaching importance to her individual dignity, appreciating her problems and indicating
care and willingness to be of some help to the client.
● Principle of Communication: It is the exchange of views and ideas, feelings and
thoughts concerning the ‘problem’ between the client and the caseworker. This principle
emphasizes that the inner meanings of the terms, expressions and other symbols that the
caseworker and the client use should be understood by each other. “They may agree or
disagree about the issues they discuss.” But if they are truly communicating one must
understand what the other means, one must, in short, understand the role of the other. I
was very careful and tried my best to understand what she meant by something she said
and tried to understand her role as well.
● Principle of Participation: The core aim of social case work is to help the individual
client to help herself in solving her problem. This being so it implies that participation or
involvement of the client in the problem solving process is essential. The more the Client
actively participates, the more effective the solution becomes. Thus, I followed the
principle of participation and made Moushumi involved in the problem solving process.
● Principle of Confidentiality: This principle demands for the preservation of secret
information let out by the client concerning her problem to the case worker in a
professional relationship. Confidentiality is based upon a basic right of the client. So, the
confidentiality of the client and the case was maintained, during the process.

4.4.4. Different Phases of Social Work Practice:

In order to help solve the problem of my client I have passed through different stages. The
phases I have followed in dealing with this case are as follows:

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 ● Study (psycho-social study)
● Diagnosis
● Treatment/Intervention
● Evaluation and
● Follow-up

Psychosocial Study of the Problem:

Psychosocial study in social case work refers to gathering of facts regarding the client's socio-
economic and psychological conditions. For studying the psychosocial condition of the client,
authentic and reliable data is required. I have used the Interview method of data collection for
collecting the required information. During the interview sessions I have used observation,
questioning and listening techniques of Interview.

Name: Moushumi
Age: 30 years
Education: Primary Education
Father’s Name: Md. Riaz Uddin
Mother’s Name: Julekha Begum
Family Pattern: Nuclear family
Socio-economic Condition: Poor
Address: Raigarh, Shibganj, Bogra
Cause of becoming Socially Disadvantaged: Was involved in various unethical works

Interview with the Client:

During the interview with my client Moushumi, she said that she used to work in households in
Dhaka. There she got introduced to a driver named Hridoy Alam and got intimate. After a while
they got married. Then, through her husband Moushumi got involved in unethical works.

Then I asked her how she was admitted into this institution. She replied that one day police
doubted her activities and arrested her. Then the court sent her to the Training and Rehabilitation
Center of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Brahmanbaria on 30th June 2006.

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She was transferred to the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged
Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet on 25th January 2015. Next, I wanted to focus more on the reason
behind her depression and sadness. She said “We don’t have any life inside the organization. We
just pass from one day to another without any goal and purpose in life. I also do not like it when
the inmates fight with each other. I want peace.” Moreover, she wanted to go outside and work
and lead a normal life rather than sitting idly in the organization.

Diagnosis/Problem Assessment:

Diagnosis in Social Work includes two aspects-the identification of the problem and the
personality of the client, and the formulation of treatment plan (Hossain & Alauddin, 1970).
There are three types of diagnosis in social case work. Those are:
1. Dynamic diagnosis
2. Clinical diagnosis
3. Etiological /Genetic diagnosis.

I have used the Dynamic diagnosis system to diagnose her problems. During my sixty working
days, I have identified several problems through dynamic and etiological diagnosis within her.
Such as:
● Very much introvert in nature
● Pessimistic
● Always remains sad and quiet
● Might have clinical depression

Treatment Plan:

After data collection and assessment, I have formulated an action for resolving the problem. I
identified the main goal is to bring about a positive change in the client’s behavior and connect
her with the existing services of the center. They are as follows:

1. To bring positive changes in her thought process

2. To counsel her for making a fully functioning person
3. To apply Strength Perspective and Task Centered Model

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 4. To utilize her own resources to solve her problems
5. Recommend her to a professional psychotherapist if needed

Treatment:

To solve the problems of the case I think that the best treatment method for the client would be
providing a Supportive Treatment Method. But in my opinion, using the Strength Perspective
and Task Centered Model would also help besides providing counseling

Supportive Treatment Method:

