INSTRUCTIONS:This exercise uses a case vignette to aid you in strengthening your response to social work practice situations. You will be better able to integrate generalist social work knowledge and skills by focusing on the strengths and empowerment orientation.
Case Vignette:
A 35-year-old woman comes to your office stating that she is “depressed”. She tells you that her two children have been placed in foster care because the family’s water and electricity were shut off due to nonpayment and neighbors are no longer willing to help with food.
The client is ineligible for public assistance because her husband works erratically as a day laborer, thus generating income for the family.
Her husband is not currently working due to inactive alcohol dependence and past work history.
The client and her family were unable to gain admittence to either a homeless shelter or a transitional housing unit because both were full and had waiting lists. This resulted in her inability to keep her children with her.
Resond to the following questions:
1. How would you evaluate your ability to think in terms of a strength practice approach versus by focusing on “problems” and “dysfunction”?
2. Were you aware of automatic “judgemental” or “blaming the victim” thoughts?
3. In what ways can you support the client’s efforts to assume responsibility and gain a sense of competence, confidence, and control?
4. What social problems, policies, or programs can you identify that be appropriate in this case?
5. What micro, mezzo, and macro interventions would you identify?
6. Were there aspects of this case about which you need more information in order to be effective? Specify the areas in which more information is required. How can you obtain that information?
