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The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice: Extensions and Cautions
Abstract
The strengths perspective in social work practice continues to develop conceptually. The strengths-based approach to case management with people with severe mental illness is well established. More recently, there have been developments in strengths-based practice with other client groups and the emergence of strengths orientations in work with communities. To augment these developments, converging lines of thinking, research, and practice in areas such as developmental resilience, healing and wellness, and constructionist narrative and story have provided interesting supports and challenges to the strengths perspective. This article reviews some current thinking and research about using a strengths orientation and assesses conceptual endorsements and criticisms of the strengths perspective.
... Por contraste, y dadas las importantes limitaciones del "modelo médico" para enfrentar problemas sociales complejos, es que desde hace ya algunos años se observa un énfasis creciente en la perspectiva de las fortalezas y las habilidades únicas de las personas, que sorprenden al no encajar perfectamente en ninguna categoría y generan soluciones donde ninguna parece posible (Saleebey, 1996). ...
... Aunque muchos trabajadores sociales experimentan una tensión entre estos paradigmas en conflicto, según señala Saleebey (1996), enfrentan desafíos significativos para "incorporar la perspectiva de las fuerzas, incluso en lugares donde hay escaso entendimiento o aceptación respecto a qué significan y de su importancia" (Saleebey, 1996: 297). ...
... La violencia es real. Pero en el léxico de las fortalezas, es tan erróneo negar lo posible como negar el problema" (Saleebey, 1996: 297, en Graybel, 2001. ...
Aunque al compararlo con otros países de la región, el sistema carcelario chileno aún parece estar en mejores condiciones relativas, este es precario al ser examinado frente a países desarrollados donde se gestiona mejor la reinserción. Aunque esta precariedad suele mirarse solo en términos del hacinamiento, existen otros problemas más invisibles, siendo uno de ellos los datos con los que la institución trabaja y gestiona su la reinserción, en particular. En base a una revisión de los campos contenidos en uno de los sistemas informáticos más utilizados por Gendarmería (el llamado “Sistema Internos”), este artículo analiza sus variables, argumentando que esta herramienta de datos refleja y perpetua una forma de nombrar a las personas encarceladas solo en función de sus déficits, carencias y “riesgos” individualmente-determinados. Asimismo, los datos contenidos en este sistema de registro resultan insuficientes para diseñar, implementar y monitorear avances en la reinserción de las personas encarceladas, de acuerdo con la literatura especializada internacional.
... In the western world, the human services field continues to be driven by risk-management (Lonne et al., 2009;Wharf, 2002a), deficit-based, or problem-saturated systems (Lonne et al. 2009;Luckock & Lefevre, 2008;Madsen, 2007;Saleebey, 1997;Ungar 2004). Since the release of the first edition of this book in 2017, and despite the fact that so many workers and organizations now claim to be trauma informed, there remains a desperate need to shed the reliance on punishment-based interventions. ...
... I have also learned that this population of youth demonstrates resiliency and has many strengths. This may not be evident if practicing from a deficit-based or problem-saturated perspective (Luckock & Lefevre, 2008;Madsen, 1999Madsen, , 2007Saleebey, 1997;Ungar, 2004Ungar, , 2006Ungar, , 2015, but does become apparent once efforts have been made to engage the youth in a meaningful way. However, explaining why a youth is high-risk, as opposed to at-risk, can be problematic. ...
... Relationship-building also demonstrates to youth a collaborative work ing with stance (Madsen, 1999;Strega, 2007;Turnell & Edwards, 1999), rather than doing to or doing for (Luckock & Lefevre, 2008;Saleebey, 1997;Wharf, 2002a), the latter has been identified by youth as a barrier to feeling connected to the system (Smyth & Eaton-Erickson, 2009). Of course, there have been many examples in my experience to show that when youth are told what to do, where to stay, and how to behave, especially before any kind of positive relationship has been developed, youth do not buy-in. ...
... Reciprocity in relationships is really important in building trust and in this respect, I explained that I was a learner also on this placement. Working from a strengths-based perspective (Saleebey, 1996) we identified the strengths that DC brought to the placement. I encouraged her to share with me learning from her previous work experience in the disability sector, her academic knowledge from her MSW course, and her research skills. ...
... Alongside my use of the Kolb Reflective Cycle, I incorporated the principles of a learner-centred approach in my interaction with DC. I looked at DC's strengths and used open-ended questions (Saleebey, 1996). Most importantly, when teaching empathy in social work practice, I adopted a client-centred approach. ...
... I highlighted her strengths and drew her attention to positive pieces of work that she completed. I made efforts to support to achieve the best possible learning outcomes (Saleebey, 1996). ...
In this article, the author reflects on their experience of teaching and supervising an MSW student on placement, in a fostering agency, during COVID-19. The author emphasises the practical and pedagogical challenges they experienced when developing learning opportunities for online placement, during a global pandemic. The article points to design features of the placement, to their implementation, and discusses learning outcomes for the student and practice teacher. The author drew on related literature when preparing for and designing the placement. They were guided by the work of Bennett (2008) and their principles of effective supervision, the Kolb learning cycle (1984), and research on empathy (Morrison, 2005; Gerdes, et al 2011).The author focused on representing how role modelling the skill of empathy in the supervision space was used to support their practice teaching methodology. The student feedback on completion of the placement provides evidence that supports the author’s contention that supervision must be made a safe context for student learning. In addition, the use of ‘role modelling’ as a teaching methodology and the importance of ‘relationship building’ between the practice teacher and the student in the supervision space are critical components of the placement learning experience and subsequent learning outcomes.
... This chapter draws on strength-based approaches that are rooted in the belief that (1) people have existing competencies to identify and address their own concerns; (2) people are capable of learning new skills and solving problems; and (3) people can be involved in the process of discovery and learning. Strength-based approaches present a new worldview that abstains from labelling and accepts control by the youth and their families to help themselves when faced with adversity (Saleebey 1996;. The strength-based approach arises from findings related to positive psychological perspectives that move away from focusing on risks and maladaptation and instead strive to understand the factors that enable individuals to flourish and achieve using eassessments (Oberle 2018). ...
... The strength-based approach arises from findings related to positive psychological perspectives that move away from focusing on risks and maladaptation and instead strive to understand the factors that enable individuals to flourish and achieve using eassessments (Oberle 2018). Although Ungar (2015) maintains that students are at risk due to their unmet mental, physical and psychological needs, strengthbased approaches acknowledge the real problems that affect individuals and examine individuals in terms of their capacities, talents, competencies, possibilities, visions and hopes (Saleebey 1996). Saleebey (1996) is passionate in encouraging people to build on their strengths. ...
... Although Ungar (2015) maintains that students are at risk due to their unmet mental, physical and psychological needs, strengthbased approaches acknowledge the real problems that affect individuals and examine individuals in terms of their capacities, talents, competencies, possibilities, visions and hopes (Saleebey 1996). Saleebey (1996) is passionate in encouraging people to build on their strengths. He strongly believes that somewhere within all humans there is an urge to be heroic; to transcend circumstances; to develop their powers; to overcome adversity; and to stand up and be counted (Saleebey 2008). ...