This method requires the use of a number of techniques that help the client improve her
functioning within the framework of her ego mechanism of defense. The techniques used by me
are:
● Reassurance: It is found that the client may have the capacity to tackle her problems
through her own efforts. But due to the lack of confidence in herself she doubts her
capacities. In such cases the technique of reassurance is used to give expressed
recognition and approval to the client's capacities, achievements, needs and feelings. In
other words, through the application of this technique the client is assured of her
strengths and capacities in solving her problems. It serves to strengthen the client's
functioning. So, I followed this technique to bring back my client's confidence and also to
make her assured of her strengths and capacities to solve her problems.
● Logical Discussion: Logical discussion is another technique that helps the client to arrive
at the decisions and to determine her actions whenever her judgment is temporarily
impaired. This technique utilized the client's ability to perceive reality, to see alternatives,
and to visualize the consequences. This technique helped my client a lot to become
willing to change her situation.
● Advice and Guidance: This technique is appropriately used when the client is unable to
find his own solution and when her need and motivation help her to use direction or
guidance given by the caseworker. The client is sometimes restricted from taking
constructive action either because of ignorance or she is inhibited by fear, anxiety and
other emotions. In such cases this technique is used to give direction or guidance to the
client to act. This technique helped her to get rid of the ignorance she was showing.

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Modifying Treatment Method:

Like the supportive treatment method, the modifying treatment method also uses a number of
techniques. Clarification is the predominant technique in this method of casework treatment.
This technique is always supplemented by appropriate supportive techniques that maintain and
strengthen the client’s capacities. The technique of clarification is employed to modify the
client’s behavior and attitudes. I have followed several steps that are involved in the use of this
technique.

The first step was the step of helping the client bring together incidents in the attitudinal
responses and episodes in her behavior. The purpose was to enable my client to see the
stereotyped themes or patterns she follows.

The second step was enabling the client to see and understand the conscious and preconscious
dissatisfactions and gratifications in her responses towards some selected aspects of her life’s
situation. This activity primarily aimed at helping the client to understand the meaning of her life
and her disabling patterns of responses. This understanding mobilizes the client's capacity to
separate subjective from objective experience, further increases her sense of reality, initiates a
connection between her intellectual awareness and emotional experience and increases her
motivation for change. My client started to understand the meaning of her life and her disabling
patterns of responses. She also became capable of increasing her sense of reality.

In the third step I dealt with the task of giving encouragement to the client to recognize the
connection between incidents that happened in her “remembered past” and her current attitudes
and behaviors and the inappropriate influence of the past on the present. This activity was
consistently repeated with a view to enabling the client to bring the influence of those subjective
experiences that are causal to her disabling patterns of response under realistic conscious control.

The final step was concerned with helping the client to utilize her understanding to visualize and
control disabling responses to her current and predictable future life situation.

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Strengths Perspective:

I used strengths perspective in this case for achieving the positive change of the client and
increasing her self-reliance, self-worth, and self-confidence as I observed that she was very much
upset about her life and thought that her life is spoiled now. She had no hope for herself. Through
identifying her strengths and working on it my client started to feel good and found back her
confidence and purpose in life.

Task-Centered Model:

By applying this model with my client she became active and more enthusiastic. I gave her some
tasks such as learning to do math, and learning skills based on priority settings. I also gave her
tasks like writing something on a given topic or whatever she felt like. It really helped her to
come out of her depression and sadness. She started to find purpose in her life.

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Evaluation:

Evaluation in social work is an attempt to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the
problem-solving process. In other words, it is an assessment of courses of action taken to help
solve the problem. Evaluation begins at the very in-take and continues throughout the problem
solving process.

“It begins in the first interview when we try to decide whether the case is suitable for our agency;
whether we are the best resource for the help needed. It appears again when we appraise the
client's strengths to work on her problems, her reliability, her practical assets, and her character.”
Thus, I applied different perspectives and models of Social work during the evaluation process of
this case and worked on the client's problem solving process.

Follow-up:

Since treatment does not mean total cure and susceptibility of the problem remains, the case
needs to be followed up with a view to giving supplementary support to have improved
treatment. Follow-up is important in case work because of the complex nature of the individual
and dynamic environment in which she lives. So, while working with other clients I followed up
this case also.

It should be noted that the sequence of these stages are not always rigidly maintained; rather they
overlap each other. For example, “treatment begins at the moment when the case worker and the
client first meet, and continues as long as the case remains active.” The sequential treatment that
has been given to the stages in the problem solving process is only for better understanding.

