SOCW 6101: Essential Skills for Social Work Practice
Discussion: Assessment at the Micro and Macro Levels
Assessment is a structured approach to gathering and analyzing information about the client system and their story. How is the assessment process different when the client system is an individual or family versus a community made up of individuals and families?
Assessment involves gathering the needed information in order to determine appropriate intervention. Thorough assessment allows social workers to identify the problems that need to be addressed. Complex social problems often mean that both the micro and macro level factors contribute to social work cases.
In this Discussion, you compare differences in the assessment stage at different practice levels.
By Day 3
Post a response to the following:
Describe the assessment process as related to individuals and families.
Briefly identify the types of information it is important to gather.
Compare how assessment at the macro level is similar and dissimilar than at the micro level.
Explain how you would gather the needed information at the macro level.
Identify a situation where a client system (micro or macro) may be reluctant to engage in the assessment process.
Support your post with examples from the course text and any other resources used to respond to this Discussion. Demonstrate that you have completed the required readings, understand the material, and are able to apply the concepts. Include a full reference of resources at the bottom of the post.
Child Welfare Program Transcript Introduction: Warning: The following scenario discusses abuse and violence and can be emotionally triggering. The scenario lasts 5-7 minutes. If you need to exit the scenario, please stop at any time. Earlier today, you were called to a local elementary school because a teacher was concerned about a student’s safety at home. You have spoken to the child and believe abuse is taking place in the home. The child and his mother recently moved into her boyfriend’s home. You are going to the house to meet with the mother to learn more. Click the “Continue” button. Client’s House: [As you approach the client’s front door.] You are at the client’s house. When you are ready, ring the doorbell. Click the “Ring the doorbell” button. [Doorbell rings and client opens the door.] SARAH: Hello, can I help you? [Sighs] Introduce Yourself: Introduce yourself and verify the client’s identity. Click the “Continue” button. Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 2 SARAH: Yeah, I’m Sarah. Wait, did you say social worker? [Sighs and folds her arms.] What’s going on? What do you want? How Should You Respond? The client is wondering why you are here. How should you respond? A. “There was a report from the school about your son.” • Right; never disclose detailed information until you are in a private location. -ORB. “There was a report that your son had bruises.” • Never disclose detailed information until you are in a private location Enter Home: SARAH: Fine, come in. But I wasn’t expecting company today, so the place is a bit of a mess. Watch your step. [Dissolve from exterior of house to the living room. Sarah is standing in the middle of the living room with her arms folded and nervously biting her fingernail. Her son is playing with toys in the corner of the room.] Scan Your Surroundings Look around. It’s important to scan your surroundings when entering a client’s home. Click THE HOUSE LOOKS SAFE button. What Do You Do Next? A. Ask the mother about her son’s bruises. • First ask if anyone else is home. This is for your security and your client’s privacy. -ORB. Ask if anyone else is in the home. • Right; it’s important to know who else is in the home for your safety and your client’s privacy. Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 3 SARAH: It’s just me and my son Anthony right now. But my boyfriend, Paul, will be home from work pretty soon, so— Just your client and her son are home. Click the CONTINUE button. Who Filed This Report? SARAH: Who filed this report? I mean, you said it was someone at his school, right? I mean, I bet it was that art teacher. I mean, she is always asking weird personal questions. You know, she’s had it out for us ever since Anthony threw a marker and it hit another boy in class a few weeks ago. How do you respond? A. “Yes, it was the art teacher.” • SARAH: “Typical. I never liked her. Trying to tell me how to raise my son? Who does she think she is?” o Never disclose who filed the report. Next time tell them you can’t share that information. Click the “I’m sorry, I can’t share that” button. -ORB. “That’s not important right now.” • SARAH: “Well, it feels pretty important to me. Just tell me who called, OK? I have a right to know.” o Be careful; an answer like this feels dismissive. Next time tell them you can’t share that information. Click the “I’m sorry, I can’t share that” button. -ORC. “I’m sorry, I can’t share that.” • Correct. Never disclose who filed the report. Click the CONTINUE button. SARAH: Fine. So—what now? Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 4 What Do You Say Next? The client is getting impatient. What do you say next? A. “Let’s talk about why I’m here.” • An initial goal is to make sure the child isn’t present so you can have privacy with your client. o Click the “Can you ask your son to leave the room” button. -ORB. “Did you know about the abuse?” • An initial goal is to make sure the child isn’t present so you can have privacy with your client. o Click the “Can you ask your son to leave the room” button. -ORC. “Can you ask your son to leave the room?” • Great; having the child out of the room gives you and your client privacy. SARAH: Hang on. Anthony, go play in your room, OK? Mom needs to have a private conversation. ANTHONY: OK, mom. Could We Sit Down? Now that you’re alone, it’s time to talk about why you’re here. Click the “Could we sit down” button. SARAH: Yeah, all right. But can we make this quick? I need to get dinner started before Paul gets home. [Sarah sighs again as she walks to take a seat on the love seat near the back of the room. You sit on an adjacent couch facing Sarah.] Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 5 What do you say next? A. “What’s been happening in the family?” • SARAH: “I lost my job a few months ago. It’s been pretty tough. We had to move in with my boyfriend. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t– didn’t have anywhere to live. It’s been hard.” o Nice job using an open question to start learning more about your client’s situation. Click the “Ask her to tell you more about Paul” button B. “Do you know your son is being abused?” • SARAH: “Abuse? Whoa, who said anything about abuse? My son is not being abused. I lost my job a few months ago, and so we had to move in with my boyfriend Paul. And, yeah, he’s a little more strict with him, but that’s not abuse. o Next time use an open question that is not accusatory. Click the “Ask her to tell you more about Paul” button SARAH: Paul? He’s great, letting us stay here for free as long as we have. I mean we’ve only been dating a little while. He’s not used to having kids around the house. So, it’s made our relationship a bit more stressful. Are There Red Flags? Did you hear any red flags with what she said? Empower your client to recognize and verbalize what’s wrong in her situation. Click the “How has the extra stress affected the family” button. SARAH: It’s fine, pretty much the same. Well, Paul, he has a temper. You know…I mean, it’s pretty easy to set him off, which, I mean, it’s fine when it’s just the two of us. But with Anthony around, it’s different. Your client seems aware that something is wrong in her situation. Click the “What’s different” button. Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 6 SARAH: Well, I guess um…you know, he just—Paul doesn’t like mistakes. So sometimes he gets a little rough with Anthony. Like the day he was playing ball in the house and he knocked over a lamp and broke it. And Paul just completely lost it. Moving the Conversation Forward How can you move the discussion toward her son’s safety? A. “Did you know your boyfriend was hurting your son?” • SARAH: “Whoa. OK, Paul is a good guy, and he’s not doing anything I don’t know about. OK, it’s just a little discipline. [Yelling] What is the big deal? It’s not the end of the world. What’s your problem?” o The client is upset by your question. How can you de-escalate this situation? a) Ask the client to calm down. • SARAH: “Calm? Oh, we are way past calm. Get the hell out. I don’t care who you are or what you’re doing here. You can’t just barge in here and make wild accusations about people doing ridiculous things. Get out.” i. At this point it may be too late. The only way to get back on track is to express understanding and try to start over. • Click the “Apologize and express understanding” button. SARAH: All right, fine. I—everything is just so crazy right now. I’m—Okay, I’m just trying to do the best I can, and you can’t get in my face like that and say those things. Paul is a good guy, and maybe takes it a little too far sometimes. b) Shift the conversation to Anthony’s safety. • SARAH: [Sighs] “You’re right. You’re right. You’re just here to help Anthony. Listen, there is a lot going on right now. And I really stress, and I don’t need you coming in here saying things about my boyfriend. He is not a bad guy. He just takes it a little far sometimes. B. “Is this connected to the bruises?” • SARAH: “Bruises? No, listen, I was spanked when I was young, too. And I turned out just fine. Discipline is good for a kid his age. Paul just doesn’t have much patience, so maybe—maybe he takes it a little too far sometimes.” Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 7 Has This Happened More Than Once Now that the conversation is about the child’s well-being, try to uncover if this is a repeat occurrence. Click the “Is ‘sometimes’ more than once” button. SARAH: Yeah, it’s been a couple times. But he can’t always help it, you know? He’s done so much for us already. And it’s really not his fault. Anthony, he can be a handful sometimes. How do you respond? “You need to leave with Anthony right now.” • Don’t jump into planning too quickly. Empower your client to think about why her son should be removed from the situation. o Click the “Is Anthony. Safe here” button. “Why didn’t you reach out to someone sooner?” • Rather than placing blame, empower your client to think about why her son should be removed from the situation. o Click the “Is Anthony. Safe here” button. “Is Anthony safe here?” • Correct; it’s important to make sure you and your client understand if the living situation is safe. o Click the “Continue” button. Sarah’s State of Mind SARAH: I– yeah, he– I don’t know. Look, I told you we don’t have anywhere else to go. My life is such a mess right now. I don’t have a job. I don’t have any money. I mean, I am doing the best I can for him right now. I am doing the best I can. How do you respond? “I’ll take him with me and make sure he’s safe.” • Rethink this, you are here to work with the mother to help create a plan. o Click the “We need to make a plan to find a safe place for the child” button. “You should be more responsible.” • Do not judge your client’s situation. Work with her to create a plan for her son’s safety. Child Welfare © 2021 Walden University, LLC 8 o Click the “We need to make a plan to find a safe place for the child” button. “We need to make a plan to find a safe place for the child.” • Good idea. You’re here to support and encourage the mother to make decisions that lead to her son’s safety. • Click the “Continue” button. SARAH: [SOBS] I know. I know. What can we do? [Fade to Black] Conclusion You’ve completed the exercise. Click the “Start Over” button if you’d like to start the experience again.
Please Martha uses the career reference book and the video transcript I also put it in the word document because you will need it