The Covid-19 pandemic and the intermittent lockdown restrictions since March 2020 have caused significant disruptions to higher education institutions’ (HEIs) assessment strategy in South Africa. With traditional, campus-based assessments’ completion and marking unable to continue, many HEIs had to rethink assessment principles and approaches to ensure the continuation and completion of the 2020 academic year. This chapter aims to reflect critically upon the revised assessment strategy applied by a private HEI (PHEI) due to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is achieved by reflecting on the conceptualisation, process and implementation of an equitable offering of online assessment delivery in an approach to enable students to complete the 2020 academic year successfully. The assessment strategy change had three focus areas. Firstly, sit-down, campus-based assessments were converted to Take-Home Assessments (THA). Secondly, stag-gered submission due dates were replaced with final submission end dates for all semester-one assessments. Within this timeframe, students had the opportunity to submit their assessment once for feedback to their lecturer and use the feedback to submit an improved assessment. Lastly, the marking process changed from hardcopy to online, a concept that lecturers were unfa-miliar with.
This chapter reflects on the sudden change in assessment strategy to adapt to the unfamiliar digital teaching and learning context and reflect on the lessons learned from the adoption of an assessment policy, causing more disruption and anxiety amongst students and staff. The findings suggest that the pandemic enabled the PHEI to change the traditional ways of assessing and utilising technology to assess students’ work during a time of uncertainty. The PHEI showcased its agility and flexibility within a disruptive environment through innovative, student-centric thinking on which institutional policies, processes and systems were updated to ensure principle decision-making remains the constant variable in a time of chaos.-
... Strengths perspective can be successfully adapted in education of persons with various disabilities [14], as it is essential not to emphasise the problems, but to stress that changes are always possible for the individual and his environment [15]. In order to realise such attitudes in the educational process, it is important for educators to focus on compensatory and transformative responses to the challenges faced by the individual; to look for natural resources available to individuals and their families; and to build personal, friendly, supportive and dialogical relationships; be guided by the principle that everyone has knowledge, talents, capacities, skills and resources that can be used to help them move closer to their potential, to solve their problems, to meet their needs and to maintain their quality of life; take a long-term perspective, without emphasising negative experiences [16]. However, it is not only educators who have an important role to play, but also parents, who are in the best position to represent the best interests of the child and to provide information about the child, the family and the prevailing cultural environment, "in the formulation of the child's objectives and in the decision-making process in relation to the child's development of school-based social skills [17]. ...
... Key principles that allow for a strengths-based perspective in modelling child-and family-centred social skills cognitive strategies: the individual is unique, his/her strengths add additional developmental resources; the use of observation, interviews, etc. The material collected is a key way to know and assess the individual's strengths; an important resource for education is the shared aspirations of the individual/child, the family, and the school community; the ability of each to control and change the educational process and to adapt to change; comprehensive support is designed to help the individual to integrate into the community, to reinforce and improve skills, values, and commitments [16]. ...
Inclusive education guarantees enable children with disabilities to develop their potential and play an important role in the development of their intellectual, social, and other skills. Social skills, as a prerequisite for a full-fledged social life, are essential for the autonomy of the individual and his/her ability to adapt to social situations. One of the more pronounced challenges for children with severe and profound special educational needs is the difficulty of verbal and non-verbal communication, which leads to the social exclusion of the individual. The research aims to reveal the peculiarities of the social skills of children with severe and profound special educational needs. The results show that social skills help children with severe and profound special educational needs to better navigate social situations. However, the social skills that make up social skills are individual to each child, leading to different levels of social adaptability and social functioning.
... The final theme was meaning making including insights into their strengths, including contemplating how their past maltreatment and foster care history affected them and engaging in self-reflection in terms of appreciating what they had and adapting to changing circumstances in the participants' lives. Although most studies about adult functioning after child maltreatment include a deficit-focused model (Volgenau et al., 2022), this study engaged in a strengths-based approach (Saleeby, 1992) by exploring personal assets that encouraged healthy functioning. Practitioners can utilize the information about strengths that were associated with positive wellbeing to work with youth with child maltreatment experiences. ...
Background
Child maltreatment experiences can have a lifelong negative impact. While there is evidence demonstrating the importance of social support in overcoming childhood adversity, there is limited research exploring how social supports contribute to positive functioning among maltreated youth, particularly in later young adulthood. Study aim was to uncover external resources that individuals with child-welfare-documented maltreatment used to achieve positive functioning in their transition to adulthood.
Methods
Drawing from participants enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study of the effects of maltreatment, young adults (Mage = 27) with maltreatment histories who had successful adjustment at age 18 completed a semi-structured interview (April-June 2019). A thematic analysis approach was undertaken for the generation of codes and themes (4 coders). Procedures were (1) initial reading to familiarize, (2) initial codes independently generated and discussed, (3) codebook created, (4) coders reconvened to discuss/resolve differences in coding, (5) themes identified.
Results
The sample (n = 21) was 85.7 % female, 42.9 % Black and 33.3 % Hispanic, 87 % employed, 39 % living with a partner. Microsystem support included (1) family of origin (parents, grandparents, aunts/uncle, and/or siblings), (2) peers, (3) foster parents, and (4) school-based adults, (5) mentoring programs, and (6) child welfare workers. Exosystem support came from the child welfare system.
Conclusion
Our findings offer a preliminary effort to understand how individual and systems supports promote positive functioning in the transition to adulthood for youth with histories of child-welfare involvement. Study themes highlight the importance of building formal supports for maltreated youth to promote positive wellbeing and successful transitions into adulthood.
... There was weekly contact without the need for weekly travel. Social work educators must reach out to students in rural areas to tap and develop the human resources which are present in communities (Saleeby, 1992). This is particularly important for rural communities because human resource pools may be smaller. ...
... Saleebey, D. (1996). The Strengths Perspective in Social Work Practice: Extensions and Cautions. ...
Addressing the Query: Should You, as a Social Worker, Accept Gifts from Your Clients?
... Ecological systems theory provides the framework, emphasizing collaboration and partnership within and across systems, both at the provider level and within the community (Allen, 2001;Edwards, 1998;Norris et al., 2002;Waller, 2001). Attention to reciprocity and multiple perspectives as well as sensitivity to cultural relevance and context are integral to the process (Geertz, 1983;Saleebey, 1996;Stout, 1996). The structured curriculum helps participants identify and surmount barriers to learning about emotional response and other psychological processes associated with ongoing and cumulative stress and stigma. ...
This paper describes the goals and implementation of a brief group model of integrative psychoeducation designed to ameliorate the impact of community trauma. This manual-based four-session crisis oriented intervention is present focused and strengths based, and builds on resiliency and collaboration across cultural groups. The model was developed in New York City to serve the needs of community members from diverse ethnic and sociodemographic backgrounds affected either directly or indirectly by the events of September 11th, 2001. Through the integrative psychoeducational groups, participants learn to identify and differentiate the range of stress reactions to traumatic events, varying from normal to pathological. Participants are gradually sensitized to the value of proactive and culturally relevant mental health strategies to build resiliency and hope, and to enhance personal and community awareness. In turn they become more open to the potential for mental health services. Applications for diverse community based settings are presented and discussed.
