posted discussion by students

20 Jun posted discussion by students

. SOCW 6000 week 7

A.Posted discussions by students week 7

Respond by Day 6 to at least two colleagues who wrote about two criteria that are different from yours. In your response, suggest an additional example to support each of your colleagues’ criteria.

Julie Braley

RE: Discussion – Week 7

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Competence includes knowing and abiding by the NASW Code of Ethics. The competent social worker knows the six values (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence) and their ethical principles (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). They know them, but also understand and practice them. They also know, understand and practice the Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to clients, colleagues, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession and to the broader society (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). They are comfortable enough with the Code of Ethics to know when they need to reach out to a mentor, to ask for clarification in a sticky situation. They have the strength to uphold the Code of Ethics and to confront a colleague when their actions are in question.

Competence means working within the boundaries of what you know and are licensed to practice. This also includes acknowledging when you do not know enough and need to pass a client or duty on to another that is better qualified. As a licensed social worker, you are able to perform certain tasks. There are other tasks that you cannot ethically perform until you are a licensed clinical social worker. The competent social worker knows what they are capable of doing and what they are not.

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

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2. Danielle David

RE: Discussion – Week 7

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Competence in social work means to abide by your regions Code of Ethics as well as upholding the law to the highest professional degree. Competent practice protects the integrity of the social work profession and the rights of our clients to appropriate and beneficial service. It also means that as social workers, we have the responsibility to use critical thinking and decision making skills to properly assess and utilize all resources available for the betterment of our unique clients. To do this, a social worker must be conscientious and aware of his or her own barriers to competence in order to overcome them. An example of such a barrier can include lack of experience with a particular group, or the acknowledgment of personal bias to be set aside for the sake of their practice. I think that it is important to realize that social workers are diverse, and will inevitably come across potential challenges to practicing competently. These are the situations which determine a social workers ability to commit to their professional role and conduct themselves in a ethically competent manner.

Two specific criteria that define competence in social work are as follows: continuous research on evidence-based practice and “limiting professional practice to areas of demonstrated competence” (Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, 2005). In her interview with Jonathan Singer, Danielle Parrish mentions the importance of looking for research to guide your practice (Singer, 2011). When Singer asks whether or not the finding a lack of research in a particular area still constitutes as conducting evidence-base practice, she agrees. The social worker is still engaging in competent practice because they took the initiative to look. When no research is found, that in itself provides the social worker with valuable information: there is a gap in the research literature that needs to be addressed critically, and other methods will be necessary to suit the needs of the client. Not finding any literature is more competent than not looking and blindly servicing the client with no guiding information.

Along the same line of thought, it is important for social workers to only practice within their area of concentration and demonstrated competence. To illustrate this, it would be inappropriate for a social worker with 15 years’ experience in policy and administration to begin providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for youth struggling with depression and anxiety. Despite being trained on the generalist intervention model, social workers develop specialized skills which may or may not fall in line with another social workers concentration. To practice competently, the social worker in my example would have to refer her client to a social worker with demonstrated experience in CBT.

References

Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics (2005). Retrieved from:

http://casw-acts.ca/sites/default/files/attachements/CASW_Code%20of%20Ethics.pdf

Singer, J. B. (Host). (2011, March 9). The process of evidence-based practice: An interview with Danielle E. Parish, Ph.D. [Audio podcast]. In Social Work Podcast. Retrieved from

http://socialworkpodcast.com/2011/03/process-of-evidence-based-practice.html

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B. posted discussions SOCW week 7

Respond by Day 5 to at least two colleagues who selected a different course-specific case study from the one you selected and explain any insight you gained from having read your colleague’s post.

1.Christina Burns

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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As a social worker it is important to understand the assessment process when working with clients. In order for a client to receive the most appropriate and beneficial interventions and services, the assessment process must be taken seriously and be done thoroughly. In the case of Abdel, a middle aged regugee, the assesment process was critical in his succuess in his new found home of the United States. Abdel spoke English as well as four other languages fluently. He also had a bachelors degree in theology from his home continent of Africa. He escaped his home country due to him being punished for his political views. He spent 12 years in a refugee camp prior to coming to the United States. He lost his wife in the process and his physical as well as mental health deteriorated. He is new to the United States and requires assistance to be successful where he now resides (Plummer, Makris, Brocksen, 2014).

