Advanced Generalist Perspective

Eco-Systems Perspective and Problem-Solving Models

September 28, 2004

Generalist Social Work Practice

• Practice in which the client and the worker together assess the need in all its complexity and develop a plan for responding to that need

• A strategy chosen from a repertoire of responses appropriate to work with individuals, groups, agencies and communities

• The plan is carried out and evaluated-Source: Introduction to Social Welfare, by C. Zastrow

What about “Advanced” Generalist?

• Advanced knowledge and skill• Ability to use a variety of interventions at a

variety of levels (micro,mezzo,macro)• Builds on the “generalist perspective” you

all should have learned in your BSW programs

• Especially appropriate/useful for rural communities

The “Ecosystems” Perspective

• A way of seeing case phenomena(the person and the environment)

• An ecomap is a visual way to explain this• We are more likely to recognize all the elements

of a case if we use an ecomap• It is easy to overlook significant environmental

issues (poverty, lack of CD treatment resources, transportation and childcare issues) and just focus on the “intrapersonal issues”

Ecosystems Perspective..continued

• Comes from general systems theory and ecology

• Systems theory says elements interact with one another and actions by one element effect the others

• People cannot be separated from their environments, they need to be considered IN THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

• Diversity is the key to cultural and spiritual survival

Social Work and the Other Professions

• The transactional focus (person in environment) is what distinguishes social work from the other professional disciplines(psychology,psychiatry,etc)

Three characteristics of a generalist social worker:

• The generalist is often the first professional to see clients as they enter the social welfare system

• The worker must therefore be competent to assess their needs and to identify their strengths, stress points and problems

• The worker must draw on a variety of skills and methods in serving clients

A generalist social worker has the following 4 goals:

• Enhance the problem solving, coping, and developmental capacities of people

• Link people with systems that provide them with resources, services and opportunities

• Promote the effectiveness and humane operation of systems that provide people with resources and services

• Develop and improve social policy• The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) requires all BSW and MSW programs

to train their students in generalist social work practice

Problem-solving Model

• 1) engagement

• 2) data collection

• 3) assessment

• 4) intervention

• 5) evaluation

• 6) termination

Advanced Generalist

• Expected to have competence to practice independently in complex systems with a variety of problems and populations

• Multi-level approach-including national, international and global levels

• Direct and indirect practice• Commitment and competence in complex

situations calling for ethical decision-making and resolution of ethical dilemmas

Advanced knowledge

• More extensive personal, political, and practice theory

• Enhanced knowledge of people and their environments

• Problem-solving focus is on multiple systems and cultures

• Skill level is developed to work with a variety of systems, particularly in the area of indirect practice

Direct Practice Models

• Addiction• Crisis intervention• Family preservation• Dialectical Behavioral

Therapy (DBT)• Family Therapy• Health Belief model

• Medical model• Narrative therapy• Problem-solving

model• Solution-focused

Therapy

In-direct practice

• Community organizing/social activist

• Administration

• Supervision

• Planning and program development

• Organizational assessment activities

• Program evaluation

• Policy development-local,state,national

Portland State U Grad School of SW

• Direct practice Models-web resource• http://www.ssw.pdx.edu/bradley/pgDHS_PracticeModels.shtml

OK, the “Small Group: part…

• Ecosystems Perspective Exercise

• Case Study Provided• Present your group’s

ecomap to the rest of us

• Don’t forget to have fun and work together