... They focus on changing organizational structures, community structures, and legal structures through education and political action. Clients are viewed as participants, consumers, and change agents, and goals center on social justice (Imber-Black, 1990;Saleeby, 1992;Waldegrave, 1990). ...
The author describes her personal experience with professional powerlessness in relation to the attempt by an all-White agency to offer services to a diverse clientele and to increase diversity in staff. Her efforts to cope with (a) the challenge which this endeavor presented to current knowledge and practice, and (b) the ensuing conflict, confusion, and political machinations that occurred among staff led her to develop concepts and theory that elucidate the multilevel aspects of the interaction between diversity and power.
... Despite the growth of holistic and person-centered practice approaches and theoretical frameworks including the strength perspective (Saleeby, 1996(Saleeby, , 2013, relationship-based practice (Ruch, 2005;Trevithick, 2003), and systems theory (Forder, 1982;Walker, 2012), the political and policy context has resulted in social work practice becoming largely driven by defensive and neo-liberal practices where a focus on risk assessment has occurred in response to serious case reviews and criticisms of the profession (Turbett, 2020). Although case management reviews can help develop a culture of critical reflection, prompt system improvement and contribute to professional development, Reder andDuncan (2004, cited in Lazenbatt et al., 2009) suggest that the many inquiries into fatal child abuse cases have contributed to a blame culture in child protection work (see also Munro, 2004) The community development ethos and profession, on the other hand, promotes a macro-collective radical agenda, finding creative dialogues and spaces where people are encouraged to engage in a process of conscientisation through active participation, thus providing a springboard to promote social transformation. ...
... Strengths-based approaches are grounded in positive psychology, which, unlike traditional problem or deficit-focused approaches, focuses on positive experiences and the "optimal life" (Peterson, 2006). Importantly, strengthsbased approaches do not ignore an individual's challenges but instead examine the strengths, abilities, resources, and assets held by an individual that may be utilized to overcome these challenges (Saleeby, 2006). The Core Sets developed in this body of work will provide a list of factors most important to promoting resilience and positive outcomes in developmental diversity. ...
Despite facing more adversity and being at a greater risk of poor long-term outcomes, many neurodivergent individuals thrive and have a “good life” according to subjective and objective standards. Research and clinical practice have most often focused on risk and negative outcomes in neurodivergent individuals. In comparison, very little attention has been paid to resilience and positive outcomes, and individualized assessment of risk and resilience is required for this population. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) provides a framework to examine positive functional outcomes and the factors important for risk and resilience in developmental diversity. This protocol describes the multi-phase process that will be undertaken to develop ICF Core Sets or sets of ICF codes most relevant to risk and resilience in developmental diversity. Core Sets for risk and resilience in developmental diversity will advance the understanding of outcomes in neurodivergent populations and will provide a basis for developing individualized tools to assess resilience and risk in this population.
... After obtaining permission from the Business Councils, members of the curriculum development and research teams scheduled an in-person, strengths-based assessment for each of the three school districts and invited teachers, administrators, parents, and community members to participate. Researchers commonly use strengths-based assessments in social work to better understand what a community is doing well to build on those strengths (Saleebey, 1996;Simmons, 2012). Although the curriculum developer (BootUp) had extensive experience developing curricula used by hundreds of thousands of students and teachers around the world, they did not have prior experience developing Indigenous curricula or expertise on Indigenous communities. ...
Three Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone–serving districts formed a researcher–practitioner partnership with the Wyoming Department of Education, the American Institutes for Research®, and BootUp Professional Development to advance the computer science (CS) education of their elementary students in ways that strengthen their Indigenous identities and knowledges. In this paper, we share experiences from 2019 to 2022 with our curriculum development, professional development (PD), and classroom implementation. The researcher–practitioner partnership developed student and teacher materials to support elementary CS lessons aligned to Wyoming’s CS standards and “Indian Education for All” social studies standards. Indigenous community members served as experts to codesign culturally relevant resources. Teachers explored the curriculum resources during three 4-hour virtual and in-person PD sessions. The sessions were designed to position the teachers as designers of CS projects they eventually implemented in their classrooms. Projects completed by students included simulated interviews with Indigenous heroes and animations of students introducing themselves in their Native languages. Teachers described several positive effects of the Scratch lessons on students, including high engagement, increased confidence, and successful application of several CS concepts. The teachers also provided enthusiastic positive reviews of the ways the CS lessons allowed students to explore their Indigenous identities while preparing to productively use technology in their futures. The Wind River Elementary CS Collaborative is one model for how a researcher–practitioner partnership can utilize diverse forms of expertise, ways of knowing, and Indigenous language to engage in curriculum design, PD, and classroom implementation that supports culturally sustaining CS pedagogies in Indigenous communities.
... Human service nonprofits (HSNPs) are uniquely positioned to understand community dynamics and concerns due to their historic ties within communities and expertise in service delivery (Bell, Fryar, and Johnson 2021). These strengths allow for HSNPs to gain trust from local communities and the public sector while advocating for equitable societies (Bell, Fryar, and Johnson 2021;Hwang and Suárez 2019) through a strengths-based approach (McKnight and Kretzmann 1993;Saleebey 1996). Decriminalization of cannabis and restorative policies designed to advance social equity in some states have allowed HSNPs to apply these skills in their communities by providing agencies with freedom to interpret and implement legislation in communities impacted by over-policing, the War on Drugs (WoD), and high incarceration rates (Adinoff and Reiman 2019;Kilmer et al. 2021). ...
Evidence demonstrating the essential role of human service nonprofits in restoring justice to communities has led to an increased need in understanding how these nonprofits view their service delivery role in relation to the state in a restorative justice context. Despite the increase in funding dedicated to restorative justice programs and increased collaborations between states and nonprofits, few studies have explored perceptions of collaborative restorative justice roles in state-led initiatives. This exploratory qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to understand how leaders in these programs view their organization’s roles in restorative justice implementation. The analysis evaluates the variations in perceptions among nonprofits leaders as well as the differences in perceptions between nonprofit versus public managers/policy makers. Results indicate that nonprofit leaders and public managers/policy makers view nonprofits as pivotal to restorative justice policy implementation given their capacity to engage in grassroots problem-solving and develop strengths-based programs.
... However, incorporating minority stress into the process of formulation may be a segue to incorporate systemic thinking into treatment. Furthermore, skilful use of CBT with sexual minority service users has been argued to be empowering as it supports individuals to take charge and cope effectively in the context of oppression (Eamon, 2008;Hays, 2009;Saleebey, 1996). To illustrate this, clinicians may work with service users during formulation to start piecing together experiences of minority stress that may have contributed to their presenting difficulty. ...
