Main Ideas of the Article
This article covered the process of evaluating social work. In professional education, social workers often face contradictions in knowledge bases and worldviews. The current structure of traditional assessment forms is often dictated by the requirements of government regulations and the practice of insurance compensation. However, experience shows that it is possible to use the traditional format differently and initiate changes at different levels (Graybeal, 2001). Social workers can and should propose alternatives, including meaningful questions that will combat relentless harassment and pathology and help uncover clients’ hidden strengths that can significantly change the client’s problem-solving process.
New Paradigms Equal Effective Recovery?
I agree that traditional paradigms can and should be changed to achieve more effective treatment. The option focusing on the patient’s strengths seems to me to be quite successful, which can be seen in one of the examples given in the article. Along with changing the patient’s focus on her strengths, the worker tries to find various options for solving the client’s problem (Graybeal, 2001). As a result, the client experiences the recovery process differently, and the social worker even sees some positive changes.
Questions and Concerns
I believe that the question “When is the problem different?” is important because it allows the client to focus on introspection and relatively independently develop a solution to their problem. However, after studying this article, the main question for me remains the question of the effectiveness of new approaches in the assessment process. Should traditional methods be abandoned and replaced entirely by changing patient focus to their strengths? Or is it better to combine existing practices with new strategies?
The Role of the Social Worker in the Modern World
I realized that social workers have a great responsibility for patients and their recovery process. Helping to recover is still crucial, and social workers have the opportunity to do this more effectively. Social workers need to understand their impact on how they see and relate to people in need of services and how these clients see themselves in the world.
Reference
Graybeal, C. (2001). Strengths-based social work assessment: transforming the dominant paradigm. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services, 82(3), 233-242. Web.