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SOCIAL WORK AS AN ART

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Art

Is defined as skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties.

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FACTORS THAT COMPRISE THE ART OF SOCIAL WORK

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Compassion and courage

Compassion and courage to confront human suffering

Compassion means to suffer with others; it refers to a willingness to join with and enter into the pain of those who are distressed or troubled

It is important to recognize that a high level of compassion is not typical of most people.

A social worker who lacks compassion is likely to distance him/herself from client concerns.

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Compassion and courage

Courage is being able to confront on a daily basis human suffering and turmoil and, not in frequently, the negative and destructive behaviors of the human species

Those who have fortitude or courage are able to value and treat with dignity even those who have hurt others.

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Professional Relationship

The capacity to build a meaningful and productive helping relationship

Is the medium through which the worker influences the outcomes of practice

Is the fundamental tool that is use to help people become open to the possibility of change and actively engage in the change process.

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Qualities of a Professional Relationship1. Empathy – the ability to take on another’s

perspective2. Non-possessive warmth –the quality of

relationship that communicates respect, acceptance, and interest in the well being of others

Warmth is transmitted in many forms of communication, from a reassuring smile to an offer of concrete and tangible assistance.

Inherent in all expressions of warmth is acceptance and a nonjudgmental attitude.

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Qualities of a Professional Relationship

3. Genuineness – s/he must behave like a real person and must truly like people and care about their well-being.

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Creativity

The creativity to overcome barriers to change

Creativity is important in social work because each client’s situation is unique and constantly changing.

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Dimensions of Creativity

1. Creative Thinking – characterized by the integration of diverse facts and information leading to the formation of original ideas

2. Imagination- a social worker with imagination can identify a variety of place to approach and solve a problem

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Dimensions of Creativity

Imagination is necessary in:

(a) Formulating several options in solving a problem instead of only coming up with one or two;

(b) Interpreting and implementing agency policies where s/he must find ways to adapt or bend a policy to meet unique client needs.

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Dimensions of Creativity

3. Flexibility – ability to continually modify an adapt prior plans and decisions

The effective worker must be able to shift from one approach to another and correctly decide when a shift is appropriate.

4. Persistence – capacity to continue on a course of action, despite difficulties and set backs

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Hopefulness and Energy

The ability to infuse the change process with hopefulness and energy

Is the social worker’s ability to communicate the perspective that together the worker and the client can improve the client’s situation.

This is central to increasing the client’s motivation to solve his/her problem.

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Hopefulness and Energy

Hopefulness refers to a firm belief and a trust in the basic goodness of people, in their capacity to change in positive ways, and in their willingness to work cooperatively with others for the common good.

Energy is the capacity to move things along, get results, and bounce back from failures and mistakes.

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Judgment The exercise of sound judgment

Judgment – is the power of comparing and deciding;

the ability to come to opinions of things

– assessing client situations, providing alternative solutions, helping plan and conduct change activities, and deciding when to terminate services, deciding when the services needed by the client are beyond the capacities of the worker or agency

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Judgment

Professional judgments depend on clear and critical thinking by the social worker.

Mature judgment is the type of judgment expected of a social worker.

To grow in practice wisdom, the social worker must be analytical, reflective, and open to learning from successes and failures.

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Personal and Professional Values

The appropriate personal professional values

Value is a consistent preference that affects one’s decisions and actions and is based on person’s deepest beliefs and commitments.

Values are our fundamental beliefs about how things ought to be and what is right and worthwhile.

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Personal Values

The dilemma arises when there is a differences of opinion over what is “right”.

The social worker’s view of the “right” maybe be different from the client’s, and both may differ from those who fund and sanction the agency that employs the social worker.

Given that one person’s values and conscience cannot serve as absolute guides for all others to follow.

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Professional Values

The NASW Code of Ethics (1996) is predicated on six core values that drive this profession:

Service – help clients deal with issues of social functioning

Social Justice – social workers are committed to promoting public understanding of the effects of such oppression and encouraging an appreciation of the richness to be gained from human diversity.

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Professional Values

Dignity and Worth of the Person ( and the society) – social workers are committed to considering each client a person of value, and therefore treating the client with respect even when his or her behavior may have been harmful to self or others.

Social workers are committed to improving societal conditions and resolving conflicts between clients and the broader society.

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Professional Values

Importance of Human Relationships – social workers understand that relationships are central to human development as well as to a successful helping process, whether serving individuals, families, groups, organizations or communities.

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Professional Values

Integrity – a helping relationship cannot be sustained unless clients can trust social workers to be honest and to respect the clients’ right to privacy.

Competence – social workers are committed to bringing the best knowledge and skill possible to the helping process.

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The social worker’s personal values should be compatible with the values of the social work profession. If these two values systems are in conflict, one of this two things is likely to happen:1. The worker goes through the motions of

being a professional worker but because his/her heart is not in it, the lack of genuineness is apparent to both clients and colleagues;

2. The worker rejects the profession’s values and principles as a guiding force and responds to clients entirely on the basis of personal beliefs and values.

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Professional Style The formation of an effective professional style

Is the social worker’s unique mode of practice.

“the social worker’s personality, craftmanship and artistry in the application of knowledge and skill are articulated through professional and personal styles” – Siporin (1993, 257)

Style is expressed in how social workers relate to clients – their energy, creativity, wisdom, and judgment, as well as their passion and commitment to particular social issues.

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Professional Style

One’s professional style must be appropriate to the situation, the clients served, and the agency setting.

“know thyself” is an important admonition for the social worker.

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Reference:

Sheafor, B.W. & Horejsi, C.R. (2003, 2006). Techniques and Guidelines for Social Work Practice, 6th, 7th ed., Boston: Allyn and Bacon