Previous research that explored sexual minority service users’ experiences of accessing NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression Services highlighted the need for specific sexual orientation training. Inconsistent or lack of training may contribute to disparities in treatment outcomes between sexual minority service users and heterosexual service users. The aim of the study was to explore clinicians’ competencies working with sexual minority service users, their experiences of sexual orientation training, their view of current gaps in training provision, and ways to improve training. Self-reported sexual orientation competency scales and open-ended questions were used to address the aims of the study. Participants ( n =83) included Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) and high-intensity CBT therapists (HITs). Responses on competency scales were analysed using Kruskal–Wallis tests and thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative responses. Participants who identified as 25–29 years old had higher scores on the knowledge scale than 45+-year-olds. Bisexual participants also had higher scores on the knowledge subscale than heterosexual participants. Three over-arching themes were identified: (a) training received on sexual minority issues by Talking Therapies clinicians, (b) clinicians’ experiences of accessing and receiving sexual minority training, and (c) perceived gaps in current sexual minority training and ways to improve training. Findings were linked to previous literature and recommendations to stakeholders are made throughout the Discussion section with the view of improving sexual orientation training.
Key learning aims
(1) To understand current training provision of sexual orientation training across NHS Talking Therapies courses and services in England.
(2) To consider clinicians’ experiences of challenges and barriers that may prevent them from accessing or implementing sexual orientation training in clinical practice.
(3) To understand clinicians’ views of the current gaps in training and ways to improve training provision.
(4) To make recommendations to NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression courses and services in ways to improve training on sexual orientation to better meet the learning needs of clinicians and service users.
... The intervention is implemented by a group of women health professionals who share a common philosophy despite their varied expertise. This therapeutic team follows the strengths perspective principle, taken from social work literature (Saleeby 1997). Emphasis must be on the strengths women who use drugs possess, not on their weaknesses and pathologies. ...
The publication “Implementing a gender approach in drug policies: prevention, treatment and criminal justice, handbook for practitioners and decision makers” is the result of a 2020-2021 online consultation involving 13 countries taking place during the Covid 19 pandemic.
The handbook aims at providing policy makers and practitioners in the drug field with evidence-based and operational recommendations to develop and implement policies and interventions that better integrate specific gender needs (gender-sensitive approach) and support more gender equity (gender-transformative approach) for people concerned with the provision of drug-related prevention and care (risk and harm reduction, treatment, reintegration), including in the criminal justice system.
Examples of policies with a gender perspective are given from Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and local level: Reykjavik.
Examples of Prevention, Criminal Justice and Treatment cover projects from France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, North Macedonia, Portugal, Greece, Serbia, Spain.
... Étant une démarche axée sur les forces, la recherche participative communautaire considère les individus comme des agents actifs disposant d'un ensemble varié de capacités, de talents et de ressources47 . Les interventions axées sur les forces soutiennent le droit à l'autodétermination et au bien-être des individus et des collectivités48 . Les prochaines études sur les soins palliatifs et de fin de vie pourraient viser l'élaboration de programmes qui répondent aux priorités énoncées par les collectivités dans le cadre d'une démarche de recherche participative axée sur les forces49,50 . ...
Introduction
Au Canada, les personnes confrontées à des iniquités socioéconomiques présentent des taux supérieurs de diagnostics tardifs et des taux inférieurs de survie par rapport à la population générale. Peu de services de soins palliatifs sont destinés à ces personnes en particulier. Nous avons mis au point une intervention infirmière en milieu communautaire et en contexte urbain au Canada afin d’améliorer l’accès aux soins palliatifs pour les personnes confrontées à des iniquités socioéconomiques et atteintes d’une maladie limitant leur espérance de vie.
Méthodologie
Cette étude de recherche qualitative communautaire combine des méthodes de recherche critiques et participatives. Elle a été réalisée en partenariat avec l’équipe PCOAT (Palliative Care Outreach Advocacy Team), basée à Edmonton (Alberta), qui offre des services de proximité aux populations désavantagées sur le plan socioéconomique ayant besoin de soins palliatifs. Après une phase exploratoire nous ayant permis de définir l’intervention, nous avons mis en oeuvre une phase pilote d’un an, durant laquelle une infirmière s’est jointe à l’équipe PCOAT. Cette infirmière a eu pour tâche d’établir des liens de confiance, de coordonner les soins complexes et de répondre aux besoins à la fois en matière de santé et sur le plan pratique. Vingt-cinq participants ont pris part à cette intervention. Ils ont été interviewés chacun au moins une fois afin de décrire leurs expériences en lien avec l’intervention. Nous avons ensuite effectué une analyse thématique des données.
Résultats
La plupart des participants étaient des hommes, étaient autochtones et étaient atteints d’un cancer à un stade avancé. Les participants avaient d’importantes difficultés financières, se trouvaient ou s’étaient déjà trouvés en situation de logement précaire et avaient précédemment connu de sérieuses difficultés d’accès à des soins de santé. Ils ont décrit leurs besoins sur le plan social et sur le plan de la santé, en matière notamment de logement, de finances, de transport, de soulagement des symptômes, de réduction des méfaits et de soins de fin de vie. Ils ont également déclaré que leur accès aux services sociaux et de santé s’était amélioré et se sont dits satisfaits de l’intervention liée à l’étude.
Conclusion
D’après les données recueillies, l’intervention liée à l’étude semble avoir favorisé un meilleur accès aux soins palliatifs, de meilleures expériences pour les participants et une prestation de soins plus équitable.
... 47 Interventions based on strengths affirm the right to self-determination and wellbeing of individuals and communities. 48 Future palliative and end-of-life care studies could focus on developing programs that address priorities identified by communities using a CBPR strengths-based approach. 49,50 ...
Introduction
In Canada, people experiencing socioeconomic inequities have higher rates of late diagnosis and lower survival rates than the general population. Palliative care services focussed on this population are scarce. We developed a community-based nursing intervention to improve access to palliative care for people experiencing socioeconomic inequities and living with life-limiting illnesses in an urban Canadian setting.
Methods
This community-based, qualitative research study combined critical and participatory research methodologies. The study was conducted in partnership with the Palliative Care Outreach Advocacy Team (PCOAT) based in Edmonton, Alberta, a team dedicated to serving populations experiencing socioeconomic inequities who require palliative care. Following an exploratory phase that served to delineate the intervention, we undertook a one-year pilot implementation during which a part-time registered nurse (RN) joined PCOAT. The RN engaged in trust building, resolution of health and practical needs and complex care coordination. Twenty-five patients participated in the intervention. Participants were interviewed at least once to explore their experiences with the intervention. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis.
Results
Most participants were men, were Indigenous and had advanced cancer. Participants had significant financial concerns, lived or had lived in precarious housing situations and had previously faced serious challenges accessing health care. Participants reported social and health needs including housing, finances, transportation, symptom control, harm reduction and end-of-life care. Participants reported improved access to health and social services and expressed satisfaction with the study intervention.
Conclusion
Study findings suggest the study intervention may have contributed to improved access to palliative care, improved experiences for participants and increased equity in the delivery of care.
... Approaches that focus on building resilience are also strengths-based. Behavioral and social service practices, including social work, have been evolving toward wellness-orientated, strengths-based approaches and de-emphasizing deficit-based treatment models (Center for Promise, 2013;Lerner, Phelps, Forman, & Bowers, 2009;Saleebey, 1996;van Breda, 2018). Southwick. ...
