Social Work and Human Services - Assignment Example

Social work and human services Affiliation: Introduction Social work and human services may seem different in definition but they are essentially the same thing only that one is larger than the other and deal more with institutions than small groups or individuals. They all aim to provide social services to people but still maintain ethics as provided by the ethical guidelines and follow practice framework in making decisions. A reflection of the topics learnt and the information gathered in this course is provided below. Critical and reflective practices I have always known reflection is an important mental process that aids an individual in learning about diversity in the thinking hence eventually enabling them shape their knowledge. What I have never known however is theta there is a difference between reflection and critical reflection. According to O’Connor, et al. (2008), critical reflection deals more with emphasizing on power relations as well as teaching on the importance of domination structures in societies while reflection is basically about the diverse perspectives that knowledge has. When thinking about critical reflection therefore, it is important to remember that one is looking at the whole picture rather than just focusing on one dimension. Combining reflection and critical reflection therefore provides a diverse view on the dominant structures in society and the power they might be holding over the people. It is also important to dispel the assumptions that accompany critical reflection if changes are to take place in society or in an organization (D`Cruz, Gillingham & Melendez, 2007). Both reflection and critical reflection enable thinking to take place before action is undertaken. Ethics and ethical practices Application of ethics when tackling everyday dilemmas and societal problems I have realized is not only fair but it is an indication of responsibility as well as avoiding harm to others. What I had failed to grasp however is the magnitude of ethics from the ethical laws and guiding principles to the moral principles, ethical theories and codes of ethics which are necessary to be considered when facing an ethical dilemma or issue. According to Corey, Corey & Callanan (2010), what is necessary however in such a situation is to put aside all personal feelings and establish a professional identity and behaviour. This means being competent and object when analysing the situation and applying the moral and ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, justice as well as maleficence among others. This application should cut across individuals or groups no matter the challenge at hand. The other thing that I have learnt is that it is important to establish confidentiality in handling the ethical issues is legal problems are to be avoided later on as repercussions (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2012). Good practice and complexity Learning has taught me that in trying to establish a good practice, knowledge, skills and values are not the only important things to consider. The practice must be consistent, have a definitive purpose as well as guarantee ethicality to be upheld and especially so when communicating with others. All these are important as explained by Payne, (2008) because they assist an individual to analyse and understand any situations that are taking place and hence also be able to predict future problems and mitigate them as well as assist in setting guidance and a solid foundation to the organization. I have also learnt that a good practice cannot be successful without application of the AASW practice standards of professionalism, cultural responsiveness and inclusiveness, confidentiality, communication, ethical practice as well as development and supervision among others (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2012). All these standards aid in handling properly of clients, workers and the individual, while at the same time applying professionalism and advocating for positive changes for the practice. Social work and social control Social work is basically about how people interact with the social structures already in place in the society (Von Oorschot, et al. (2008). I have always known that whenever there in an interaction between people, tension is bound to take place and this is not different in this case as well. The concept however in this case is described as social functioning and explains best how the conflict is brought about by the differing opinions and views between the people and the institutions. The reason that these social workers are said to be exercising social control more than social assistance is because they have been granted the power to handle economic, social, ideological and even professional issues regarding people no matter their age, gender or even race. The power over the human services is taken by others as being more oppressive than empowering to the workers and especially when they start regarding the people as being homogenous despite their diversity as mentioned above (Capeheart & Milovanovic (2007). People however fail to look at the larger picture which is the benefits they derive from the social workers. Practice frameworks Practice frameworks are simply guides to enable an individual to make decisions based on personal beliefs, professional skills, research as well as the organizational rules and guidelines. What I did not know prior to the learning is that practice frameworks are not as simple as they sound in the definition but they involve other necessities such as dealing with the social ideologies, examination and consideration of the societal beliefs, as well as incorporation of the community expectations (Martinez & Fleck-Henderson, 2014). The tips o have learnt however in the process is that other than simply focusing on the basic elements of a practice guideline, it is also important to ensure consistency in all the decision making, have the ability to communicate with to others and especially the community as well as link