Thinking from the perspective of Abdel’s social worker it would be important for me to look through the micro, mezzo, and macro lenses of Abdel’s world to get a clear picture of his present daily life, his goals, and his needs that will help him to reach those goals. Kirst-Ashman and Hull describe the assessment as a “puzzle with a goal of understanding the person in the environment” (2012, p. 166). I would have to put the pieces of the puzzle together looking at Abdel as an individual, the close people in his life, and the overall environment that he is in. I would first recognize all of Abdel’s strengths. Abdel is educated, determined, and hard-working. These are all amazing qualities that will work in Abdel’s favor.

When assessing what Abdel needs as an individual, I would have to ask him direct questions about his emotional, physical, and financial stability. I would ask him if he was meeting people in the community. It is important for him to feel involved. If he was having trouble meeting people, I could allocate some social groups for him so that he could feel a more connection to his new environment. I would also ask him questions about his health. It would be my responsibility to ensure that he understands the process so that he could get medical attention. I would also ask questions about his financial state. I would use the socio-economic empowerment assessment to do so and determine what services he would benefit from after (Hawkins & Kim, 2012).

I would also ask questions about the environment that Abdel was living in on a daily basis. His environment has a direct impact on him and his success in the United States. I would ask if he had any type of support system here in the U.S. A support system can be critical for some client’s success. I would also ask him questions concerning the current neighborhood he was living in. Some example questions would be as follows: Is there a church that practices your faith? Is there a school that interests you to further your education? Where could you go in your neighborhood to socialize? The discussions based on these questions would give me information to use in my assessment of Abdel’s needs. I would do my best to obtain as much information as possible when doing the assessment so that Abdel could reach his full potential of using social services.

Hawkins. R. L., & Kim, E. J. (2012). The socio-economic empowerment assessment: Addressing poverty and economic distress in clients. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(2). 194- 202. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Kirst-Ashman, K., & Hull, G.H., Jr.(2012). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning

Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

2. 3 days ago

Kimberly McRae

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Pedro is a 58-year-old, Dominican male that is living with HIV and Hepatitis C. He is married to his second wife and is the father of three sons. His first wife contracted HIV/AIDS from him and later died from the disease. His youngest son got the disease through vertical transmission and died before his 19th birthday. Pedro is reluctant to participate in counseling because he has had several social workers and he sees them as not helpful.

Since Pedro is Dominican, I would need to know how his culture influences his views on counseling, social norms and his view on family. I would also need to know what Pedro expected of me as his social worker. I would need to not what Pedro’s goals were and how he wanted me to assist him with reaching his goals. I would like to know how the deaths of Pedro’s first wife and youngest son affected him. I would ask him about his relationship with his two older son’s and what other family support he has. Since Pedro is Christian, I would need to know hoe his religious views impact his life.

Pedro is not currently taking medication to treat his Hep C so I would ask Pedro what was his reason for not taking the medication. I would also try to determine if Pedro and his family needs some financial assistance. I would also want to know if Pedro has a good understanding of how to get his medication and the proper steps to take when dealing with Medicare and ADAP.

Kirst-Ashman, K., &Hull, G.H., Jr.(2012). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning

Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

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2 days ago

Christina Burns

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Syreeta Hill

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Christopher Genther

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Pedro, a 58 year-old Dominican man who has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C as well as HIV. Pedro has been married twice and has three children, all boys. He is currently married to his second wife; he lost his first wife who died when she contracted the HIV infection from Pedro. Pedro’s youngest son also fell victim to the disease and died at the age of 18 years-old.