... This is particularly applicable for autistic students in high schools, as researchers have discussed that rigorous learning opportunities, connections to students' post-school pathways and supportive relationships are three equally important aspects for both successful in-school experiences and the transition to adulthood [12,13]. Strengths-based approaches, originally used in social work, are approaches based on the philosophical principles of social justice that emphasise self-determination and empowering individuals to make changes in their own lives by acknowledging "what is right" within people, drawing upon the unique strengths, interests and preferences of individuals as well as the resources available in their environment [14][15][16]. Preliminary research suggests that strengths-based programs and interventions have many benefits to autistic students, such as improving relationships with family members [17,18], improving socialisation [19] and enhancing academic performance and vocational outcomes [20,21]. ...
Strengths-based approaches leveraging the strengths and interests of autistic students are increasingly recognised as important to meeting their school-related needs. A scoping review exploring elements contributing to strengths-based approaches for autistic students in schools was undertaken. Eighteen articles were identified, with results conceptualised according to the Bioecological Model of Development. One personal (strengths and interests), six microsystem (specialised instructions, curriculum integration, curriculum differentiation, common interests with peers, reciprocal roles and adult involvement), three mesosystem (matching resources and activities, real-life learning experiences and benefiting all students), and three exosystem (cost-effective and timesaving, collaboration with colleagues and parents and teachers’ attitude and knowledge) elements were identified. Findings highlight the interrelatedness of the elements contributing to strengths-based approaches for autistic students, which can be used to aid in the development of more inclusive school environments.
... Their potentially crucial role in tackling these restrictive barriers is grounded firstly in the core values and practices of the profession. In particular, the profession's strengths-based orientation, its focus on an ecological and holistic view of human needs, its aspiration to promote individual and social well-being, and its commitment to social justice and change (Krumer-Nevo, 2020;Lundy, 2011;Saleebey, 1996;Weiss-Gal, 2008), make social workers well-positioned to promote and advocate for intimate and sexual rights of clients with intellectual disabilities (Dodd, 2020;Turner, 2021). ...
People with intellectual disabilities still struggle to enjoy intimate and sexual relationships. Social workers have a potentially key role in realizing the intimate and sexual rights of people with intellectual disabilities, particularly in residential settings. However, we still know relatively little about the meaning social workers attribute to such relationships. The present study addresses this lacuna by examining the perceptions and practices of 15 Israeli social workers in residential settings.
Findings
Drawing on thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, two key themes are identified: (1) Intimate relationships as a human need, and (2) Intimacy with a question mark. Combined, these themes depict an ambivalent position toward residents’ intimate and sexual relationships.
Applications
The study's findings highlight the need to incorporate intimacy and sexuality within social work education, with a particular focus on people with intellectual disabilities and positive aspects of intimacy and sexuality. From a policy perspective, the findings urge state and professional authorities to develop national guidelines on realizing intimate rights.
... Some points to emphasize could include the importance of elders (Red Horse, 1980), the different meaning of leadership among Native Americans (Lewis & Gingerich, 1980), the importance of group activities (Edwards & Edwards, 1980), Indian ways of knowing that privilege feelings, history, prayer and personal relations (Colorado &Collins, 1987), andIndians' less individualistic, present-centered, andharmony-with-nature orientations (DuBray, 1985). A realization of the distinctiveness of Indian worldviews and traditions fits very neatly with a strengths perspective in social work (Saleeby, 1992) and with empowerment theory (Solomon, 1976). ...
... The focus is now shifting toward examining environmental barriers and using strengths-based approaches that may improve their quality of life (Urbanowicz et al., 2019). Despite the lack of consensus on a single definition, strengths-based practice (SBP) can be characterized as a client-centered approach that enables practitioners to understand lived experience and use these perspectives to build holistic practices that provide a balance between capabilities (strengths) and challenges (deficits; Department for Health and Social Care & Social Care Institute for Excellence [SCIE], 2019;Patten Koenig, 2019;Saleebey, 1996). Benevides et al. (2020) highlighted that autistic people face co-occurring mental health conditions; hence, interventions must be tailored to enhance mental health and well-being. ...
Importance: Existing autism assessments, interventions, and research focus primarily on deficits rather than strengths, which affects autistic people’s well-being and their physical and mental health.
Objective: To develop an operational definition for strengths-based practice, develop a taxonomy to classify studies that characterize and provide strengths-based assessments and interventions, and present the impact on the mental health and well-being of autistic people of using strengths and interests in practice.
Data Sources: Literature was searched from 2000 to 2021 in the CINAHL, PsycINFO, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, Web of Science, JSTOR, and ERIC databases.
Study Selection and Data Collection: A five-stage scoping review framework was merged with Joanna Briggs Institute enhancements to scrutinize peer-reviewed studies written in English that characterized and provided strengths-based assessments and interventions.
Findings: We sorted the 38 studies into four categories: strengths-based interventions, descriptive studies, exploratory studies, and commentaries. We found three fundamental themes: mental health outcomes, increased knowledge in interest areas, and supportive environments. Strengths-based interventions were related to positive social engagement, learning, self-advocacy, and anxiety reduction. Descriptive studies used strength assessments and examined stakeholder perceptions of strengths. Exploratory studies explored ways to incorporate strengths in practice. Finally, commentaries discussed the need to presume autistic competence and involve autistic people in research and practice.
Conclusions and Relevance: Despite the small body of literature, these findings have implications for pushing the boundaries of support to center the needs of autistic people and form genuine client collaborations.
What This Article Adds: This article adds to the understanding of using the strengths and interests of autistic people by incorporating their voices into occupational therapy research and practice in meaningful and purposeful ways.
Positionality Statement: This article uses the identity-first language autistic people. This nonableist language describes their strengths and abilities and is a conscious decision. This language is favored by autistic communities and self-advocates and has been adopted by health care professionals and researchers (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021; Kenny et al., 2016).
Treść artykułu odpowiada na potrzebę rozwoju wyspecjalizowanej wiedzy i praktyki, związanych z rehabilitacją osób z niepełnosprawnościami, tworzoną z szacunkiem do zróżnicowania użytkowników usług (zalecenia UNCRPD). Skupiając się na osobach głuchoniewidomych (OGN), promuje zastosowanie społecznego modelu niepełnosprawności do rozwoju dyskusji i modeli wsparcia konstruowanych w celu poszerzania obszarów ich uczestnictwa społecznego, w tym szczególnie na rynku pracy. W artykule prezentujemy działania zrekonstruowane z wywiadu narracyjnego z aktywistą działającym od kilkunastu lat w obszarze upełnomocnienia OGN, który w swoich doświadczeniach biograficznych stopniowo odkrywał siły ludzkie podopiecznych i coraz odważniej przekształcał je w potencjały społeczne. Ten materiał empiryczny wzbogacały dane z wywiadów informacyjnych i analizy dokumentów formalnych oraz stworzonych na potrzeby marketingowe organizacji. W analizie regulowanej normami klasycznej teorii ugruntowanej (jej wariantu przystosowanego do materiałów narracyjnych oraz z uwagi na kontekst polityczny i krytyczne nachylenie pedagogiki społecznej, wzbogacanej elementami sytuacyjnej i krytycznej analizy dyskursu, odkryliśmy i zilustrowaliśmy empirycznie trzy obszary działań upełnomocniających OGN: tworzenie okoliczności dla zmiany tożsamości OGN z „podopiecznego” w „pracownika”; upełnomocnienie OGN na etapie tworzenia okoliczności umożliwiających zatrudnienie i kontynuację pracy; równoległe działania upełnomocniające OGN poza rynkiem pracy.Ich szczegółowa rekonstrukcja, poprzedzona prezentacją teoretycznych i metodologicznych założeń badania, stanowi kluczową część artykułu. W krytycznych konkluzjach zaprezentowaliśmy obszary transformacji, konieczne do łatwiejszego wydobywania się OGN z kleszczy społecznych definicji niepełnosprawności oraz wymieniliśmy ryzyka towarzyszące praktykom upełnomocniającym.
