Competency 8
INTERVENE WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES
INTERVENE WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES
Social workers understand that intervention is an ongoing component of the dynamic and interactive process of social work practice, and on behalf of, diverse individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are knowledgeable about evidence-informed interventions to achieve the goals of clients and constituencies, including individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers understand theories of human behavior and the social environment, and critically evaluate and apply this knowledge to effectively intervene with clients and constituencies. Social workers understand methods of identifying, analyzing and implementing evidence-informed interventions to achieve client and constituency goals. Social workers value the importance of inter-professional teamwork and communication in interventions, recognizing that beneficial outcomes may require interdisciplinary, inter-professional, and inter-organizational collaboration.
To best represent my growth within Competency 8, the first artifact I selected was a paper from the beginning of my time in the social work program. It was a Small Group Development paper from the course SW 340: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I. for this assignment, myself and a group of other students reenacted how a self-help group for mothers experiencing domestic violence might proceed. Through the paper, we discussed our roles, the form of small group intervention we chose to facilitate, and why we chose to script particular events within the discourse of the reenactment. for my second artifact, I showed my experience with intervention with individuals and families through the facilitation of visits to the In the Image Donation Center. At my field placement, I frequently organize for clients to visit the donation center so they are able to find clothing and other items they need for themselves and their families upon their arrival.
SW 340: Small Group Development Project: Domestic Violence
For this paper, my group and myself had to develop a small group, in our case for mothers experiencing domestic violence, in order to learn and understand the components of intervention. We chose to model our group after this population because unhealthy relationships that consist of physical altercations put mothers in a tough position. Their choices concern themselves along with their children’s well-being. Providing these mothers with a support system of other women who are experiencing similar problems, can consequently promote feelings of inspiration. For this reason, we decided that a self-help group design would be most beneficial to this population. In the paper we explained the components and roles of members within a self-help group, and for our reenactment in front of the class, we each formulated a character we would play and adopted one of the components. Furthermore, we planned an agenda for the group, and detailed how this particular group may play out, including a conflict resolution scenario. I found this assignment helpful to my understanding of Competency 8, as I had not had much prior experience with any form of intervention. Through putting myself in the place of someone who may be attending a group of this nature, I learned how dynamic the process of intervention is, and how progress is not always linear, but a process that both clients and social workers have to work together towards to reach a mutual goal.
In the Image Donation Center Visits
For my second artifact, I chose to link information about the In the Image Donation Center. At my internship, Samaritas, we frequently take refugee clients to this donation center so that they can pick out clothing and other other items, such as toiletries and furniture, for themselves and their families upon their first year of arrival in the United States. In most cases, clients enter our resettlement program with little to no money or family connections, and need assistance on their path to learning how to function and be self-sufficient in American society. Once a client arrives, I will help to register them with In The Image, and set up their first appointment. Typically, clients are able to take a total of 12 visits to the center over the course of the year if they need. Then, I will coordinate with the clients and drive them to the appointment, where they will need to bring travel ID and ideally large bags to store their items. Once checked in, they typically have 45 minutes to shop freely around the center, and are able to take anything they need. From coordinating these visits, I have learned the variation of how intervention can be presented when working with clients. Initially, I thought of intervention only in terms of focused groups targeted at working through a particular issue, as in the mock self-help group I conducted from artifact 1. However, intervention can present itself in terms of interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork, as how Samaritas works with the In the Image center to intervening in a client's case by assisting with clothing needs.
In conclusion, through Competency 8, I have learned that intervention is a term that holds many different meanings in the social work field. Competency 8 could apply to the literal facilitation of a traditional intervention, or could address any way that a social worker may personally or with the help of another institution intervene in a client's case. Throughout my learning within the BSW curriculum along with real-life experiences I have had at my field placement, I have had the chance to learn about, observe, and even conduct these various forms of intervention.