the framework to the concerns and experiences or the people you are working with. This will lead to looking at the bigger picture of the community rather than just basing decisions on individual thoughts and social policy set in place (Sheafor & Horejsi, 2008). Roles and levels of intervention Prior to this lecture, I had an understanding that social workers have to deal with the individuals, a small group such as a family as well as sometimes handle larger institutions. What I did not understand is that these are levels of interventions and they require different expertise, knowledge, experience and specific method of handling each case work. I have since then learnt that there are three levels of interventions with the lowest being the micro level handling individuals, mezzo handling small groups and macro handling the institutions. The important skills for the intervention include negotiation and mediation skills, organizational skills as well as teamwork among others (Bertcher, Lamont & Kurtz, 2014). A social worker takes on different roles in his or her career depending on the level on intervention as well as the people needed to be handled. Some of the roles taken up include that of being a counsellor, case manager, staff developer, an educator, an advocate, an administrator, a social change agent and at times even a clinician (Compton, Galaway & Cournoyer, 2005). Human services and its workforce Human services are different from social service which only deals with a specific occupation. It is basically an array of different services and organizations that provide different services to all people and not only specific occupational ones. It is also an industry with different organizations involved including the government and this explains its success rates. These human services I have learnt that they cut across all practices from community development to education, youth work, child protection, disaster recovery, handling of sexual assault and domestic affairs, physical and mental health, security as well as disability and old age issues (Woodside & McClam, 2014). Their main aim is to handle social injustices, personal distresses as well as address the systematic disadvantages people have in society. They handle these through similar intervention levels as those of social workers as well as those of the public health or primary, secondary and tertiary (Hardcastle, 2011). This way, they are able to reach more people and offer them the services mentioned above. Values I have come across the issue of value on several occasions and in different subject areas. However, despite my encounter, I have never come across literature translating the values into practice and specifically ethical practice and hence this lecture was more of an adventure and discovery than a learning experience. I got educated on the importance of valuing the diversity, the humanity, the choices available, privacy, the environment, positive change as well as valuing the quality services (O’Hara & Pockett, 2011). All these are issues that people take for granted and never see the need to value them. However, they are all linked to the values of integrity, social justice as well as respect all of which are ethical and demand adherence (Harms, 2007). The differences between values are ethics are not as pronounced as they ought to be hence not leading to much conviction. What is learnt in the end is that ethics that deal with what is correct and right is deducted from values that deal with what is desirable and good and is shared across groups and individuals. Conclusion By the end of the course, I have been able to learn a lot and especially in pertaining to the work that social workers and human services provide, the ethical dilemma and challenges they undergo and how they handle them as well as the importance of values to the practice of social work and ethics. This information is relevant to my future endeavours and all left now is to implement it. References Bertcher, H., Lamont, A. & Kurtz, L. (2014). Rebuilding Communities: Challenges for Group Work. Massachusetts: Taylor & Francis. Capeheart, L. & Milovanovic, D. (2007). Social Justice: Theories, Issues, and Movements. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. Chenoweth, L. & McAuliffe, D. (2012). The Road to Social Work and Human Service Practice. New York: Cengage Learning. Compton, B., Galaway, B. & Cournoyer, B. (2005). Social work processes. Michigan: Brooks/Cole Publishing. Corey, G., Corey, M. & Callanan, P. (2010). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions. New York: Cengage Learning. D`Cruz, H., Gillingham, P. & Melendez, S. (2007). Reflexivity: a concept and its meanings for practitioners working with children and families. Critical Social Work, 8(1): 1-18. Hardcastle, D. (2011). Community Practice: Theories and Skills for Social Workers. New York: Oxford University Press. Harms, L. (2007). Working with People: Communication Skills for Reflective Practice. New Zealand: OUP Australia & New Zealand. Martinez, D. & Fleck-Henderson, A. (2014). Social Justice in Clinical Practice: A Liberation Health Framework for Social Work. New Jersey: Routledge. O’Connor, I., Wilson, J., Setterlund, D. & Hughes, M. (2008). Social work and human service practice. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia. O’Hara, A. & Pockett, R. (2011). Skills for Human Service Practice: Skills For Human Service Practice: Working with Individuals, Groups and Communities. New Zealand: OUP Australia & New Zealand. Payne, M. (2008). Social Care Practice in Context. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Sheafor, B. & Horejsi, C. (2008). Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice. Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Von Oorschot, W., Opielka, M. & Pfau-Effinger, B. (2008). Culture and Welfare State: Values and Social Policy in Comparative Perspective. Washington DC: Edward Elgar Publishing. Woodside, M. & McClam, T. (2014). An Introduction to the Human Services. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More