Diagnosis, prognosis, and the realities of disease-directed treatment affect everything from a person’s sense of safety to their sense of identity. A well-rounded treatment plan aimed at the healing of the person as a whole must take this impact into account. A comprehensive psychosocial assessment is a key tool to assessing and understanding a patient’s strengths, needs, and circumstances. This chapter provides an overview of the assessment goals and practicalities, including timing and whom should be present, vital areas for assessment, empirical tools that can be utilized throughout the assessment process, and how psychosocial assessment informs specific interventions or therapies to improve patient and family function. Appreciating and understanding the psychosocial needs of individuals with hematological malignancies or serious blood disorders will enable all clinicians to provide optimal care support throughout the continuum of care.
The paper examined the relationship between pluralistic agriculture extension systems and the socioeconomic resilience of smallholder farmers in northern Uganda. A categorical regression analysis was conducted on quantitative data that were randomly collected from 308 respondents. The pluralistic agriculture extension service accounted for a 40% and 32% change in social and economic resilience respectively. The main factors that had positive and significant effects on socioeconomic resilience were the management style of extension agents and participatory monitoring and evaluation of smallholder farmer extension activities that caused less than half a unit fold of increment in socioeconomic resilience. Although small, they form the ground for farmers’ capacity to buffer, adapt to changes, and cope with stresses and disturbances. The F-values in the regression models are important in the prioritization of the significant factors during the design and implementation of extension models. The paper contributes to the ongoing discussion on the role the pluralistic agriculture extension system plays in enhancing farmer resilience and the use of quantitative methodological procedures in identifying the strength of the relationship between the factors.
Background
This study aimed to test, in real-world clinical practice, the effectiveness of a Transitional Care Stroke Intervention (TCSI) compared to usual care on health outcomes, self-management, patient experience, and health and social service use costs in older adults (≥ 55 years) with stroke and multimorbidity (≥ 2 chronic conditions).
Methods
This pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) included older adults discharged from hospital to community with stroke and multimorbidity using outpatient stroke rehabilitation services in two communities in Ontario, Canada. Participants were randomized 1:1 to usual care (control group) or usual care plus the 6-month TCSI (intervention group). The TCSI was delivered virtually by an interprofessional (IP) team, and included care coordination/system navigation support, phone/video visits, monthly IP team conferences, and an online resource to support system navigation. The primary outcome was risk of hospital readmission (all cause) after six-months. Secondary outcomes included physical and mental functioning, stroke self-management, patient experience, and health and social service use costs. The intention-to-treat principle was used to conduct the primary and secondary analyses.
Results
Ninety participants were enrolled (44 intervention, 46 control); 11 (12%) participants were lost to follow-up, leaving 79 (39 intervention, 40 control). No significant between-group differences were seen for baseline to six-month risk of hospital readmission. Differences favouring the intervention group were seen in the following secondary outcomes: physical functioning (SF-12 PCS mean difference: 5.10; 95% CI: 1.58–8.62, p = 0.005), stroke self-management (Southampton Stroke Self-Management Questionnaire mean difference: 6.00; 95% CI: 0.51—11.50, p = 0.03), and patient experience (Person-Centred Coordinated Care Experiences Questionnaire mean difference: 2.64, 95% CI: 0.81, 4.47, p = 0.005). No between-group differences were found in total healthcare costs or other secondary outcomes.
Conclusions
Although participation in the TCSI did not impact hospital readmissions, there were improvements in physical functioning, stroke self-management and patient experience in older adults with stroke and multimorbidity without increasing total healthcare costs. Challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including the shift from in-person to virtual delivery, and re-deployment of interventionists could have influenced the results. A larger pragmatic RCT is needed to determine intervention effectiveness in diverse geographic settings and ethno-cultural populations and examine intervention scalability.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04278794. Registered May 2, 2020.
Bu çalışmada Türkiye’deki Suriyeli kadınlara sivil toplum örgütleri (STÖ) tarafından sunulan sosyal hizmetler bir örnek olay üzerinden değerlendirilmiştir. Bu nitel araştırmada Türkiye’deki STÖ’lerden destek alan Suriyeli bir kadın mültecinin sosyal çalışma müdahale süreci ele alınarak kendisi ve ona sosyal hizmet sunan 7 STÖ servis sağlayıcısı ile derinlemesine görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın geçerliliğini, güvenilirliğini sağlayabilmek adına Suriyeli kadın mülteciden elde edilen sonuçlarla servis sağlayıcılardan elde edilen sonuçlar ve görüşmelerden elde edilen sonuçlarla dokümanlardan elde edilen sonuçlar birbiriyle karşılaştırılmış ve araştırmanın sonuçları vaka yöneticisinin kontrolünden geçirilmiştir. Derinlemesine görüşmelerden ve örnek olaya ilişkin tutulmuş dokümanlardan elde edilen verinin tematik analizi yapılmıştır. Sosyal çalışma müdahale süreci tümdengelim yaklaşımıyla analiz çerçevesi olarak kullanılmıştır. Keşfedilmemiş örüntüleri bulmak için veri yeniden okunmuş (tümevarımsal analiz), öncelikle açık kodlama ile yeni temalar belirlenmiş ardından eksenli kodlama ile bu temalar arasındaki bağlantılar aranmıştır. Analizde MAXQDA 2020 programı kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçları toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliğine duyarlı, hak temelli STÖ’lerin özellikle toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddete maruz bırakılan mülteci kadınların güçlenmesinde ne kadar önemli olduğunu göstermektedir. STÖ’lerin Suriyeli kadınları güçlendirici bir sosyal çalışma müdahale süreci yürütmeye çalıştığı ancak makro düzeyde karşılaşılan sorunlar nedeniyle onların hayatlarında sosyal çalışma perspektifinin hedeflediği değişimi sağlayamadıkları görülmüştür. Sonuçlar sosyal devletin sorumluluklarını yerine getirmesi ve bölgesel kalkınmacı yaklaşımların hayata geçirilmesi gerektiğine işaret etmektedir. Bunun yanı sıra STÖ’lerin projeci anlayışı terk etmesi ve politik savunuculuk faaliyetlerini daha etkili bir şekilde yürütmesi gerektiği sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır.
This chapter critically reflects on the rhetoric of binaries and division including the effects this has on the colonization of the mind, body, and spirit. It examines professional, personal, political, and cultural oppression manifested in racism, homophobia, destruction of the planet, classism, disablism, anthropocentric, and misogynistic attitudes as various expressions of the same problem springing from an outdated paradigm that does not serve the life of Earth and all of her inhabitants. The chapter explores strategies for creating a socially just, sustainable, and culturally and spiritually respectful world by reconnecting to ancient Indigenous wisdom stored in the depth of our being with the aim of bringing forth the world.