The first thing I think I would need to ask/know when meeting with Pedro is why he was coming to me in the first place. I think it is crucial to know what a client is wanting to get out of the sessions or meetings. Without knowing what their expectations are you really don’t have much direction and probably won’t be very effective when trying to help. When working with Pedro, I think it would be important to have a good knowledge of the disease and how the treatment plan works. I would want to ask him about the decisions he has made about his treatment plan so ensure that it’s the best course of action. I would imagine that Pedro is feeling a sense of guilt and blaming himself for the loss of his first wife and youngest son so I think I would like to know his perspective on their deaths. I would ask questions like why he thought they lost the battle to HIV but he hasn’t and how that makes him feel. Having a good knowledge base on the disease I think would help shed some light on this and maybe help him see that it wasn’t his fault. Another think I would need to know is more about the Dominican culture, in order to remain culture sensitivity. In addition, another thing to ask him about would be how the family unit functions with his disease and after the death of the mother and brother/son.

I think the best way to handle this type of case if on a micro level. This seems to be a very personal situation and I think working with Pedro in a one on one setting. I think by having meetings one on one with clients it allows them to feel more comfortable when sharing information, and takes away the fear of being judged by multiple people. Pedro has already shown signs of not really wanting to be involved in counseling so I think it would be important for him to feel comfortable in sharing so he can hopefully get more out of it than he has in the previous attempts. Also, because this experience has affected his family, I think it would be a good idea to get them involved at some point so Pedro has a good support system during the healing process.

Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Discussion 2 week 7 SOCW 6101

Respond by Day 6, to at least two colleagues by explaining two social work skills you might use to overcome the challenges your colleague described when working with mandatory and involuntary clients.

1. Christina Burns

RE: Discussion 2 – Week 7

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Often, as social workers we will be given the task of working with clients that are hesitant to the process. Involuntary or mandated clients may pose some challenges and require some extra thought on the social worker’s end. According to de Jong & Berg, ” work with mandated clients is most likely to break down at engagement” (2001, p.12).

The engagement step of the process is critical when working with involuntary clients. Kirst-Ashman & Hull describe involuntary clients as potentially being angry and hostile ( 2012, p. 85). It is important that clients have buy in to the process so that they can be successful. If they are being forced to receive services they may be resentful and not willing to gain from the help that you are trying to give them.

It is important that social workers cooperate with these types of clients. They should feel listened to and that their feelings matter. Often, mandated clients can feel attacked and gained up on. They need to feel empowered and that they have choice in the process. Social workers should take a solution-based approach with these clients and focus on what they want to gain from the situation. Workers should co-construct plans with their clients and let them make their own choices so that they can have trust in what they are doing.

For example, in the case of Hernandez family, a couple was referred to child protective services due to allegations of child abuse. They did not agree with the decision and therefore were upset about having to participate in the process. The father was especially openly hostile ( Plummer, Makris, Brocksen, 2014). In a case such as this it is important that the worker work with the client’s strengths, remain calm, and establish short term goals (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012).

Many of the same principles, techniques, and methods are the same for voluntary and involuntary clients. As for any client, voluntary or involuntary, it is imperative that they be looked at as an individual and their own specific needs be assessed. There is no one size fits all for any client and it is necessary that social workers engage with them in the way that is best for them.

References

de Jong, P., & Berg, I.K. (2001). Co-Constructing cooperation with mandated clients. Social Work, 46(4), 361-374. Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G.H., Jr. (2012). Understanding generalist practice. (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Plummer, S. – B., Makris, S., Brocksen S, (Eds.).(2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore , MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

2.

Kimberly McRae

RE: Discussion 2 – Week 7

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In the case of the Hernandez family, the social worker may face challenges with getting the clients to actively participate during sessions. When clients do not think that there is a problem the may not be willing to work towards finding a solution. The Hernandez’s believed that their form of punishment was acceptable because that was how they were punished as children. Another challenge a social worker my face is that the clients will not participate in the treatment plan. Clients may not show up for session or be angry during sessions. During the session, The Mr. Hernandez was very angry and did not want to participate in the sessions. Some clients that are mandated to attend counseling may feel like they are being attacked for something that they believe is acceptable behavior. They may feel that the social worker is looking down on them.

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G.H., Jr. (2012). Understanding generalist practice. (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Plummer, S. – B., Makris, S., Brocksen S, (Eds.).(2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore , MD: La

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Bottom of Form. SOCW 6000 week 7

A.Posted discussions by students week 7

Respond by Day 6 to at least two colleagues who wrote about two criteria that are different from yours. In your response, suggest an additional example to support each of your colleagues’ criteria.