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 Chapter Five

Social Work Practice with Groups

Social Group Work:

Group work is a basic method of social work that aims to reduce barriers that hamper good
interaction among the group members.

5.1. Formation of Group:

At first I was introduced to all the inmates of the organization and built rapport with them and
came to know about their stories during the process. I learnt about the inmates from themselves
and also read the case file of them. Then I formed a group to practice group work. I created a
group on the basis of their age and their problem.

5.2. Rationality of the Group Selection:

Group members were the inmates who had a self harm tendency. All of them tried to harm
themselves several times. Even I observed that they strongly supported this kind of attitude and
never stopped their fellow inmates from doing so. So, to solve their problem and change the
mindset of the group I took them as my client and created the group.

5.3. Study of the Group:

Without actual information about a group it is impossible to work with the group. I collected

information about the group through interview, observation and questioning them at different
times and reading their case file as well.

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5.4. The Problems:

It was my responsibility to identify the problems of the group members. I studied the group
through interviews, observations, questioning, and group meetings. After conducting the study I
assess some problems of the group. These are stated below:
● Tendency to self harm
● Very sensitive in nature
● Depression
● Pessimistic

5.5. Objectives/ Goals of the Group Work:

Considering the needs of the group members I set up some objectives for this group. These are as
follows:

● To provide counseling to the group to modify their thought process

● To motivate the group to modify their thought process regarding self harm
● To change their insight of life and make them optimistic
● To get them out of their depression

5.6. Group Planning:

● Planned to arrange an awareness building session on health and hygiene; especially on

menstrual hygiene
● Planned to give them education
● Planned to arrange group counseling sessions
● Planned to arrange different types of activities like sports competition, drawing pictures,
calligraphy etc.
● Planned to make them participate in different training programs provided to them
● Planned to arrange recreational activities

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5.7. Program Implementation:

At first I arranged an awareness building session on health and hygiene; especially on menstrual
hygiene. Then focused on giving them basic education for the next few sessions and made sure
that they did not get bored by following different techniques. Afterwards I arranged group
counseling sessions to modify their thought process and behavior as well. I also planned to
arrange different types of activities like sports competition, drawing pictures, calligraphy etc.
Moreover I made them participate in different training programs provided to them and arranged
recreational activities from time to time. They seemed to like it and I also observed that their
thought process was changing positively. They started to remain more happy, positive and
optimistic. The tendency to self harm also reduced.

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 Chapter Six

Other Activities during the Field Work

In addition to learning how to actually implement social work principles, I also expanded my
knowledge and experience during my fieldwork days by engaging in a variety of activities. The
activities are mentioned below

6.1. Awareness Building among the Inmates: I saw the girls' lack of knowledge while
conducting fieldwork at the Training and Rehabilitation Center for Socially Disadvantaged Girls.
For instance, their fundamental rights, personal hygiene and health, emergency hotlines, etc. I
forced them to learn about their fundamental rights. Maintaining one's health requires practicing
good personal hygiene. It has been observed that those with inadequate hygiene experience
malnutrition and a host of other illnesses. Hence, I gave them advice to constantly wash their
hands before and after eating, to wash them after going to the bathroom, to clip their nails
frequently, and to take a bath every day. I also informed them about the hotline for emergencies.
that in the event of an emergency, they might call a 24/7 toll free number 999 and 1098 if any
child is in danger.

6.2. Providing Basic Education: All the girls in the organization are not educated. So, we
provided them basic education. One of my clients named Rabeya was very interested to learn and
have shown impressive progress. She and all the other inmates tried their best to get educated.
Though at first the number of interested girls was not praiseworthy the inmates came forward
one by one. It helped a lot to bring back their self confidence.

6.3. Arranged Recreational Programs: After regularly receiving a rudimentary education from
myself and my fellow agency colleagues, the inmates began to feel bored, so we occasionally
organized activities for the girls. For instance, playing carom or ludo, making pictures, hearing
stories from the inmates, listening to music and dancing to it, etc. Whenever we set up this type
of activity, the girls were overjoyed.

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6.4. Organized Sports Competition: In accordance with the advice of our agency supervisor,
we organized a sporting event. The games included ludo, musical chair, breaking the pot (hari
vanga), varshammyo dour, and hari vanga. Our agency supervisor gave us a budget so we could
purchase prizes for the winners. He also advised us not to forget about providing condolence
gifts to the girls who did not receive any prize. The girls participated in the events with great
vigor, and when they received the prizes they were ecstatic.