The chapter starts with music coming from a dream state setting a stage for unity necessary for the survival of all species. It continues by introducing the author while integrating the personal, professional, political, cultural, and spiritual through the lens of liberation psychology, the notion of the sense of coherence, internal control, and reverence for life. The chapter explores colonization through a personal lens of experiencing war profiteering in the name of peace and a patronizing attitude from the ‘global North’ accompanied by a lack of critical reflection on capitalism and the pain it brings. A proposal for decolonizing actions follows, inspired by a holistic approach suggesting that grounding in one’s own culture and exploring ancestry may help raise awareness of how oppressive systems damage the oppressor as much as the oppressed.
South Asians are the largest and fastest-growing racialized group in Canada, yet there are limited data on various aspects of health and well-being within this population. This includes the South Asian older adults’ ethnoculturally informed perceptions of ageing. The study aimed to understand how social and cultural forces impact the meaning assigned to healthy ageing amongst older South Asians in Canada. We recruited with purposeful and snowball sampling strategies in Southern Ontario. We conducted in-depth focus group and individual interviews (n = 19) in five South Asian languages, employing a multilingual and cross-cultural qualitative approach. In our analysis, we identified three central themes: (a) taking care of body (b) taking care of mind and heart and (c) healthy ageing through the integration of mind and body. Our study demonstrates that older immigrants are a diverse and heterogeneous population and that their conception of healthy ageing is strongly influenced by their country of origin. This study also demonstrates how racialized foreign-born older adults might provide distinctive perspectives on the ageing process and on social theories of ageing due to their simultaneous immersion in and belonging to global majority and global minority cultures. This research also adds to the limited body of literature on the theories of ageing, despite migration trends, still has a white-centric lens.
Background:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the core of publication ethics, and language around DEI has been shown to affect patient outcomes. Inclusive language is an important piece of effective communication and is one way to demonstrate and foster a welcoming, respectful, and accessible environment. Non-inclusive terminology in research may represent implicit bias, which is not typically corrected through introspection; thus, a systematic approach is needed in scientific writing. The prevalence of inclusive language guidance in leading medical journals is currently unknown.
Objective:
Investigators assess the prevalence and quality of inclusive language guidelines in author instructions in highly cited English language medical journals.
Design:
A cross-sectional review of author instructions from a convenience sample of 100 highly cited medical journals was completed in January 2023.
Subjects:
Each journal's author instructions were reviewed for presence of inclusive language guidelines for manuscript submissions.
Main measures:
Guidelines that included specific examples of inclusive language were defined as "strong." Author instructions were also reviewed for the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) checklist, and each journal's publisher and impact factor (IF) were recorded.
Key results:
The 100 journals reviewed had an IF range of 3.0-202.7 with a median IF = 19.5 (IQR 11.95, 38.68), and 28 unique publishers were represented. Inclusive language guidance was provided in 23% of medical journals reviewed. Of those, 20 (86.9%) provided strong guidance. Seven journals also recommended use of the SAGER checklist.
Conclusion:
Significant gaps still exist in ensuring use of inclusive language in medical journals.
Yoksulluk sorunu gelişmiş ve gelişmekte olan tüm dünya ülkelerinin yaşadığı ciddi bir sorundur. Bu sorunun çözümü öncelikle ekonomik anlamda kalkınmaya, sürdürülebilir istihdam politikalarına ve bu alanda sosyal adaleti geliştirilecek sosyal politikalara bağlıdır. Yoksulluk genellikle yoksunluk, geri kalmışlık, güçsüzlük, dışlanma, gelişim ve iyilik halinden yoksunluk, düşük yaşam kalitesi gibi tanımlar çerçevesinde ele alınmaktadır. Yoksulluk içinde yaşamak, yaşamdaki temel maddi ihtiyaçlardan yoksun olarak yaşamak demektir. Yoksullar aynı zamanda psikolojik, sosyal, kültürel, politik ve çevresel faktörlerden de etkilenmektedir. Tüm bunlar maddi yoksunluktan daha az önemli olmamakla birlikte yoksulları güçsüzleştiren etkenler arasındadır. Hızlı bir kalkınma sürecinde olan ülkemizin ekonomik ve sosyal göstergeleri son yıllarda ciddi anlamda iyileşmeler göstermektedir. Ülkemizde reel sektörün gittikçe güçlenmesi, ihracatın artması, enflasyonun kontrol altına alınması gibi ekonomik anlamda önemli gelişmeler yaşanmıştır. Sanayide ve savunma sektöründe milli ve yerli kalkınmaya öncelik verilmesi ekonomide ayrı bir katma değer yaratmıştır. Ekonomik düzeyde yaşanılan bu olumlu gelişmeler aynı zamanda sosyal politikalara da yansımıştır. Ülkemiz, bugün insani gelişme göstergelerinden olan en yüksek insani gelişmişlik kategorisine girmiştir. Ancak ekonomideki bu olumlu gelişmeler, yoksulluk ve işsizlik gibi sosyal sorunların etkisini ne yazık ki hafifletememiştir. Kalkınmanın olumsuz etkilerinden biri olan yoksulluk ve bunun neden olduğu birçok sosyal sorun geliştirilen etkili sosyal politikalarla kontrol altına alınmaya çalışılmaktadır. Kentsel düzeyde yaşanan yoksulluk ise sürekli değişmektedir. Kadınlar, çocuklar gibi yeni yoksul grupların yaşadığı sorunlar yaşamsal boyuta dönüşebilmektedir. Güçlendirme, var olan bir şeyi daha da güçlü hale getirmektir. Sosyal hizmet, insan davranışı ve sosyal sistem teorilerinden yararlanarak, insanların çevreleriyle etkileşim kurdukları alanlara müdahale eder. Sosyal hizmette insan hakları ve sosyal adalet temeldir. Sosyal hizmette güçlendirme yaklaşımı; mikro, mezzo ve makro düzeyde değişimi yaratmak için sıklıkla kullanır. Sosyal hizmette güçlendirme, bireylerin, grupların, toplumların ihtiyaç duydukları politik güce ulaşmasına yardımcı olmak ve bu insanları sınırlandıran kurumlarda ve politikalarda değişiklik yapmayı hedefler. Bu çalışmada; toplumsal kalkınma sürecine bağlı olarak yoksulluğun genel görünümü ve son yıllarda birey, grup ve toplumların kendi iç kaynaklarını harekete geçirmeyi hedefleyen multidisipliner bir ele alış ile güçlendirme yaklaşımının temel özellikleri ve gelecekte yoksulluğun çözümüne yönelik olarak makro düzeyde sosyal adaleti inşa etmeyi amaçlayan ne tür sosyal hizmet ve sosyal politika müdahalelerine ihtiyaç duyulduğu tartışılmaktadır.