Julie Braley

RE: Discussion – Week 7

Collapse

Top of Form

Competence includes knowing and abiding by the NASW Code of Ethics. The competent social worker knows the six values (service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence) and their ethical principles (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). They know them, but also understand and practice them. They also know, understand and practice the Social Workers’ Ethical Responsibilities to clients, colleagues, in practice settings, as professionals, to the social work profession and to the broader society (National Association of Social Workers, 2008). They are comfortable enough with the Code of Ethics to know when they need to reach out to a mentor, to ask for clarification in a sticky situation. They have the strength to uphold the Code of Ethics and to confront a colleague when their actions are in question.

Competence means working within the boundaries of what you know and are licensed to practice. This also includes acknowledging when you do not know enough and need to pass a client or duty on to another that is better qualified. As a licensed social worker, you are able to perform certain tasks. There are other tasks that you cannot ethically perform until you are a licensed clinical social worker. The competent social worker knows what they are capable of doing and what they are not.

National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from http://socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

Bottom of Form

2. Danielle David

RE: Discussion – Week 7

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Competence in social work means to abide by your regions Code of Ethics as well as upholding the law to the highest professional degree. Competent practice protects the integrity of the social work profession and the rights of our clients to appropriate and beneficial service. It also means that as social workers, we have the responsibility to use critical thinking and decision making skills to properly assess and utilize all resources available for the betterment of our unique clients. To do this, a social worker must be conscientious and aware of his or her own barriers to competence in order to overcome them. An example of such a barrier can include lack of experience with a particular group, or the acknowledgment of personal bias to be set aside for the sake of their practice. I think that it is important to realize that social workers are diverse, and will inevitably come across potential challenges to practicing competently. These are the situations which determine a social workers ability to commit to their professional role and conduct themselves in a ethically competent manner.

Two specific criteria that define competence in social work are as follows: continuous research on evidence-based practice and “limiting professional practice to areas of demonstrated competence” (Canadian Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, 2005). In her interview with Jonathan Singer, Danielle Parrish mentions the importance of looking for research to guide your practice (Singer, 2011). When Singer asks whether or not the finding a lack of research in a particular area still constitutes as conducting evidence-base practice, she agrees. The social worker is still engaging in competent practice because they took the initiative to look. When no research is found, that in itself provides the social worker with valuable information: there is a gap in the research literature that needs to be addressed critically, and other methods will be necessary to suit the needs of the client. Not finding any literature is more competent than not looking and blindly servicing the client with no guiding information.

Along the same line of thought, it is important for social workers to only practice within their area of concentration and demonstrated competence. To illustrate this, it would be inappropriate for a social worker with 15 years’ experience in policy and administration to begin providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for youth struggling with depression and anxiety. Despite being trained on the generalist intervention model, social workers develop specialized skills which may or may not fall in line with another social workers concentration. To practice competently, the social worker in my example would have to refer her client to a social worker with demonstrated experience in CBT.

References

Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics (2005). Retrieved from:

http://casw-acts.ca/sites/default/files/attachements/CASW_Code%20of%20Ethics.pdf

Singer, J. B. (Host). (2011, March 9). The process of evidence-based practice: An interview with Danielle E. Parish, Ph.D. [Audio podcast]. In Social Work Podcast. Retrieved from

http://socialworkpodcast.com/2011/03/process-of-evidence-based-practice.html

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B. posted discussions SOCW week 7

Respond by Day 5 to at least two colleagues who selected a different course-specific case study from the one you selected and explain any insight you gained from having read your colleague’s post.

1.Christina Burns

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Top of Form

As a social worker it is important to understand the assessment process when working with clients. In order for a client to receive the most appropriate and beneficial interventions and services, the assessment process must be taken seriously and be done thoroughly. In the case of Abdel, a middle aged regugee, the assesment process was critical in his succuess in his new found home of the United States. Abdel spoke English as well as four other languages fluently. He also had a bachelors degree in theology from his home continent of Africa. He escaped his home country due to him being punished for his political views. He spent 12 years in a refugee camp prior to coming to the United States. He lost his wife in the process and his physical as well as mental health deteriorated. He is new to the United States and requires assistance to be successful where he now resides (Plummer, Makris, Brocksen, 2014).

