Theoretical Perspective In Social Work

In the second case example, a theoretical perspective that may work for the family, is the Strengths Perspective. In this perspective, a social worker would acknowledge the client’s strengths and help the clients build upon those strengths, as well as realizing that they have the ability to learn and change. In this example, Romelio has numerous strengths that he can build upon in order to change his ways. One of his strengths includes the fact that he was able to maintain sobriety for two years. Digging deeper into this, staying sober, takes determination and commitment. These are traits that can be very beneficial when it comes to changing your life. In addition to those traits, another strength that Romelio has is that he is a hard worker,
and is able to run a successful business, although it may be small, it is still a successful business, he also works with landscaping and snow removal as well. One of his main strengths is the fact that he is open to change and welcomes help, which is key when trying to help someone. With these strengths, a social worker is able to help the client find a program or a way to work with them that helps them overcome their difficulties. A second theoretical perspective that might work for this family, is the Person in Environment theory.
In this perspective, a social worker looks at how the individual is affected by their environment. While working with the clients, the social worker takes into consideration the individual’s political, spiritual, physical, familial, institutional environments, as well as their social and cultural and environments. In order to fully understand the client’s situation, the social worker may ask the client questions relating to each of these categories. In this example, when it deals with Michelle, the social worker may ask if she has anyone else that she considers to be a support system to her or what type of resources she thinks she would need to support herself, as well as her children. They may also ask if there are certain events that may trigger her depression, both in the past and in the present. With Romelio, the social worker may ask questions such as what type of support system does he have or what has caused him to drink in the past. Depending on how the clients answer these types of questions, it may change the types of interventions or programs that are recommended to them. With this information, a social worker is able to ask questions that can help them to better understand the client’s situation. The social worker is then able to figure out how to work with the clients and what the client’s may need to add or change in their environment in order for the positive change to
occur. Either one of these theories can be used when working with clients, due to the fact that they are meant to have a similar outcome. Although these perspectives can be used separately, some circumstances it may be beneficial to mix both of these perspectives, as well as using the other perspectives, in order to find what will be beneficial to the clients.