Social Work Methods Theories for Practice

The present report is based on a case study of Juliana; a 27-year-old woman who lived in England for the past three years. This woman is living alone and communicates with her family only twice a week which constantly decreasing in number. On financial grounds, Juliana is quite dependent upon her part-time from where she is getting money in the form of cash. Because of her split from her partner, Laura she was not going to her job on a constant basis which resulted in the replacement of her job role with someone else. This has developed financial issues for the same lady. Separation from the partner has also affected her studies because she has also visited college. Financial weak factors have made life of Juliana more complicated as she was not even able to afford her accommodation this has made her share a room with another student and later when she was not able to manage to share rent then she also spent many nights on the street. Depression from every side has influenced her to consume sleeping tablets whose overdose has caused the situation to worsen (Coady and Lehmann, 2016).

In order to provide effective treatment to Juliana, Strength strength-based approach as well as its application for the current case study has been described below in an effective manner.

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Strength-Based Approach

With the passage of time, excessive focus is put upon self-directed support, self-management of ill health and prolonged health situations. This has led to increasing interests in relation to identification of and leveraging strengths as well as capacities of people who are provided with support facilities with a view to provide assistance to them in resolving the issues and delivering self-solution (Greene, 2017). This has given rise to the concept of strength based approach which put due emphasis over inbuilt strengths of persons, group, family and entity, capitalising on personal strengths for the purpose of facilitation of their empowerment as well as progressive recovery. For effectively emphasizing over health and wellbeing of individuals as well as groups, SBA is acknowledged to be quite strong. Using strength based approach provides assistance in facilitating a shift of balance of care and developing facilities which are based on protection as well as independence. SBA can thus be referred to as a collaborative procedure between the persons provided with support services and the ones providing them with aid, enabling sync between both to draw a result that is focussed upon the strengths and assets of an individual (Carey, 2017).

Application of Strength Based Approach Towards Current Case Study

With reference to the current provided case study of Juliana, it can be said that incorporation SBA is best feasible for the situation as it will provide guidance to the social worker to develop their knowledge on strength of victim. Also, the chosen approach will support social worker student in resolving the problem of Juliana by providing her effective treatment as per her condition (Ratanavivan, 2015). SBA is mainly consist of three conservations model which are Listen and connect, work intensively with people in crisis/at risk and Build a good life. All of these models are supportive for social worker at the time of providing treatment to the patient in best possible manner. Listen and connect, simply states that how social worker will connect various things with the respondent that collaboratively supports them in overcoming their life situation. This can be effectively done by developing connection with the family as well as neighbours. Work intensively with people in crisis/at risk, at this social worker emphasizes on evaluating what things or areas should be changed in order to provide safe environment to victim. In order to support the victim, social worker often works with these people and also support them with the monetary values so that they can effectively overcome the problem without any sort of issue. Build a good life, In this main focus of social worker is on providing better lifestyle to victim by effectively making use of their own resources. This can be done in better manner by conducting good planning according to the situation of individual so that appropriate actions could be taken towards the same (Hurley and et. al., 2015).

Social worker student could here can make use of effective narrative theory as the main form of  Listen and connect in SBA in order to develop their self confidence among themselves and motivate them in right direction so that she can overcome from the trauma from which she is going through. Narrative theory can also be seen as the core part of first conservations model that is Listen and connect. This is because; it can be easily applied to the current stated case scenario.

While communicating to the Juliana at the time of meet on the street, it has been analysed that behaviour of Juliana is very much influential which can be moulded by anyone by having strong arguments with her (Thompson, 2017). The social worker has also developed the perspective towards the victim that she will be easily motivated by having regular based communication with her. This communication will include detailed discussion on life situation. At this point of time, narrative theory has been acknowledged by the social worker student as best one which will definitely help them out in making Juliana develops sooner. Narrative theory is considered as the effective theory of SBA which simply states that an individual or patient can easily be motivated by narrating them the story of other victims who have gone through the same sort of situation but with the passing time how these people have developed their own knowledge over the situation and themselves taken initiative to improvise the same in rightful manner (Mohamad and et. al., 2018). Also, initiative taken by these victims has also supported them in dealing with the same situation and coping up the trauma from which they are going through.