This chapter lays the foundation for strengths-based, positive psychology, and well-being approaches and outlines the context of understanding and helping people with disabilities. The argument for the importance of character strengths is made through a conceptual and scientific lens. Research studies are reviewed that show a focus on amplifying strengths reveals greater benefits than remediating deficits in many situations. The different kinds of strengths—talents, skills, interests, resources, character strengths—are differentiating and mapped out in practical ways. A functional approach to strengths for disability is discussed. The concepts, research, and practices discussed in this chapter offer ramifications for the chapters that follow.KeywordsStrengths-based approachDisabilityPositive psychologyWell-beingStrengths vs deficitsStigmaTalentsSkillsInterestsResources
Background: the concept of recovery capital refers to the sum of resources that a person has
available to initiate and continue a recovery process. this concept has not been greatly explored
with people with persistent substance use disorder (sUD), whose recovery is often quite long.
Method: We conducted 19 qualitative interviews with 19 people (9 men, 10 women) with persistent
sUD to understand the personal strengths they use in their recovery. a gender-differentiated
thematic analysis of the transcripts was conducted.
Findings: the analysis paints a portrait of people who, despite their difficulties, managed to use their
skills and develop new ones to confront their problems: introspection, perseverance, self-belief,
knowledge about recovery, etc. For women in particular, the ability to assert themselves appears to
have been a survival tool in their trajectory. For most of the participants, material and financial resources
were most lacking in their recovery process. Faced with a precarious financial situation, several women
spoke of the need to get organized and be proactive in finding ways to support themselves.
Conclusion: contrary to a deficit-focused perspective, the concept of recovery capital leads us to
focus on what is going well in these people’s lives.
Hospitalization is often viewed as a burdensome and stressful period for older adults and their family caregivers; however, little attention has been given to the positive aspects of the care continuum journey. The purpose of this article is to highlight the positive aspects of healthcare from the perspective of Canadian older adults with complex needs and their family caregivers. This study utilized a strengths-based theoretical perspective to conduct a secondary qualitative analysis of interviews with 12 older adults and seven family caregivers. Four themes relating to positive aspects of care were identified, including: (1) looking beyond illness, (2) emotional support from healthcare providers, (3) timely discharge, and (4) upholding independence. Focusing on the positive aspects can help determine areas of care practice that currently work well. These insights will be valuable for current and future initiatives seeking to restructure and optimize healthcare services for older adults.
These are the references for Adult Safeguarding Observed: How Social Workers Assess and Manage Risk and Uncertainty by Jeremy Dixon, published in 2023.
תכנית "מנטורינג – נערות למען נערות", הינה תכנית ייחודית, המכשירה נערות בגילאי 17-21, שהיו במצבים של קושי ומצוקה ובטיפול של שירותי רווחה וחינוך, להיות מנטוריות- מסייעות לנערות במצוקה. התכנית החלה לפעול בשנת 2002 ומאז מתקיים מחזור לימודים מדי שנה. עד כה התקיימו חמישה מחזורים (במהלך שנת תשס"ז יסתיים מחזור ה'), אשר במסגרתם למדו כמאתיים נערות. הלימודים מתקיימים באמצעות היחידה ללימודי המשך והשתלמויות בבית הספר לעבודה סוציאלית על שם בוב שאפל באוניברסיטת תל אביב, במשך שנת לימודים אקדמית אחת.
מאמר זה יתאר את התכנית ואת עקרונותיה, באמצעות שלושה חלקים: החלק הראשון יכלול סקירה של התכנית על מרכיביה השונים וכן הסבר אודות משמעות מיקומה. החלק השני יתווה את האופן בו הכלי של המנטורינג (mentoring) מקדם כל אחת משלוש אוכלוסיות היעד של התכנית – נערות במצוקה, מנטוריות ואנשי מקצוע. החלק האחרון יפרט את העקרונות שלאורם מופעלת התכנית. למרות הציטוט המובא בתחילתו של הפרק, המביא את האור והחושך כשני ניגודים שאינם נפגשים, אנו ננסה להראות כיצד במסגרת התכנית מתקיים ניסיון למצוא את החיובי, את ה"אור" בחייה של כל אחת מהנערות, ניסיון שמצריך, לעיתים, הארה של החלקים החשוכים יותר המרכיבים את חייה.
Refugee people experience many trials prior to arriving in Australia and face ongoing challenges associated with re-settlement. Despite facing such difficulties many refugee people demonstrate enormous strength and resilience that facilitates their re-settlement process. The authors’ experience however suggests that professionals working with refugee people tend to focus on the trauma story to the neglect of their strengths. At times this means resilience is overshadowed by a dominant Western deficits model that defines refugee people as traumatised victims. Pathologising the trauma story of refugee people may further alienate refugee people from full inclusion into Australian life by denying their inherent resilience in the face of extraordinary life experiences. This article reviews Australian and International literature to explore factors that contribute to refugee resilience such as personal qualities, support and religion. The review also identifies elements that may impede resilience including; language barriers, racism, discrimination, and labelling the trauma story. The literature suggests refugee resilience moves beyond the Western individualised notion of resilience to a more communal construction of resilience that includes refugee people’s broader social context. The literature highlights important practice implications and the authors respond to the findings by reflecting on their own practice experience and considering implications for a more inclusive anti-oppressive strengths-based approach to work with refugee people.
This article is a thought paper examining psychoanalytic approaches in understanding grief and bereavement. It also discusses whether non-Asian developed psychoanalytic approaches could be directly transferred to bereavement care within Asian cultures and naturalistic philosophies about life and death.
Purpose
This paper aims to make the case for early action approaches with migrant families, introducing a set of principles for practice, mapped against the Professional Capabilities Framework for social work and the Social Work England professional standards.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper first explores the context of social work with migrant families, outlining the challenges and gaps in our conceptual understanding of this work. The paper then introduces a conceptual model of work with migrant families which draws on the literature from social work and allied professions, and informed by social work values and ethics.
Findings
Current social work practice with migrant children has been criticised as defensive, procedural and lacking a coherent conceptual basis, particularly for those who are subject to the no recourse to public funds (NRPF) rule. This field of social work practice would benefit from an evidence-informed model of practice, anchored in human rights approaches and focused on early action. Eight principles, drawn from existing good practice in other social work and social care contexts, are outlined as the basis for a new model of practice in social work with migrant families.
Originality/value
The NRPF rule is a provision in the immigration rules that prevents people who are subject to immigration control from claiming most social security benefits in the UK. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in research about the NRPF rule and its negative impact on children. However, there is currently no evaluated model of social work practice for children and families with NRPF.
Religious values have played a historic role in African American society. The impact of religious values on social bonds among African American adults is assessed in this study. The quantitative study investigates the strength of religious values and social bonds among a sample of African Americans employed at a public housing agency. Key variables were measured using religious values and individual bond scale. The purposive sample (N = 188) was equally African American male and female, ranging in age from 26–68 years (mean = 51.2). Data analysis included frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, reliability assessment, correlations, and t-test for independent samples. Women demonstrated stronger religious values and had more significant correlates between religious values and social bond variables. The study supports previous research about religious commitment in the Black community and suggests a connection between church commitment, social support, and social bonding with African Americans. Social work practitioners increasingly encourage the utilization and incorporation of religious values and social bonds to empower African American women, but the current study findings warrant caution about making the same assumptions when working with African American men versus women. Future research should explore the important differences that were discovered in the current study between men and women vis-a-vis religious values and social bonds.
