Social Work Practice with Individual

Social Work Practice with Individual

In the intervention social worker controls client’s activities for the planned change.

“Intervention refers to deliberate planned action undertaken by the client and worker to solve the problem. Intervention largely observed at local level which is almost based on the welfare.”

Comption & Galaway 1994

Intervention unit have both power and responsibilities to intervene in the life of individual, families, communities and state itself. In the process of intervention social workers have to face numerous problems, tension and dispute as well. Intervention process control or removal the unnecessary elements for the protection of individual, families and public at large. Some extent, social worker took the support the statutory intervention for the positive change. The intervention may bring the crisis or debate. If any intervention for the positive change, then the social worker will get support from the public level, other professional like teachers, workers, nurse and doctors.

Social works intervention arisen when there was scarcity of the resources for an individual, family and community in order to fulfill their preferred choice. It builds the capacity of their client through the control and removal. It contributes through a range of organization within and outside social care polices and practice. Intervention process makes the network to make them independence through the creating opportunities. It reduces the community tension through the promoting of mutual understanding. Power is shared equally among the people to people retain (continue to have) their power in the specific area. The provision of intervention limited by:

• Resources available at the local level.
• Priorities of the organization.
• National and local policies of the state.

Individual

Individual refers to the human being or person of any sex, age, caste, religion or qualification. Individual as client, could be a victim of abuse or crime, or be mentally challenged, disabled, economically poor, HIV infected drug abuser. Social worker always respects worth and dignity of individual as a human being.

[Man is a social animal and can be called so on three bases which are:

1. Man is social by nature,
2. Necessity makes man social and
3. Society determines personality.

Man is social by nature

Man’s nature is such that s/he cannot make an effort to live alone. No human being is known to be developed normally in isolation.

Necessity makes man social

If a new born baby does not receive protection and attention by the society, s/he would not survive even for a single day. Human infant is so completely helpless that it must be taken care by the society. We get our food, clothing, shelter by living in cooperation with one another.

Society determines personality

Individual is a product of the society. Man lives in the society for his mental and intellectual development. Society develops and preserves individual belief, attitude, moral and ideas. The cultural heritage directs our personality.]

In the social work practice, individual is an important intervention unit. Primarily social workers have been carried out their work for the individual even they are in the mass. Social work activities often initiated with collaborative basis with other professionals. They are working either in ongoing multi-disciplinary team or ad-hoc joint work in order to meet the demand of individuals. Such individualization service is also related to case work. The service of individual depends on the context and content. Its process and methods varies as per necessitate of clients, availability of the resources.

An individual is suffering by the different sort of physical, psychological and economic problems. These problems would not possible through his own effort, therefore he search different agencies in order to get relief. To solve the problem of individual social worker should listen and control their activities and providing them financial assistance. The professional social worker aims at to minimize or strengthen the capacity of individuals after his proper identification of problems. There is also dynamic relationship between the clients and social worker; such relationship or network may play the significant role for the problem solving. It allows for the capacity of individual to grow and change in the course of his/her life.

Professional social worker endeavor to help the individuals, analyze their capacities, traits and thinking about his personal freedom. The service of social worker unconsciously motivated to the individuals that make their autonomy. Social worker service often goes case-by-case, person-by-person in order to fulfill the expectation or desired of the people. Social work with individual aligned with functional approach’ even within the setting of divergence approach. To solve the problem of individuals, social worker also traces out the client history. The individualization process disallows the categorization and classification.

The advantage of individualization

• It helps to achieve permanents and stable emotional and social relationship.
• To push an individual and smoothly towards the right destination.
• To provide the supplementary support for the education, health and food.

An individual often sought intervention from the social worker for their own welfare because they have expertise of the problem solving and negotiation. The art of social workers pays a lot to the individuals, therefore most of the clients expecting something.

In order to provide the service social worker should care following things:

• Problem:

An individual have numerous problems like poverty, maladjustment, frustration, tension and many more. To get relief from such burden they have been searching different agencies. Problem is often associated with an individual. Therefore, the social worker needs to address the client’s value and worth in society and his role and responsibility in the process treatment. When an individual unable to function, excluded from the mainstream in such situation social worker intervene in order to remove the obstacles or control the situation.

• Process:

In the process of the case work social worker often collected the information of client’s problems by which he/she understand the reality. It is based on an individual history.

• Study:

In the course of study case worker able to analyze or diagnosis the individual’s current mode of adaptation in stressful situation. It requires an analysis of social, psychological and biological determinates of the client’s current stressful situation.

• Assessment:

In the assessment process case workers analyze the useful methods and approaches for the problem solving of an individual.

• Intervention:

Intervention process is based on the as per requirement of individual need. It often decided by both client and social worker themselves, where they use the different methods of removal and control under the social work ethics.

• Termination:

Termination process limiting the services in the stage when an individual no longer the assistance of an individual. At this stage problem either already solves or does not require further assistance.

Case worker role in the process of problem solving

• Value free: free from the biasness.
• Knowledge of the human behavior
• Ability to listen the client and enter into their pain.
• Sensitivity of their setting.
• Ability to respect their self identity.
• Ability to respect intervenes in the appropriate situation.
• Ability to work as advocate, broker, consultant and educator.
• Terminate the work in time.

Reference-

Shrestha, S. K. (2013). concept of social work. Kathmandu: Taleju, Prakshan