6.5. Visited the Office of Civil Surgeon: The girls in the organization suffer from different
physical and psychological diseases. But there is no professional doctor or psychotherapist in the
organization. So, our agency supervisor sir told us to meet the civil surgeon and let him know
that the organization needs a professional doctor and psychotherapist as well as discuss what
could be done in this regard. But it was our bad luck that he was not present in the office that day
and was very busy with some important meetings.

6.6. Visited the Government Baby Home for Boys: Some of our friends have done their
fieldwork in the Government Baby Home for Boys. They invited us to their Awareness Building
Program on Health and Hygiene. Besides, they also arranged for a mini cultural program. I also
motivated them to maintain their hygiene. It was a memorable experience.

6.7. Organized an Awareness Building and Motivational Speech Program: On our last day at
the organization we arranged for an Awareness Building and Motivational Speech Program. Our
agency supervisor was very interested in arranging this program. He advised us to invite Ms.
Tahmina Islam, Professor, Department of Social Work, SUST, who is also a renowned counselor
in our country, to attend the program and to hold a motivational session for the girls. So, we
invited her cordially and she accepted it with joy. We also invited our faculty supervisor. On that
day there was a guest with Ms. Tahmina Islam who was a Journalist and the General Secretary of
a renowned news portal.

At first our agency supervisor, Mr. Md. Lutfor Rahman provided a speech for the girls. And then
our faculty supervisor and Mr. Journalist made their speech in front of the girls consecutively.
They all focused on the importance of being happy and participating in the training facilities
seriously as it would help them in the long run.

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At this point of the program, our main attraction of the day Ms. Tahmina Islam mam came to
hold her session. She started with a little warm up session by doing small movements with the
song “Purbo Digonte Surjo Utheche…Rokto Lal, Rokto Lal, Rokto Lal.” She also remembered
our language martyrs since it was the month of language, the month of International Mother
Language Day. It was a very different idea and obviously the girls were very excited though the
older girls were a little shy at first.

Then she got introduced to everyone. Mam told everybody present in the room to introduce
themselves by telling their name and one of their strengths. Which was a very unique idea. Mam
wanted to start the session with a very positive note and for that reason she came up with all
these unique ideas. Throughout the session mam focused on motivating the girls and building
awareness among them by discussing different things. At first, she told everyone to always
remain positive and think positively. She said that it is our thought process which mainly directs
our behavior. So, we should always think positively and accept all the circumstances with a
positive mind and always be optimistic in life. Moreover, mam advised the girls to love
themselves. She said that self love is very important to remain happy. She showed the
comparison between how our life goes when we do all the necessary things timely and actively
and how it goes when we do not. It obviously shows that our life becomes more easy and happy
when we remain active and love ourselves and on the other hand life gets tough when we do not.
So, she suggested focusing more on doing the little things which make us happy. Beside the girls
I also got very much motivated.

There are some girls in the organization who have the tendency to self harm. Mam especially
focused on them and motivated them to never perform this kind of activity. She tried to make
them understand the negative consequences of doing so through her speech and counseling skills.
She said that, “Harming our bodies could never be the solution to any problem. I know it
provides you immediate gratification but that is never good for our body and soul.” So, she
taught them the breathing technique of yoga called “Pranayam” and told them to practice it
whenever any destructive idea comes into mind. Moreover, she advised them to always think
positively to get rid of this character of self-harm.

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Lastly, Mam asked the girls if they had any questions and also told them to express their feelings
on the session. The girls seemed very happy and motivated after the session. The session was
very effective for the girls. Then Mam distributed chocolates among the girls which made them
overjoyed and ended her session.

We are very thankful towards Mam for her kind participation in the program and adding light
into it and making it a successful event as well with her extraordinary skills. We are also grateful
towards both of our supervisors.

After this session, we arranged for a mini cultural program and prize distribution ceremony. Our
respected faculty supervisor professor Muhammed Muazzam Hussain distributed the prizes
among the winners with the help of our agency supervisor Mr. Md. Lutfor Rahman. The girls
were overjoyed after getting the prizes and this is how our program came to an end.

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 Chapter Seven

Evaluation of the Agency

Evaluation is judging or calculating the quality, importance, amount, or value of something.

