Assignment

Social Work

Name

Institution Affiliate

Social Work

Introduction

I am doing my field ED at Walton County Division of Family and Children Services in Georgia where I get to interact with different persons of different interests. I was allocated a number of roles some of which include; interviewing clients for renewal and recertification of benefits Medicaid/ Food stamps, assisting in the preparation for new placement and reviewing services and history of children from the foster care department and finalizing and processing applications.

In my field ED, I have met a number of individuals who I got to serve and interact with. One of my best experience was an encounter with a client two weeks ago who I found to have an intriguing personality. Below is my conversation with a client. I will use acronyms in place of names.

C indicating the client

M indicating myself

M: Good evening? How can I be of assistance?

C: Evening. I have been sent here by your supervisor. I have made a number of complaints in relation to mistreatment of a child in foster care along my street of residence and I have received no feedback yet.

M: How long ago did you make this complaint?

C: This was about a month ago, and for the previous one week I have been camping here to at least get a solution.

M: We are sorry for the delay. There has been a number of such cases recently and the process of moving them from one foster home to another has consumed most of the staff’s time. You cannot tell the reporter what the agency is going to do with the family. We have to say that we are working with the family. Please fix this.

C: It is understandable. How soon can you, therefore, take a look at this case? The little boy is in a really bad state from all the physical torture and needs urgent medical attention.

M: The case is now our priority. We will start the required procedure to see through that the boy is in safe hands and receives medical attention as well.

C: Thank you. I appreciate the role you, as an institute, play in Georgia.

M: Thank you too. It is with such information that we are able to serve the people of Georgia better, improving the society one step at a time.

Interpretation of the dialogue

The dialogue was a complaint brought forth by a client about a neglected child in foster care. The client was specifically concerned with the health of the child. A social practice theory in close relation to this situation is systems theory. According to Garthwait (2017), systems theory “describes human behavior in terms of complex systems”. In relation to this theory, members of the society are directly involved in resolving a problem. My client, from the dialogue above, was concerned about a member of the community and sought to find help.

My reaction

The situation gained my attention, especially because the boy in foster care was little. Under no circumstance should any individual experience such torture (Laureate Education, 2013). The situation left me gloomy for the rest of the day. I was unable to rest until I received confirmation that the required procedure has started.

Social work practice skills present during the dialogue

As a social worker, it is important to illustrate some practical skills to ensure that we effectively serve our clients. In the dialogue above, I applied a number of social work practice skills. To serve the clients better, I listened effectively and attentively. With the implementation of active listening, I establish trust and respect with my clients. Another skill implemented is effective communication. Interacting with different individuals forces social workers to always be transparent while communicating with them. It was important that I was clear when communicating with my client to ensure that I receive the information he/she intends to pass through (Garthwait, 2017).

References

Garthwait, C. L. (2017). The social work practicum: A guide and workbook for students (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Laureate Education. (Producer). (2013). Legal considerations [Audio file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu