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Discussion: Application to Engagement, Assessment, and Intervention
Social workers are expected to apply knowledge of human behavior and the social
environment, person-in-environment, and other multi-disciplinary theoretical
frameworks during stages of engagement, assessment, intervention, and
evaluation when practicing in the field. This discussion is intended to help
you demonstrate and develop your critical thought related to these practice
behaviors. If you have not already done so, begin working on your final
project. The final project asks you to choose a case study on an adolescent
from this course (e.g., Dalia, Eboni Logan, or Diane). Decide which case study
you plan to use and begin working on Part A of the final project.
For this discussion, you use the Kultura Media tool to video record your response to the assignment questions. Your instructor will provide feedback to help guide your process.
To prepare: Review the instructions for the final project.
By Day 3, record a 4-5-minute video in which you:
- Explain how you might apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment when engaging with the identified client in the case.
- Explain how you might apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment when assessing the identified client in the case.
- Explain how you might apply knowledge of human behavior and the social environment when intervening with the identified client in the case.
- Discuss any areas where you feel challenged or need additional support for your final project.
By Day 6, respond to at least one colleague and discuss ideas your
colleague presented that you had not considered and how you will apply what you
learned during this discussion to the final project.
Discussion: Application to Engagement, Assessment, and Intervention
My selection entails Eboni Logan’s case, a 16year-old biracial female who has just discovered she is pregnant, and her family, including the mother and grandmother, has not taken the situation lightly. To engage with the client who in this case, is Eboni, I would use the human behavior and social environment knowledge through interacting with both Eboni and her social environment, including her parents and grandparents. Also, I would first recognize the importance of her social circle from her parents to the boyfriend and how they directly or indirectly influence her life and choices. Her mother is upset, but her father has offered Eboni a place to stay. In this regard, it would be important to engage Eboni on her thoughts about the matter and what she perceives as the best decision or choice in the situation.
In assessing Eboni and the entire situation, the first element related to HBSE I would consider is that of the culture and the society. Through understanding the society as a group of individuals that have learned to work and live together, I would first assess Eboni’s thoughts towards the subject, followed by how she will cope with her social environment. At this point, I would apply the knowledge obtained from Melchert (2015) on the biopsychosocial treatment practice. While there are those individuals that have adjusted to the matter, there are those who have not including her mother. It is therefore important to assess the effect that this has on Eboni and the environment. This is based on the integration of language, child-rearing, and tools that explain social and world relationships.
Intervening in the situation entails considering several aspects including re-establishing the broken relationships between Eboni and her social environment and assisting her in relating with the situation and making profound decisions that are to the best interests of her life. In this case, I would apply the knowledge obtained from Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman (2016) regarding human behavior and the social environment to develop effective intervention strategies that consider the different stakeholders in the entire case. Also, I would consider amending the fallouts between Eboni and her family and looking for ways through which she can grow her pregnancy without psychological challenges such as stress.
Although I feel I am well equipped with sufficient knowledge for my final project, there are a few areas I need additional support. These include establishing the most profound relationships with a client in the case without affecting my interactions with other involved individuals. These would aid in my engagement with all the involved parties, assessment of the case, and developing effective interventions. Also, I need to gain more knowledge of the profound models of social work intervention in a situation to establish the cause of a given challenge and how it can be averted.
References
Melchert, T. P. (2015). Treatment planning. In Biopsychosocial practice: A science-based framework for behavioral health. Washington, District of Columbia: American Psychological Association.
Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Chapter 5 (pp. 254-294)
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