During my fieldwork in the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged
Girls, I identified some strengths of the agency. These are mentioned below:

7.1. Strengths of Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls,
Khadimnagar, Sylhet:
● Provides security and Facilities: The agency provides security for all the inmates and
the facilities of food, clothing, accommodation, and medicare is provided for free of cost.
● Provides Education: This agency provides religious, moral, and general education to
the inmates. There is an assigned religious teacher for the inmates.
● Support to the Vulnerable: This agency provides support to the most vulnerable girls of
our society. This agency helps to the girls who are in danger such as mentally disabled,
physically disabled, involved in sex work, orphan, lost girls, run away from home, street
girl etc. by providing all kinds of supports so that they can lead a healthy life.
● Friendly Working Environment: One of the noticeable strengths of this agency is a
friendly working environment. The personnel were cooperative enough with each other
and they also helped me to work freely with the girls.
● Health Facilities: This agency provides standard food and medical treatment to the
inmates. They try to ensure their healthy life. It ensures all kinds of support to the inmates
for living a healthy life.
● Recreational Facilities: There are entertainment facilities like television, indoor games
which helps the various problematic inmates to be jolly and free from frustration.
● Vocational Training: There are different types of training facilities available for the girls
to help them become self-dependent. Such as Sewing, Vegetable Farming, Gardening,
Beautification, Handmade Products etc. This agency tries their best to make the inmates
able to be self-employed in their future life.
● Creates Opportunity for Earning Money: The inmates learn sewing, vegetables
gardening, beautification and making bags, tissue boxes, dolls etc. in this organization.

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 They can sew nakshi kantha, pillow covers, bed sheets, dresses for young girls and more.
They can earn money by selling their products like vegetables, nakshi kantha, pillow
covers, bed sheets, dresses, bags, tissue boxes, dolls etc. through the agency. These kinds
of opportunities help them to become self dependent and earn money for themselves.
● Provides Rehabilitation: The agency is very much strict in rehabilitating the girls. They
try their best to find out the relatives of the inmates and contact them. If the relatives
become willing to take back the inmate then the agency starts the proceedings for her
rehabilitation of course confirming the relation first with valid proof. Otherwise the
agency does not rehabilitate the inmate.
● Observing Various Days: This agency celebrates National and International days and
arranges various recreational programs for the girls.

7.2. Limitation of the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged
Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet:

I worked in the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the Socially Disadvantaged Girls,
Khadimnagar, Sylhet for the purpose of my fieldwork. Though I worked for a short period of
time, I observed some limitations in the agency. Some limitations are given below:

● Less number of staff as the staff required for different posts are not recruited.
● The opportunity of formal education is limited. So, the inmates don't get the opportunity
to complete their education.
● Providing counseling is an important part of this agency, but sadly there is no
professional counselor.
● There is no professional doctor in the organization.
● Absence of professional social worker.
● Proper and continuous monitoring is absent.
● The allocation provided by the government is not sufficient for those inmates.
● Absence of ambulance.
● Even in this digital era the organization does not have a website.

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7.3. Recommendations for the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially
Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet:

During my fieldwork, I discovered some gaps of the agency that should be minimized for the
best outcome of the agency. Some recommendations to overcome the limitations are given
below:

● There is a lack of manpower in the agency to run the agency smoothly. There is also a
lack of manpower in the agency with the social work background. So, this agency should
recruit some personnel who have a social work background.
● Agency should provide training opportunities for the staff in the technical field.
● As most of the inmates are psychologically disturbed, the agency should appoint a
professional counselor/case worker.
● A medical specialist is needed on a regular basis in the organization.
● Government should increase funds for the wellbeing of this organization and the inmates
as well.
● Proper field work manual should be developed.
● A teacher who is an expert in sign language should be appointed to educate the deaf,
mute, and dumb girls.
● A website should be created.
● There should be records of all the inmates in detail
● When the inmates of the agency are asked the same question again and again, they feel
disturbed and hesitant. It is just like torture for them saying the same thing to the
fieldwork group again and again. It can be avoided if the necessary information is kept in
the agency.

