Comprehensive Assessment-Cortez Family
This comprehensive assessment will focus on Paula Cortez and will address the issues she and her family is encountering. By using the Solution-Focused and Strengths Perspective Assessments, we are able to approach Paula without judgment and remain client-focused by directing her strengths to establish specific goals to address her needs. The majority of people have an idea of where their lives are currently and where they would like their life to eventually get. By using the Solution-Focused and Strengths Perspective Assessments, the social worker is able to allow the client to remain focused on where they would like to go, rather than where they have been.
Paula Cortez
Paula is a 43-year-old Bilingual, …show more content…
She was determined to not expose her unborn child to drugs and remains abstinent even after his birth. Paula was able to complete her BA in clothing design while taking care of her son and began working full-time. Paula showed immense motivation and determination upon suffering paralysis as a result of complications to her physical health issues. She is determined to continue with her pregnancy even though doctors were encouraging otherwise. An individual’s strengths are not always internal such as these mentioned, at times they be external. According to Cowger (1994), “client 's external strengths come from family networks, significant others, voluntary organizations, community groups, and public institutions that support and provide opportunities for clients to act on their own behalf and institutional services that have the potential to provide resources.” Paula has a tendency to socially isolate, however she reached out to community resources to assist her with her baby. She minimally reached out to her son and ex-husband as she did not want to “burden them with extra responsibility” (Plummer, et al., …show more content…
According to the NASW, “Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote client’s self-determination” (2008). The social worker/psychiatrist in the reading may not have agreed with each and every decision that Paula was making but stated, “We just needed to meet her where she was and move on” (Plummer, et al., 2014a). Once this realization occurred, the social worker was able to focus on Paula’s strengths. As a social worker we cannot place our own bias or beliefs on our client. We need to allow them to make decisions and address their own needs without direct interference from us. By allowing Paula to make choices in addressing her needs, she was able to begin working on what she needed to do which was to get ready for her baby. The social worker provided her with the necessary referrals, however, appeared to leave it to Paula to follow
This comprehensive assessment will focus on Paula Cortez and will address the issues she and her family is encountering. By using the Solution-Focused and Strengths Perspective Assessments, we are able to approach Paula without judgment and remain client-focused by directing her strengths to establish specific goals to address her needs. The majority of people have an idea of where their lives are currently and where they would like their life to eventually get. By using the Solution-Focused and Strengths Perspective Assessments, the social worker is able to allow the client to remain focused on where they would like to go, rather than where they have been.
Paula Cortez
Paula is a 43-year-old Bilingual, …show more content…
She was determined to not expose her unborn child to drugs and remains abstinent even after his birth. Paula was able to complete her BA in clothing design while taking care of her son and began working full-time. Paula showed immense motivation and determination upon suffering paralysis as a result of complications to her physical health issues. She is determined to continue with her pregnancy even though doctors were encouraging otherwise. An individual’s strengths are not always internal such as these mentioned, at times they be external. According to Cowger (1994), “client 's external strengths come from family networks, significant others, voluntary organizations, community groups, and public institutions that support and provide opportunities for clients to act on their own behalf and institutional services that have the potential to provide resources.” Paula has a tendency to socially isolate, however she reached out to community resources to assist her with her baby. She minimally reached out to her son and ex-husband as she did not want to “burden them with extra responsibility” (Plummer, et al., …show more content…
According to the NASW, “Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote client’s self-determination” (2008). The social worker/psychiatrist in the reading may not have agreed with each and every decision that Paula was making but stated, “We just needed to meet her where she was and move on” (Plummer, et al., 2014a). Once this realization occurred, the social worker was able to focus on Paula’s strengths. As a social worker we cannot place our own bias or beliefs on our client. We need to allow them to make decisions and address their own needs without direct interference from us. By allowing Paula to make choices in addressing her needs, she was able to begin working on what she needed to do which was to get ready for her baby. The social worker provided her with the necessary referrals, however, appeared to leave it to Paula to follow