Social Work Case Study Analysis: Kelly’s Case
The case study starts with an introduction of Kelly whereby she narrates her aspirations that push her to follow her dream. Her dream of becoming a nurse is driven by how people from her community were falling sick and visiting hospitals for regular check-ups (Social work Kelly film, n.d). She was even more pushed to pursue this dream by the death of her mother, an instance that inspired her to aspire becoming a great person in the community if only she could get all the necessary resources such as funds and emotional care. However, the resources were not adequate as the tuition fee was expensive and her father could not afford the lump sum amount (Social work Kelly film, n.d). Therefore, this mounted more pressure on her in addition to her falling sick child. Consequently, she seeks counselling from one of the social workers from the Australian Catholic University of Allied Health from where she studies her nursing course. In the conversation, Kelly gets to explain her burning issues to her dad through the assistance of the counselor from the University on how her studies and more so, on how she should achieve her dreams.
However, after the first encounter, the counselor wonders if she should implore on the family and community protocols of Kelly so that she can decide on the best way to handle her (Anderson & Ukpokodu, 2016). She feels as if she is reacting contrary responsive towards Kelly’s situation and hence needs to dig deep into the family commitment (Social work Kelly film, n.d). As such, the paper will look at knowledge, theories, and skills that a social worker can utilize trying to understand a culturally responsive social work practices with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people as well as providing personal and professional values and ethical issues related to the situation (Hugman, 2012).
Understanding of Culturally Responsive Social Work Practices with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
According to the Australian Association of Social workers, the social worker employees must have knowledge and skill on how to conduct their clients by reconciling them with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Australia Association of Social Workers, 2015). In doing so, social workers must commit themselves to the acknowledgment and understanding of contemporary and the historical shortcomings the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experienced and their effects on social work practice (Australia Association of Social Workers, 2015). Additionally, social workers should ensure that their service to the people is culturally responsive, safe and sensitive to the issues presented (Atkinson & Atkinson, 2016). Cultural responsive practice implies the ability of a social worker to study and understand other cultures, as well as practice skills, learnt in handling clients. According to Bender, Negi and Fowler (2010), the ability of the social workers to be knowledgeable in the ways of their cultures as manifested in the family or societal background is the key thing towards utilization of their social skills. As such, having a self-reflection and positioning are essential to culturally responsive practice in Australia.
Essentially, the cultural responsive behavior is likely to integrate into the professional development of the social workers if only they can learn to uphold the core values that relate to their profession such as having due respect to all individuals irrespective of who they are or where they come from. As for the case of the Aboriginal and the Torres, an approximate number indicates that there are more than half a million Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people with diverse cultures and histories as well as beliefs living in Australia (Queensland Government, 2015). Shockingly, these people go through a lot of challenges that has special bearing on their cultures and identities. The experiences gained out of these traumatizing stages of life are anticipated differently by different individuals, families, and communities. As such, integrating the situation of Kelly on the experiences of the Aboriginal and Torres, there is a sense of consensus where the two are undergoing through the detrimental turmoil of thought and pressure.
Bernett, Zubrzycki, and Bacon, (2011) highlight some critical factors which are necessary when reacting culturally responsive to various situations as they may arise. Respect, awareness, and valuing of the indigenous are some of the key factors that every social worker should have since they help in strengthening relationships as well as developing loyalty between the parties involved in trust creation. Similarly, the social worker at the ACU tries to familiarize herself with the family and community commitments which could be some of the contributing factors leading to the stressful situation evident with Kelly. Coincidentally, there is also a great diversity between Aboriginal and Torres about their beliefs and cultures that call for immediate intervention to understand why the variation and look for ways of rectifying the situation (Reconciliation Australia, 2016). The qualitative study conducted by Bernett in 2011 reveals that community development and the establishment of an appropriate strengths approach are important ingredients in working collaboratively with Indigenous families and communities (Bernett, Zubrzycki & Bacon, 2011).
Knowledge, Theories, Skills, and Values that Informs on Culturally Responsive Practices
While providing a culturally responsive social work services, it is important to understand critical concepts and theories of whiteness and white privilege. According to Walter, Taylor, and Habibis (2011), the whiteness theory is important in understanding the effects of colonization on practice approaches of non-indigenous social workers. The authors add that the whiteness theory is fundamental in engaging the social workers in Australia to keep progressing and developing relationships with indigenous people and communities. The theory of whiteness is based on universal values against which other races are evaluated when constructing identity and representation as well as nationalism and law (Camille & Grumbach, 2015). As such, eradicating the challenges and risks presented by the whiteness theory, the social workers must commence on the development of their racial identity and reflect themselves as part of the society within which their clients emerge (Quinn & Grumbach, 2015). Consequently, a critical reflection on the racial identity of the social worker and self-awareness helps promote them to decolonize practices and learn how to challenge the status of their professional knowledge.
According to Muller (2014), cultural competence is a crucial pillar in social work education. However, with variation in population composition, the meaning cultural competence has changed to include variations in sexuality, church denomination as well as capability. Nevertheless, critics argue that the use of cultural competence model or framework has proved to be ineffective since it concentrates all the oppressions under one roof leading color-blind mentality that ignores the effects of racism institutionalization (Muller, 2014). All in all, the critical race theory can be utilized to address some of the burning issues that cut across cultural and family backgrounds with the use of the cultural competence model.
Another key theory in understanding the role of the social workers is the use of systems theory. In this theory, the various ways in which societies are interconnected are important to an understanding of the commitments of the various organs that interconnect the societies’ network. The system theory was developed by Ludwig Von Bertalanffy in 1940 and advance by Ashby in 1956 (Hanson, 2014). The argument that Ludwig raises in this theory is that systems must be open and allowed to interact with one another in a manner that strengthens unity in the society leading to the evolution of qualitatively new properties. According to the systems theory, the various parts that constitute an organism are very important in the way activities are connected from one part to another (Hanson, 2014). Similarly, the individuals within the society are the most integral components of the society, and as such, they must live in unity when facilitating the direction of various services to one another.