In addition to this, social worker could here use more than one story in order to get connected with the Juliana and mould her mind towards the things which are happening with her at the same time. While applying this narrative theory in SBA, it is important for social worker to emphasise on using various key narrative ideas in order to serve Juliana and treat her effectively in best possible manner. Some of the main ideas that must be considered by them are explained below in effective manner:

• It is important for social worker to perceive Juliana in the manner that she is expert in her own way. This will help social worker in identifying best things or strengths available within Juliana.
• At next, it is required by social worker to remain constantly respectful towards Juliana without blaming for the situation that is happening with her.
• Along with this, as per current case social worker is also expected to make use of multiple stories so that they treat Juliana with every possible direction. This will also contribute in overlooking all kind of situation which is being faced by Juliana. As a result, it would be easier for social worker in providing support to Juliana effectively.
• At next, problems are required to consider as the separate entity by social worker from the people to whom they are providing treatment (Duan and Bu, H. 2019). Here, it is important for the individual to treat Juliana and her per problems separately so that her individual life can be determined and according to that only solution of her problems can be identified in effective manner.
• It is termed as the last narrative idea that clearly states that individual is required to assume that every person has his/ her own skills, beliefs, competencies, commitments, values, abilities etc. that works as the essential factor which fosters or hinders problem. It also supports in changing the relationships of individual for the problems that is affecting their lifestyle.

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By considering all these narrative ideas as the base social worker can easily develop his own knowledge over the overall scenario and could also find out alternative by which Juliana could get recovered in the sooner manner. While providing treatment to Juliana or finding out best solution for the same lady, it is important social worker to go through Narrative therapy process. This process is consisting of 4 different stages. Assessment, it is the first and foremost stage in which service user get to know that there is the problem that is required to be resolved. It can also be said that every story has the base of problem that has been faced by them (Hartmann and et. al., 2016). With reference to the current represented scenario of Juliana and her case social worker will here assess whole situation as he/ she have noticed that Juliana s going through some sort of problem when she was identified as a victim at road with the overdose of sleeping pills. Noticing themes and expectation, It is the second stage at which social worker emphasizes on listening the story in fair manner so that each aspect associated with this in order to determine exceptions of the problems in rightful manner. At this level, the same social worker will conduct meeting session for Juliana in which she will going to express her own story. While listening same story, it is important for social worker to fairly listen all consequences of this lady's story in order to find out exceptions belonging to the same problem. Problem naming, mapping and externalising, this is the third most stage at which good listener can easily develop their own knowledge over the problem and also find out suitable name for the same (Waters and Sun, 2016). This directly helps them out in mapping and deconstruction (breaking problem into small sections in order to link it with the belief and power of society so that better solution towards the same can be attained in rightful manner) problem. As per the available information on the Juliana case, it can be said that social worker here emphasizes on developing their knowledge on the overall problem so that they can further relate it with the society and better solution towards the same can be attained in faster manner. Finding alternative stories, it is the last stage at which individual focuses on finding alternative story for the victim. This alternative story is somewhat matching to the overall scenario and helps them in moulding mindset of the respective person that is patient in changing their own mindset in rightful manner. In context of current stated story of Juliana, it can be said that social worker who is looking after this lady is required to emphasize on determining any kind of alternative story based on the exceptions. This story will definitely have somewhat similar kind of starting like Juliana but its ending must be having positive glimpse (Pandey and et. al. 2017). This simply states that by analysing same kind of situations faced by individual it can be said that Juliana will definitely get motivated as she will also link her own scenario with the others. Here, by observing the initiative taken by the others and results obtained by them will definitely motivate her in positive manner. As a result, Juliana will be able to recover sooner with the usage of narrative therapy of SBA.

