Social Work Methods: Strength Based Approach

This report discusses the strength based approach in social work methods and its application in a case study. It explores the concept of leveraging strengths and capacities of individuals, groups, and families to facilitate empowerment and recovery. The case study focuses on Juliana, a woman facing financial and emotional challenges, and how the strength based approach can be used to provide effective treatment and support.

Social Work Methods
Theories for Practice

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Strength based approach..................................................................................................................3
Application of Strength based approach towards current case study..............................................4

INTRODUCTION
Social work is termed as the practice which are performed for supporting and helping
individuals, group, community and families in order to enhance individuals well being in
effective manner. The main motive of social developer is to develop skills and ability of needy
people by resolving problems in rightful manner. Social worker often adopts certain practices in
order to improve the issues available in the society and put their rightful contribution for
developing society.
The present report is based on case study of Juliana, a 27 year old women lives in
England from past three years. This women is living alone and communicates to her family only
twice a week which constantly decreasing in number. At financial grounds Juliana is quite
dependent upon her part time from where she is getting money in the form of cash. Because of
her split from the partner, Laura she was not going to her job at constant basis which have
resulted in the replacement of her job role with someone else. This have developed financial
issues for the same lady. Separation with the partner has also affected her studies because she has
also her visit at college. Financial weak factors has made life of Juliana more complicated as she
was not even able to afford her accommodation this have made her to share room with another
student and later when she was not able to manage sharing rent then she has also spent many
nights on the street. Depression from every side has influenced her to consume sleeping tablets
whose overdose has converted situation worsen.
In order to provide effective treatment to the Juliana, Strength based approach as well as
its application for the current case study has been described as below in effective manner.
Strength based approach
With the passage of time, excessive focus is put upon self directed support, self
management of ill health and prolong health situations. This has led to increasing interests in
relation to identification of and leveraging strengths as well as capacities of people who are
provided with support facilities with a view to provide assistance to them in resolving the issues
and delivering self solution. This has given rise to the concept of strength based approach which
put due emphasis over inbuilt strengths of persons, group, family and entity, capitalising on
personal strengths for the purpose of facilitation of their empowerment as well as progressive
recovery. For effectively emphasizing over health and well being of individuals as well as

groups, SBA is acknowledged to be quite strong. Using strength based approach provides
assistance in facilitating a shift of balance of care and developing facilities which are based on
protection as well as independence. SBA can thus be referred to as a collaborative procedure
between the persons provided with support services and the ones providing them with aid,
enabling sync between both to draw a result that is focussed upon the strengths and assets of an
individual.
Application of Strength based approach towards current case study
With reference to the current provided case study of Juliana, it can be said that
incorporation SBA is best feasible for the situation as it will provide guidance to the social
worker to develop their knowledge on strength of victim. Also, the chosen approach will support
social worker student in resolving the problem of Juliana by providing her effective treatment as
per her condition. Social worker student could here make use of effective narrative theory as the
main form of SBA in order to develop their self confidence among themselves and motivate
them in right direction so that she overcome from the trauma from which she is going through.
While communicating to the Juliana at the time of meet on the street, it has been analysed
that behaviour of Juliana is very much influential which can be moulded by anyone by having
strong arguments with her. The social worker has also developed the perspective towards the
victim that she will be easily motivated by having regular based communication with her. This
communication will include detailed discussion on life situation. At this point of time, narrative
theory has been acknowledged by the social worker student as best one which will definitely
help them out in making Juliana develops sooner. Narrative theory is considered as the effective
theory of SBA which simply states that an individual or patient can easily be motivated by
narrating them the story of other victims who have gone through the same sort of situation but
with the passing time how these people have developed their own knowledge over the situation
and themselves taken initiative to improvise the same in rightful manner. Also, initiative taken
by these victims has also supported them in dealing with the same situation and coping up the
trauma from which they are going through.
As per the current situation social worker student will conduct some regular based
meeting session with the Juliana in which they will first communicate with her about the current
situation, her own feeling towards the situation, her past initiatives taken to resolve problems etc.
On the basis of information received from the communication, the respective person will start

providing her advice for resolving. For instance: At first social worker will convince Juliana to
communicate to her mother again at frequent basis and tell her about the situation from which
she is going through. Juliana will also be suggested to tell every situation of her life in terms of
financial instability, separation with partner, living on streets, dependency on sleeping pills etc. It
can be said that communication with her mother back will develop strong connection with her
mother as she is one among special and close one in her life. Connection with the mother will
help her in boosting up her mental confidence back that will support her in the recovery in
quicker manner. For convincing Juliana to call her mother the respective social worker student
will tell a story of guy who have through the separation with his partner but later on when the
same guy have communicated to his parents and close friends, it has directly helped him out in
diverting his mind from the actual problem. As a result, that person has started recovering in
sooner manner. This story will definitely play an effective role in convincing Juliana to call her
mother back in order to get emotional support from her side. This will directly provide deeper
support to her in recovery.