Notably, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are believed to be suffering from psychological disorders and mental health problems than any of their mutual counterparts. As such, serious intervention into their problems is necessary to evaluate structural and functional access barriers that result to such distress (Hepworth et al., 2015). As such, to address the mounting conditions of mental pressure on the patients, the health care system in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deployed a social worker and a psychologist to look into the contributing factors leading to the situation (Anderson & Ukpokodu, 2016). The results revealed that the role of social workers and psychologists were significant in dealing with disastrous situations that affect individuals leading to a degrading health living. Also, the results revealed that responsiveness to the needs of the community and trustworthy relationships as well as shared cultural background are some of the main themes that relate to an increment in the mental health care programs in the Aboriginal and Torres Islander people in Australia. As such, by improving the social and emotional well-being of the people is crucial when addressing the health inequalities that exist amongst them. Besides, this study revealed the goodness that arises from the establishment of culturally responsive practices between the clients and the health professionals as well as the social workers in alleviating many of the psychological, health and social problems (Hepworth et al., 2015).
Reflecting on the personal and professional values and ethical issues from the case study, it is equally important to also look at the code of ethics that relate to the professional standards of social workers (Anderson & Ukpokodu, 2016). Personal and professional values may relate to how an individual is capable of regulating mechanisms of social control, maintain social care to the affected people, uphold high levels of social justice and introduce the necessary changes for peaceful living (Hugman, 2012). Remarkably, it is only when social workers can understand the family and community commitments that they can be capable of providing the necessary mental and emotional support to a client.
The professional values involve the application of a theoretical approach towards interpreting various psychological and emotional as well as social attributes that lead to varied circumstances of the client leading to high levels of stress. As such, professional values relate to how professionals place high value on social life of individuals and an exploration of the various meanings that people attach to their social life (Hugman, 2012). Consequently, this makes the use of the interpretive approach to be relevant for social workers who deals with clients comprising of diverse issues. Precisely, the difference between professional and personal ethics or values is that the former is purposeful while the latter is general. The main aim of professionalism is to not to diagnose the symptoms of the problem but to treat the radical cause of the problem (Hugman, 2012). On the other hand, personal ethics may mean how individuals strive to maintain their mutual relationships with one another. As such, the correlation between personal and professional ethics is more complex for social workers than for members of any other profession.
Reflecting on Personal and Professional Values and Ethical Issues
In relationship to the case study, Kelly’s situation is seemingly complicated according to her. She feels she has too much on her shoulder to bear bearing that she is at the hands of her father. Specifically, she is emotional about how she will carry on with her education and how to achieve her dreams of becoming a nurse. Subsequently, she visits a social worker from her college to seek to counsel. The counselor applies both her personal and professional ethics to handle Kelly. She becomes compassionate about Kelly’s situation and reveals it in a very friendly manner. Clearly, to understand Kelly’s experience, she arranges for another day upon which she could decide on what she should know about her so to have the basis line thereby displaying her professional ethics. Ethical issues are always prevalent in the everyday life encounter. For instance, one ethical issue that may dominate the situation of Kelly may be fear to hit the truth to her or conflicting obligations of the social workers with those of the clients and employers, confidentiality and privileged communication as well as terminating services contrary to the wishes of the client in addition to providing services against the client’s wish.
References
Anderson, G. T., & Ukpokodu, O. N. (2016). The use of self as a tool for culturally responsive change agency in social work practice: A qualitative phenomenological case study. Kansas City, Missouri: University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Atkinson, J. & Atkinson, C. (2016). A Healing Foundation for Aboriginal Community Development. In C. Kickett-Tucker., D. Bessarab., J. Coffin., M. Wright. (Eds.). Mia Mia Aboriginal Community Development: Fostering cultural security (pp.110-126). Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.
Australian Association of Social Workers, (2015). Preparing for culturally responsive and inclusive social work practice in Australia: Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Retrieved from: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/7006
Bender, K., Negi, N. & Fowler, D. N. (2010) Exploring the relationship between self-awareness and student commitment and understanding of culturally responsive social work practice, Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 34-53. DOI: 10.1080/15313200903531990
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Camille, R. Q. & Grumbach, G. (2015). Critical race theory and the limits of relational theory in social work with women. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 24(3), 202-218.
Hanson, B. G. (2014). General Systems Theory-Beginning With Wholes: Beginning with Wholes. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis.
Hepworth, J., Askew, D., Foley, W., Duthie, D., Shuter, P., Combo, M., & Clements, L.-A. (2015). How an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care service improved access to mental health care. International Journal for Equity in Health, 14, 51. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-015-0183-x
Hugman, R. (2012). Culture, values and ethics in social work: embracing diversity. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Chapters 1 & 5.
Muller, L. (2014). A theory for Indigenous health and human service work: Connecting Indigenous knowledge and practice. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.
Queensland Government (2015). Communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Retrieved from: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/151923/communicating.pdf
Quinn, C., & Grumbach, G. (2015). Critical Race Theory and the Limits of Relational Theory in Social Work. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 24(1), 202–218.
Reconciliation Australia. (2016). The State of Reconciliation in Australia: Summary. Retrieved from http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/sorry-day-stolen-generations
Social work Kelly film master web quality. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A38f_NtKHHc&feature=youtu.be
Walter, M., Taylor, S. & Habibis, D. (2011). How white is social work in Australia? Australian Social Work, 64(1), 6-19. DOI: 10.1080/0312407X.2010.510892