Thinking from the perspective of Abdel’s social worker it would be important for me to look through the micro, mezzo, and macro lenses of Abdel’s world to get a clear picture of his present daily life, his goals, and his needs that will help him to reach those goals. Kirst-Ashman and Hull describe the assessment as a “puzzle with a goal of understanding the person in the environment” (2012, p. 166). I would have to put the pieces of the puzzle together looking at Abdel as an individual, the close people in his life, and the overall environment that he is in. I would first recognize all of Abdel’s strengths. Abdel is educated, determined, and hard-working. These are all amazing qualities that will work in Abdel’s favor.

When assessing what Abdel needs as an individual, I would have to ask him direct questions about his emotional, physical, and financial stability. I would ask him if he was meeting people in the community. It is important for him to feel involved. If he was having trouble meeting people, I could allocate some social groups for him so that he could feel a more connection to his new environment. I would also ask him questions about his health. It would be my responsibility to ensure that he understands the process so that he could get medical attention. I would also ask questions about his financial state. I would use the socio-economic empowerment assessment to do so and determine what services he would benefit from after (Hawkins & Kim, 2012).

I would also ask questions about the environment that Abdel was living in on a daily basis. His environment has a direct impact on him and his success in the United States. I would ask if he had any type of support system here in the U.S. A support system can be critical for some client’s success. I would also ask him questions concerning the current neighborhood he was living in. Some example questions would be as follows: Is there a church that practices your faith? Is there a school that interests you to further your education? Where could you go in your neighborhood to socialize? The discussions based on these questions would give me information to use in my assessment of Abdel’s needs. I would do my best to obtain as much information as possible when doing the assessment so that Abdel could reach his full potential of using social services.

Hawkins. R. L., & Kim, E. J. (2012). The socio-economic empowerment assessment: Addressing poverty and economic distress in clients. Clinical Social Work Journal, 40(2). 194- 202. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Kirst-Ashman, K., & Hull, G.H., Jr.(2012). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning

Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

2. 3 days ago

Kimberly McRae

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Pedro is a 58-year-old, Dominican male that is living with HIV and Hepatitis C. He is married to his second wife and is the father of three sons. His first wife contracted HIV/AIDS from him and later died from the disease. His youngest son got the disease through vertical transmission and died before his 19th birthday. Pedro is reluctant to participate in counseling because he has had several social workers and he sees them as not helpful.

Since Pedro is Dominican, I would need to know how his culture influences his views on counseling, social norms and his view on family. I would also need to know what Pedro expected of me as his social worker. I would need to not what Pedro’s goals were and how he wanted me to assist him with reaching his goals. I would like to know how the deaths of Pedro’s first wife and youngest son affected him. I would ask him about his relationship with his two older son’s and what other family support he has. Since Pedro is Christian, I would need to know hoe his religious views impact his life.

Pedro is not currently taking medication to treat his Hep C so I would ask Pedro what was his reason for not taking the medication. I would also try to determine if Pedro and his family needs some financial assistance. I would also want to know if Pedro has a good understanding of how to get his medication and the proper steps to take when dealing with Medicare and ADAP.

Kirst-Ashman, K., &Hull, G.H., Jr.(2012). Understanding generalist practice (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning

Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

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2 days ago

Christina Burns

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Syreeta Hill

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Christopher Genther

RE: Discussion 1 – Week 7

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Pedro, a 58 year-old Dominican man who has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C as well as HIV. Pedro has been married twice and has three children, all boys. He is currently married to his second wife; he lost his first wife who died when she contracted the HIV infection from Pedro. Pedro’s youngest son also fell victim to the disease and died at the age of 18 years-old.