Work intensively with people in crisis/at risk, It is termed as another form of SBA that is being considered by social worker practitioners while providing treatment to the needy person.  With reference to the current case scenario, here, it is important for social worker to determine various areas that are required to be changed effectively in order to serve the same person in a better manner and also provide them safe environment. It can be said that the social worker is here required to contribute his share in improving the health condition of Juliana by contributing an amount that will be further utilised in medication and other core treatments of the patient. In order to ensure the wellness of Juliana in the coming time the respective social worker focuses on developing an effective plan that will include information on all the activities which would be one by one followed by a social worker. Compliance with these activities will help the social worker in taking the best possible step through which Juliana could easily recover within less period of time in a rightful manner.

Building a good life, It is another important form of the three conservations model which clearly depicts that individuals are required to focus on providing the best life to others (Jagannathan, Gururaja, and Manjunatha, 2016). With reference to the social worker student who is handling the case of Juliana focuses on contributing a fair amount of their personal budget in order to ensure that all required treatment could easily be available for her. Apart from their own investment, here social worker also focuses on gathering other sources from where he/she can easily generate the level of the amount which will be further utilised in providing a better lifestyle to the victim or the patient. It can be said that the usage of this model will directly support the social worker in providing the best treatment to Juliana which will have a positive impact on her health conditions in a rightful manner. While building a good life for Juliana, it is also essential for the social worker student to emphasize developing an effective plan of recovery for Juliana. While making this plan, it is essential for the individual to involve all related or close people of the lady who are connected with her and have a major influence over their lifestyle. In the case of Juliana, the social worker student will include mother, father, sibling, and college friend of Juliana. Along with this, the respective concerned person can also communicate to Laura her partner in order to stabilize the condition of Juliana. The lady is having close relationship with her partner who simply states that if she has words with her then it will directly contribute to her recovery.

As per the overall information provided on the case study, it can be said that the current stated case study is directly related to the mental health case of an individual. According to the above-provided case of Juliana, it can be said that the SBA approach is best suitable for the current scenario as the social worker practitioner can easily provide the best treatment to the lady victim who could later recover with the treatment provided by the social worker student. In the SBA, respective social workers have used the narrative theory as it is best theory that owns the capability of treating mental health patients. In context with the case scenario of Juliana, it can be said that Narrative theory is considered the best theory of SBA as it is helpful in diverting the minds of respondents in the best possible manner that would directly support them in recovering in the sooner manner (Niu, Vempaty and Varshney, 2018). According to this theory, social worker students will effectively analyze the overall situation of Juliana and then find the most suitable story which is matching with the respective case. Adoption of right story will directly contribute in changing mind of Juliana as she will be able to relate her own case with the narrated story. Also, like the story, there are higher chances that Juliana will definitely get motivated and try to acquire the way in which the victim of the story has used in order to overcome her problem. As a result, it would be easier for Juliana to overcome her problems too with the effective implication of a narrated story.

On the other hand, James Brook (2019), has expressed SBA is directly ignoring weaker areas of the individual which is not good for their development as social worker simply ignores weak sections of the needy person (Why strengths-based programs can't ignore weaknesses, 2019). Also, it has been analysed that there are probable chances that if social worker students will use SBA in Juliana's case then it would be easier for them to deal with her core problem and provide her relevant treatment towards the same in effective manner. From the given case information, it has been observed that Juliana is an emotionally weak woman who is giving maximum priority to her relationship with her partner. This girl is not even discussing her regular lifestyle or issues with her family or friends. This is directly placing a negative impact over the life of Juliana as even small issues of life are also affecting her at a very big state. All of these ultimately have a major influence over her and problems in her life by one increase in number and collaboratively become a major problem for her.

It also states that ignoring weak areas of the victim might not allow social workers to understand what kind of treatment they should provide to the patient so that he/ she can recover faster. Every individual has his own weak areas which are mandatory to be taken into consideration by social worker so that they can use them as the base while deciding treatment or formulating a development plan for the service user so as to deliver the best treatment.

