Discussion 1: Self-Reflection and Awareness
Exploring the reasons for wanting to be in social work and examining your motives for choosing a career of helping others is very important.
Your background, including childhood experiences, may be instrumental in bringing you into the field of social work. Understanding the possible connection and working to resolve any underlying unresolved issues is essential to becoming an effective social worker.
While working with a client, you must strive to be objective, but in the end we are all human with past hurtful experiences that can impact our ability to effectively work with clients.
While complete objectivity is impossible and not expected, it is necessary to self-reflect and become aware of when a situation or a certain personality type causes you to react in an unprofessional manner. Understanding potential internal and external barriers you and your client bring to the room will assist you in balancing an appropriate empathetic response with proper objectivity.
For this Discussion, review the Geller & Greenberg (2012) article and the program case study for the Petrakis family , and view the corresponding script .
Post your explanation of the importance of identifying internal and external barriers of the client and social worker. Then describe the barriers experienced by Helen and the social work intern. Finally, suggest ways the intern could overcome these barriers.
Should be in APA format and be at least 150 words and contain at least 1 reference and 1 citation.
Discussion 2: Self-Disclosure
Knowing that clients might react negatively to your work with them may cause anxiety, frustration, and even anger. It is inevitable that you will work with a client who expresses anger or disappointment over working with you. This does happen in the social work field and is to be expected over time.
Understanding how you might react to allegations of incompetence or anger over incomplete goals is essential to managing this type of exchange. While a negative interaction may be justified if either person did not fulfill responsibilities, often it is a result of the client's personal reaction to the situation.
The best response is to use these interactions to build the therapeutic bond and to assist clients in learning more about themselves. Stepping back to analyze why the client is reacting and addressing the concern will help you and the client learn from the experience.
For this Discussion, review the program case study for the Petrakis family.
Post a description of ways, as Helen's social worker, you might address Helen's anger and accusations against you. How might you feel at that moment, and how would you maintain a professional demeanor?
Finally, how might you use self-disclosure as a strategy in working with Helen?
Should be in APA format and be at least 150 words and contain at least 1 reference and 1 citation.
Discussion 3: Values Underlying Theory and the NASW Code of Ethics
Every profession has a code of ethics that guides professional behavior. In social work, the NASW Code of Ethics guides the behavior and decision-making practices of social workers. It is important that the theories social workers select in working with clients align, or are consistent, with the values and ethical principles identified in the NASW Code of Ethics.
In this Discussion, you align ethics and theory in relation to practice.
To prepare: Review the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics .
Post:
• Select feminist theory or empowerment theory. Summarize the underlying principles and values of the theory in 3 to 4 brief sentences.
• Analyze the extent to which the underlying principles and values of the theory are consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics in 3 to 4 brief sentences.
• Briefly describe a client from your fieldwork experience and their presenting problem in 2 to 3 sentences using the theory you selected.
• Identify one ethical standard from the NASW Code of Ethics that would apply to the client you described.
• Explain how the theory is consistent with the work you did with the client and the ethical standard.
Should be in APA format and be at least 150 words and contain at least 1 reference and 1 citation.