The first thing I think I would need to ask/know when meeting with Pedro is why he was coming to me in the first place. I think it is crucial to know what a client is wanting to get out of the sessions or meetings. Without knowing what their expectations are you really don’t have much direction and probably won’t be very effective when trying to help. When working with Pedro, I think it would be important to have a good knowledge of the disease and how the treatment plan works. I would want to ask him about the decisions he has made about his treatment plan so ensure that it’s the best course of action. I would imagine that Pedro is feeling a sense of guilt and blaming himself for the loss of his first wife and youngest son so I think I would like to know his perspective on their deaths. I would ask questions like why he thought they lost the battle to HIV but he hasn’t and how that makes him feel. Having a good knowledge base on the disease I think would help shed some light on this and maybe help him see that it wasn’t his fault. Another think I would need to know is more about the Dominican culture, in order to remain culture sensitivity. In addition, another thing to ask him about would be how the family unit functions with his disease and after the death of the mother and brother/son.

I think the best way to handle this type of case if on a micro level. This seems to be a very personal situation and I think working with Pedro in a one on one setting. I think by having meetings one on one with clients it allows them to feel more comfortable when sharing information, and takes away the fear of being judged by multiple people. Pedro has already shown signs of not really wanting to be involved in counseling so I think it would be important for him to feel comfortable in sharing so he can hopefully get more out of it than he has in the previous attempts. Also, because this experience has affected his family, I think it would be a good idea to get them involved at some point so Pedro has a good support system during the healing process.

Plummer, S. -B Makris, S., & Brocksen S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

Discussion 2 week 7 SOCW 6101

Respond by Day 6, to at least two colleagues by explaining two social work skills you might use to overcome the challenges your colleague described when working with mandatory and involuntary clients.

1. Christina Burns

RE: Discussion 2 – Week 7

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Top of Form

Often, as social workers we will be given the task of working with clients that are hesitant to the process. Involuntary or mandated clients may pose some challenges and require some extra thought on the social worker’s end. According to de Jong & Berg, ” work with mandated clients is most likely to break down at engagement” (2001, p.12).

The engagement step of the process is critical when working with involuntary clients. Kirst-Ashman & Hull describe involuntary clients as potentially being angry and hostile ( 2012, p. 85). It is important that clients have buy in to the process so that they can be successful. If they are being forced to receive services they may be resentful and not willing to gain from the help that you are trying to give them.

It is important that social workers cooperate with these types of clients. They should feel listened to and that their feelings matter. Often, mandated clients can feel attacked and gained up on. They need to feel empowered and that they have choice in the process. Social workers should take a solution-based approach with these clients and focus on what they want to gain from the situation. Workers should co-construct plans with their clients and let them make their own choices so that they can have trust in what they are doing.

For example, in the case of Hernandez family, a couple was referred to child protective services due to allegations of child abuse. They did not agree with the decision and therefore were upset about having to participate in the process. The father was especially openly hostile ( Plummer, Makris, Brocksen, 2014). In a case such as this it is important that the worker work with the client’s strengths, remain calm, and establish short term goals (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012).

Many of the same principles, techniques, and methods are the same for voluntary and involuntary clients. As for any client, voluntary or involuntary, it is imperative that they be looked at as an individual and their own specific needs be assessed. There is no one size fits all for any client and it is necessary that social workers engage with them in the way that is best for them.

References

de Jong, P., & Berg, I.K. (2001). Co-Constructing cooperation with mandated clients. Social Work, 46(4), 361-374. Retrieved from Walden Library databases.

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G.H., Jr. (2012). Understanding generalist practice. (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Plummer, S. – B., Makris, S., Brocksen S, (Eds.).(2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore , MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

2.

Kimberly McRae

RE: Discussion 2 – Week 7

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Top of Form

In the case of the Hernandez family, the social worker may face challenges with getting the clients to actively participate during sessions. When clients do not think that there is a problem the may not be willing to work towards finding a solution. The Hernandez’s believed that their form of punishment was acceptable because that was how they were punished as children. Another challenge a social worker my face is that the clients will not participate in the treatment plan. Clients may not show up for session or be angry during sessions. During the session, The Mr. Hernandez was very angry and did not want to participate in the sessions. Some clients that are mandated to attend counseling may feel like they are being attacked for something that they believe is acceptable behavior. They may feel that the social worker is looking down on them.

Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G.H., Jr. (2012). Understanding generalist practice. (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.

Plummer, S. – B., Makris, S., Brocksen S, (Eds.).(2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore , MD: La

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