Personal Observation In Social Work

Personal Observation Since attending many more team meetings I gained more skills of what a social worker does in their daily work life. I met with a social worker and her client Jim. During their session together they talk about his daily life, what he has been doing, what he wishes to do and his goals for the future. The social worker starts off with a packet that has all of his information in it from his doctor visits to more personal questions or situations that have happened in the past. After they went through that they went through a self-assessment where Jim was asked certain questions. It was mainly about his support systems, if he feels safe, and if he exercises his rights. The practice behavior that goes along with this is advancement …show more content…
This team meeting went a little different than the others I attended. Her sister, who was her guardian, was there and she mainly did all the answering and listening. The social worker went through the same steps as usual but the client did not give any feedback. All of the questions and concerns were directed toward the guardian. Knowing that there will be clients like this, makes me want to make sure I can do the best that I can do for them since they will now acknowledge if they are happy or not. Overall, the team meetings that I attended gave me a real perspective on what a social worker does in their career. Another experience I gained was working in a group home. Instead of following a social worker around, I got to follow someone who works directly with their clients in a day to day setting. This corresponds to the practice behavior of assessing individuals, families, groups, organization and communities. I was sent to a group home in West Fargo. These group homes are townhomes that Red River owns and the people living their pay rent. When I showed up I did not know what to expect. There are at least 4 to 5 people living in one home, and they all have their own rooms. There is also an office for the social workers, …show more content…
Also, the social worker is allocating for this individual so to have a relationship with their family creates a positive atmosphere. Another point of view that the book discusses is “the practitioner must assess the family’s needs from micro, mezzo and macro perspectives” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull Jr., 2015, p.363.) This is important for people with a disability because they cannot fill these needs themselves. The social worker does the planning and improvising for their clients, and the family comes into contact on a regular basis. Overall, there are many scenarios where people with a disability need help in their life, and that is what the social worker is there to do. Strengths-based strategies is mentioned in the textbook “build on the family’s strengths and inherent desire to meet needs and reach goals” (Kirst-Ashman and Hull Jr., 2015, p.365.) The strength based strategies is something that is present at the team meetings. There are individual packets available for everyone who is attending and it discusses the goals and objectives of the individual. These meetings are