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 Chapter Eight

My Achievements and Limitations during Fieldwork

As a student of social work, I was placed in the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the
Socially Disadvantaged Girls. Here I tried to apply my theoretical knowledge in the practical
settings. During field work I have gathered a lot of experiences and skills. Besides, I also had
some limitations. My achievements, strengths and limitations are given the below:

8.1. My Achieved Experiences during Fieldwork:

Fieldwork in Social Work provides an opportunity to a student to apply theoretical knowledge

learned in the classroom in practice. During my fieldwork I have gathered a lot of experiences.
Some gathered experiences are given below:
● Acquired knowledge about the background of the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of
the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, its objectives, administrative structure and the working
procedure.
● Achieved experience on how to adjust with a new and official environment and how to
work with the personnel of an agency.
● Also gathered knowledge on how the services and activities are rendered by the agency to
the inmates.
● Acquired experience of working with individuals, groups.
● Teaching the students of the agency was a great experience for me and I learned how to
teach students.
● In addition, I have gathered experience of applying social work methods, strategies, and
skills to solve or minimize the problems of individuals, groups.
● Achieved experience in managing relationships with the students who come from
different backgrounds.
● Achieved experience on performing duties in an office under the guidance of a
supervisor.
● Acquired the experience of establishing rapport with clients.
● Acquired experience on how to collect data from the clients.
● Acquired knowledge about how to maintain the process records.

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 ● Learned how to deal with people and to solve problems of people on the basis of their
needs.
● Learned how to arrange a meeting and program.

8.2. My Achieved Skills during Fieldwork:

I have achieved a lot of skills during my fieldwork in the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of
the Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet within sixty working days. Some
achieved skills are given below:
a. Professional Relationship (Rapport) Building Skill: As a change agent I wanted to
build up rapport with my clients. I acquired professional relationship building skills while
working with the clients.
b. Communication Skill: It is important to make effective communication with clients by
using communication skills to solve client’s problems. I have achieved communication
skills.
c. Observational Skill: I acquired observational skills during fieldwork.
d. Skill in Conducting Interview: I wanted to make my interview effective. I followed
some interview techniques that I have learned from my previous theoretical courses and
experiences. I had some fruitful interviews with my clients and with other personnel of
the agency. I also followed some principles of social work while conducting the
interviews.
e. Counseling Skill: I had to maintain attending skill with the clients while counseling
them. This skill must be needed to make counseling successful.
f. Listening Skill: Listening skill is important to deal with the client. I became a good
listener while dealing with the clients and while communicating with my authority and
other personnel of the agency.
g. Management Skills: By working in the Training and Rehabilitation Centre of the
Socially Disadvantaged Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet, I have achieved a lot of skills in
maintaining office duties, arranging programs, conducting meetings and maintaining
professional relationships with the agency personnel.

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8.3. My Limitations during Fieldwork:

I attempted to make the greatest use of my time during the fieldwork. I have completed some of
my selected tasks. But behind lots of success, there were some limitations from my side. As a
trainee social worker my limitations during field work are given below:

● I was unable to conduct the counseling process correctly as I am not a professional

counselor/social worker yet.
● I was unable to sustain the counseling process correctly due to a lack of an acceptable
setting, such as the common area, where anybody may enter and go at any time.
● I could not communicate with all the inmates properly as I lacked understanding of the
regional languages in which many of the girls speaked.

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 Chapter Nine

Recommendations and Conclusion

9.1. Some Recommendation for More Effective Field Work in Social Work Education:
● Budget of fieldwork should be increased.
● Proper manual on fieldwork should be published.
● A standard outline for creating the fieldwork report should be provided to the students.
● Students of fieldwork should be provided with a structured way of writing the process
record.

9.2. Conclusion:

Field practicum is a dynamic course that requires students to use their social work knowledge,
abilities, and beliefs in an organizational setting. It is an important aspect of graduate and
postgraduate students of social work education. As a graduate student of social work, I
performed my fieldwork in the Training and Rehabilitation Center of the Socially Disadvantaged
Girls, Khadimnagar, Sylhet. Before starting the field job, I had an unknown fear about it. It
appeared confusing from the outside at the moment. Though it’s not the same after completing
the fieldwork as I have achieved knowledge on the practical use of different social work terms
learned in the classroom I tried my best to apply the theoretical knowledge in my fieldwork with
the help of my internal and external supervisor. I tried to practice social work with individuals
and groups. As an apprentice, I had various constraints, but I worked hard to overcome them.
"Field work," I believe, is the finest method to apply theoretical understanding of social work.

It aided in gaining a comprehensive understanding of real-life challenges from a professional

perspective.

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