As per the current situation social worker student will conduct some regular meeting sessions with Juliana in which they will first communicate with her about the current situation, her own feelings towards the situation, her past initiatives taken to resolve problems etc. (Beckett and Horner, 2015) On the basis of information received from the communication, the respective person will start providing her advice for resolving. For instance: At first social worker will convince Juliana to communicate with her mother again at frequent basis and tell her about the situation she is going through (Gould and Taylor, 2017). Juliana will also be suggested to tell every situation of her life in terms of financial instability, separation from her partner, living on the streets, dependency on sleeping pills, etc. It can be said that communication with her mother back will develop a strong connection with her mother as she is one of the special and close ones in her life. Connection with the mother will help her in boosting up her mental confidence back which will support her in her recovery in a quicker manner. To convince Juliana to call her mother the respective social worker student will tell a story of a guy who went through a separation from his partner but later on when the same guy communicated with his parents and close friends, it directly helped him out in diverting his mind from the actual problem. As a result, that person has started recovering in a sooner manner. This story will definitely play an effective role in convincing Juliana to call her mother back in order to get emotional support from her side. This will directly provide deeper support to her in recovery (Padgett, 2016).

In addition to this, another intervention that could be taken into consideration by social worker students towards Juliana is to realize her own strengths. In this, they can talk to Juliana about her independence and courageous life that she is living alone away from her parents and family without taking their support even in monetary terms. The practitioner could later on communicate to Juliana about her other strengths related to multitasking skills as she was managing her studies as well as professional life efficiently and even she had having good educational record too (Sams, Garrison, and Bartlett, 2016). All of these are considered as the positive part of the respective service user's life. Even though, the woman was not able to maintain consistency due to separation from her partner still at the start time managed all situation in effective way. It can be later said that communicating all of the situation with Juliana will definitely remind her about her own old days and how all the things were going on the right track. This will also show her that things were even better when she was not in the relationship. That clearly states that the presence or absence of any individual could not even affect the life of the person to one extent. Here, it can be said that it is the only human being or oneself who perceives things in the negative manner and makes them affect their personal life.

The overall intervention taken by the social worker student will directly motivate Juliana and provide higher support in her recovery. By realising her own strengths Juliana will boost up her confidence again and start taking initiatives at her own level in order to improvise the current scenario. It simply states that with the usage of SBA, social worker practitioners could effectively provide support to the patient that is Juliana, and also contribute in her recovery in a quick manner (Swartz, 2017). The overall evaluation done on SBA clearly states that this theory is helpful for social worker practitioners as it provides them guidelines about the way in which they can provide the best treatment to the patient. Along with this, it also allows them to overlook the strengths of every individual so that they can use it as the strong factor that will work as the base for health care practitioners while providing treatment to them in a rightful manner. On the contrary, the same approach even has its consequences as well as lacking areas that might become major issues for the social worker too (Stander, De Beer, and Stander, 2017). SBA is ignoring weak areas of the service user which might miss the major areas that are important to be considered at the time of providing treatment to them for their quick recovery. On the basis of overall information, it can be said that SBA is considered an effective practice that is valuable for them in providing the best treatment to the patient and also supports them in recovering in quicker manner by realizing their own strengths.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of above-described report, it can be said that social work is considered the best practice adopted by an individual so that they can effectively contribute their proportion of share towards societal development in the best possible manner. Here, it has been determined social worker often acquires certain kinds of practices as well as methods in order to serve patients or victims in the best possible manner. Among all the theories narrative therapy theory has been identified as the best method that is supportive of the victim. In this method, the respective social worker identifies any alternative story that is somewhat related to the individual or its story is related to the same person. As a result, this story works as the motivating factor for victims and supports them in motivating them in rightful manner. Along with this, it has also been acknowledged that the strength-based approach directly guides social workers in assuming that every victim or problem-facing person is having its own strength apart from the problem or specific issue. By determining their core strength it is easier for the individual to treat the victim by looking at their strengths only. In addition to this, it has also been identified that social work practice is termed as the effective way through which individuals can easily build up strong relationships with one another and can also implement desired changes for their collaborative development. Social worker practitioners are here required to use their core senses for providing better treatment to the required person.

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