Social Work Theory Critique

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Table of Contents

Agency Intro
Theories and Intervention
Reflection
References

Agency Intro

Agency Description/Mission

The agency where the volunteer work was done is the organization under the title Faith and Light, founded by Jean Vanier in France in 1971. Originated as a system of facilities in France, the agency has expanded its operations to other countries. There are several groups on the territory of the United States of America. The attended group is located in El Cajon; it seeks to support vulnerable populations with the help of Christian practice. According to the official website of the organization, the agency’s mission is to “Reveal to each person his/her unique gift and beauty” (“Our mission,” n. d., para. 1). The aim of the group is to provide social support for people with disabilities in order to take them out of isolation.

Target Population

The agency’s target population includes people with disabilities who suffer from social exclusion. The group incorporates individuals of all ages, excluding infants. Overall, children, adults, and older adults with diverse disabilities constitute the group (“Our mission,” n. d.).

Also, the group includes not only the primary clients but also their families who provide care for the disabled. People with physical impairments, those in wheelchairs, cognitive disabilities, Down syndrome, and other issues are included in the group for social work. The volunteers initiate an array of recreational activities for the target population with an aim to facilitate their social inclusion and communication with peers. The activities include regular exercises, dancing, preparing food, eating together, praying together, drawing, coloring, crafting, and others.

Self-Determination

The issue of self-determination is crucial for the agency’s interventions. The people who attend the group have expressed their willingness to join either on their own or with encouragement of family members. Since the concept of self-determination embodies the ability of a client to choose and prioritize his or her activities, have and pursue their individual opinions, and behave according to them (Zastrow, 2015).

Consequently, a social worker cannot force a client to join any activity against the client’s free will. In the agency of volunteer placing, the principle of self-determination is vastly preserved and respected. All clients within the target population attend the group activities voluntarily. For example, when a client was reluctant to join a dancing activity in one of the group sessions, he was allowed to watch without active participation. No pressure or force was applied in order to preserve the principle of self-determination.

Theories and Intervention

Social Work Theory

The activities for volunteer work in the designated group are based on the fundamental social work theories and adhere to its principles. The agency of placement organizes its work with the clients according to the ecological mo0del of human behavior. According to Zastrow (2015), this perspective enables facilitating the “dysfunctional transactions between people and their physical and social environments” (p. 49). Since disabled individuals suffer from social isolation due to their impaired mobility or cognition, it is a challenge for them to participate in social life and become full-fledged members of society.

According to Chau, Yu, and Boxall (2017), disabled people experience different manifestations of social exclusion varying form unemployment and economic difficulties to relational barriers. Social work with such population groups allows for achieving positive results in the inclusion of the disabled into the community. As an example of the utilization of ecological theory in the attended agency, one might highlight the organization of close communication between clients and their family members, as well as with the volunteers and other clients in the group. By adjusting the right environment for the target population, social workers foster the clients’ inclusion integration into society.

Another social work theory that applies to the designated volunteer workgroup in El Cajon is the systems perspective, which is closely related to the ecological model but is more specific. According to this theory, a person is treated from the perspective of his or her interaction with different systems. These systems include family, education, social services, politics, religion, employment, and others (Zastrow, 2015).

For the population of people with disabilities, the issue of belonging to the systems is significantly important since their relationship with the majority of systems is diminished due to their conditions. Consequently, it is vital for such people to feel included in those systems with the help of social workers. Isolation is a harmful psychological condition that might exaggerate the detrimental effects of disabilities of a person’s well-being (Chau et al., 2017).

At the agency of placement, the work with clients is organized in a way that everyone is a part of a bigger community, in which the variety of activities represents different systems. They might include religious, family, social, and educational systems. Therefore, adherence to this theory allows the agency to achieve good results in work with its target population.

Social Work Intervention

The social work interventions within the agency included group work, which corresponds with the ultimate mission of the agency. According to Simcock and Castle (2016), people with disabilities are exposed to difficulties in communication. This issue impacts both the disabled and their family members, who might experience frustration and confusion, managing the needs of those they care about. Therefore, the group interventions for recreational, religious, and recreational purposes engaging people of different ages and with different disabilities ensure active facilitation of the communication between the group members. The effectiveness of such interventions is amplified due to the participation of qualified social workers who guide all the activities and help clients progress in their development.

Effective or Ineffective

The group work under the adherence to the ecological and systems perspectives is highly effective. The agency in El Cajon provides beneficial interventions for people with physical or cognitive disabilities. Since this population is vulnerable due to their continuous isolation for society as one of the shortcomings of their conditions, it is vital to preserving their social interaction with others. The collaborative endeavors of the staff and volunteers engaged in the performance of the agency contribute to the improvement of the psychological environment of the clients.

The ability to be around peers, feel a decent member of a community, and being supported by family members and professionals benefits the clients’ social integration and well-being. The utilization of such important social work tools and ecological model and systems theory allows for well-organized and effective activities to provide the best results.

Reflection

Recommendation for Agency

Despite the overall effectiveness of the group interventions initiated for the target population, there are some drawbacks and areas for improvement. It has been noticed that the majority of activities initiated for the groups are of recreational character. Although it is an important part of social inclusion for people with disabilities, it seems like their particular psychological issues are not directly addressed.

It would be beneficial to initiate group discussions of a more therapeutic-oriented nature, during which the clients could engage in a discussion of their particular concerns. In such a way, the clients will have an opportunity to reach professionals and find their help in advising how to behave. In combination with already existing highly effective interventions, such merely psychological rehabilitation, would contribute to a more successful social integration.

Discussion of Supervision

The organization of the work within the mission of the agency is guided by devoted staff members who lead the volunteers through the process of interaction with the group. The program of the activities is carefully provided to all the staff members and volunteers. Necessary consultations are freely accessible if any need arises. Under such favorable working conditions and with a clear statement of the group’s goals, it is easy to follow the guidelines of the supervisors and achieve the expected results.

Self-Reflection

My volunteer work at Faith and Light was a productive and valuable professional experience. During my time at the agency in El Cajon, I managed to cooperate with other staff members and learn from them. Also, I was able to practice the implementation of the theories of social work, such as the ecological model and systems theory. The real-life application of the theoretical foundations helped me to understand the meaning of social work in general and its importance to the target population who are people with disabilities. I learned that the work with vulnerable populations requires thorough deliberation, acute attention, and a high level of professionalism to cope with the difficulties of such work and help people manage their isolation issues. This opportunity to use my knowledge and acquire new professional experience has contributed significantly to the scope of my skills and will benefit my future work as a social worker.

References

Chau, R. C. M., Yu, S. W. K., & Boxall, K. (2017). Combating social exclusion faced by disabled people in the wage labour market in Hong Kong. Social Policy and Society, 1-36. Web.

Our mission. (n. d.). Web.

Simcock, P., & Castle, R. (2016). Social work and disability. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Zastrow, C. (2015). Introduction to social work and social welfare: Empowering people. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

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